There are many things that can cause your tires to prematurely wear out. By understanding these sources of tire wear and taking steps to prevent wear, you could get as much as 80,000 miles out of your tires as opposed to only 20,000 miles. Below are the 5 biggest sources of premature tire wear. 

Under-Inflated Tyres

There are many reasons not to drive on underinflated tyres – you’ll use more fuel, have less grip and braking won’t be as effective. Driving on underinflated tyres can also cause your tyres to wear out more quickly. It can cause the sidewalls of your tyres to bulge out and make contact with the road. The sidewalls are designed to support the weight of your vehicle and not to drive on, and they can easily wear out if you drive on them too much. Get into a habit of regularly checking your tyre pressure and keeping your tyres well inflated in order to prevent blowouts. 

Misaligned Wheels

Sometimes a wheel can become misaligned after a sudden impact. This could include anything from driving over a pothole at speed to not slowing down enough for a speed bump.

When a wheel is misaligned, it can cause all kinds of issues from braking problems to steering difficulties. It can also cause tyres to wear unevenly on one side and potentially wear out more quickly. If you think your wheel may be misaligned, consider seeking out wheel alignment. 

Hard Braking

There are times when hard braking can’t be avoided. However, you shouldn’t be regularly slamming on the brakes. This can wear out your brake pads more quickly and wear out your tires due to the increased friction. Instead of braking at the last minute, try to get into a habit of practising progressive braking. This involves braking early while gradually applying more pressure so that you slowly roll to a stop.

Doing this can not only reduce tire wear but can also prevent you from having to stop in some cases by allowing you to roll towards lights as they’re changing green –  helping traffic to flow more smoothly and saving you fuel.

Sunlight Exposure

On a very hot day, parking your car in the sun could cause damage to various parts of your car. The UV light could cause the interior and exterior of your vehicle to become faded. Intense sunlight can also cause the rubber on your tyres to degrade. This could cause them to wear out more quickly. As a result, you should try to park in the shade as much as possible during a summer heatwave. 

Not Rotating Tyres

Front tyres tend to wear out more quickly than rear tyres. Rotating your tyres is something that is encouraged in order to evenly distribute wear across each tire. This involves swapping the front and back tyres every couple years. This can stop your front tyres from wearing out as fast. You can rotate your tyres yourself or let a mechanic do it for you.