How To Tell If Wheels Will Wear Unevenly

webmonk_177310
Tue, 21 Sep 2021 01:36:55 +0000
Maintenance/Repairs

Setting the stage: We live in the country a mile down gravel road from the blacktop. There are lots of curves and hills in this area also.

Issue: It seems like we are having to replace tires left and right due to uneven wear. Nothing is more frustrating than having to get rid of tires that still have perfectly good tread on the majority of the tires but has worn down to the belts in one area (generally inner edge where you can’t see it until it is too late). We have had it in the shop for aligning/balancing, replaced struts, and probably other parts.

Question: I know there are lots of possible causes of uneven wear, but is there a sure-fire way to detect the problem before the wearing even occurs?

I know there are obvious signs like vibrations/shuddering. However, is there something visual? If I looked at the tire from the back, is the imbalance enough to visually see? After a trip, could I use a thermal camera to see if one edge is noticeably hotter than the rest?

Just looking for a way to unnecessary and expensive tire purchases without having to take it to the shop frequently to have alignment checked.

16 posts - 13 participants