What Causes Inside Tire Wear?
by Anthony Potenza
Tire wear is a good way of knowing if there is anything wrong with your car. When there is noticeable inside tire wear, it can indicate specific problems with the front end of your car.
Wheel Alignment
A major cause of inside tire wear is a car's front end being out of alignment. This can be caused by hitting pot holes, curbs or driving on rough roads. Tire alignment is done by adjusting the "camber" of the car which refers to how straight up and down your tires are when looking at them from the front. If the bottoms of the tires lean to the outside, you have negative camber which can cause excessive inner tire wear.
Ball Joints
Ball joints connect to the tie rods and ensure that your car steers correctly. Ball joints connect the control arms to the steering knuckles and hold them in place when your tires bounce up and down on rough roads. Eventually, they become worn, and inside tire wear usually occurs.
Worn Struts or Shock Absorbers
Inside tire wear can be caused by worn struts or shock absorbers. Worn shocks or struts allow the wheels to bounce too much, particularly on rough roads, and typically results in an inner or outer wear pattern on the tread. Worn shocks can cause you to feel the steering wheel vibrate after hitting a bump.
References
Writer Bio
Anthony Potenza began writing in 1985 as a publicity and staff writer for 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. He has written a number of articles online, focusing on topics such as food and wine, photography, fly fishing and personal finance. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University.
