Your car’s tires are a critical component of your safety while driving. Without reliable tires, an accident is easy to have. For this reason, it is essential to pay attention to how your tires are wearing, and to act quickly to fix any issues. So what does it mean when your tires are wearing on the outside edge?
Outer tire wear could be related to socially incorrect tire pressure, which is a simple and easy fix. However, this also may point to the need of a wheel alignment. Of course, there could be failing parts of the vehicle like the ball joints or some other component of the suspension.
In this instructional article, I will discuss the reasons for this issue of abnormal tire wear, and what it takes to fix it based on what is causing the abnormal tire wear.
Reasons Tires Wear on Outside Edge
Uneven wear along the outside edges of your tires, or “toe wear” or “camber wear,” typically indicates a problem with a wheel alignment or under-inflation. Either of these conditions can be fixed by a trained professional.
#1. Improperly Inflated Tires.
Improperly inflated tires are the most likely cause of excessive tread wear and also the easiest to fix. If you are seeing excessive wear on the outer edge of your tires compared to the rest of the tire, the first place to check is the air pressure inside the tires.
When a tire is properly inflated, the vehicle’s load is evenly balanced across the tire surface. The tires can then better absorb the physical forces which occur during driving, and should not exhibit unusual tire wear.
You do not want to continue driving on tires with the wrong air pressure. Too low of a pressure can cause permanent damage, while too high of a pressure can cause a blowout. Neither of those conditions is safe for either you or for other drivers on the road.
#2. Bad Wheel Alignment.
A positive camber on the wheels causes a tilt that makes the outside of the tires wear faster, which is dangerous. Also, a positive toe-in angle will wear tires on the outside.
For this reason, you want to have the wheel alignment checked regularly and whenever you hit a pothole or obstacle hard; I suspect if the tires do not wear evenly on the inside, it is not related to balance as poor balance typically causes cupping and not the extreme wear on the outside.
#3. Defective Ball Joints.
One of the early indicators that the ball joints are starting to go bad is some wear to the outside of your tires. You might see some feathering as you get closer to the center of the tire, as well.
As the ball joints or tie rod wears down, your wheels begin to point more toward the outside, which changes the toe setting of the alignment. The camber angle can also be affected, both of which should be addressed sooner rather than later.
#4. Malfunctioning Suspension.
Various suspension parts may fail, resulting in abnormal tire tread wear. For starters, the springs are a common component that fails and weaken over time.
The leaf spring can lose the arch, while the coil spring loses the height. Either way, the camber can change and cause excessive wear to the outer tire.
The struts have a lot to do with the camber positioning of a car’s wheel. When struts bend, this will change the camber, resulting in different wear patterns on the tire, especially the outer edge. A spindle can also bend after the wheel hub is placed under a lot of force. With a spindle problem, you should notice vibration, too.
An older strut tower can also be a risk. Over time, strut towers can rust and weaken. When this happens, the camber alignment will be off and increase tire wear, but you will have obvious symptoms when the strut tower fails.
This defect can make it much more difficult to control the vehicle, especially at higher speeds! If you don’t replace this part, you can lose control.
Finally, you should look at the bushings of both control arms, as the bushings create the connection point of the suspension to the vehicle and more specifically, the wheel/tire.
Bushings that are worn out will let the control arm move from the proper location which will create a bad alignment. This can occur because of excessive heat, too much stress, or poor road conditions.
How to Fix Worn Tires on Outside Edge
#1. Inflate Tires.
The easiest fix you can make is to adjust the tire pressure. Tire pressure should be checked monthly, or anytime there is a significant change in temperature. Check owner’s manual or the driver door for the correct tire pressure for your vehicle.
If you find that tire pressure is too low, you can add air using an air compressor. Conversely, if the tire is over-inflated, you need to let some air out. Either way, one circumstance can be dangerous and the other can be dangerous.
If you have an air compressor, you don’t even need to spend any money to correct your tire pressures. Most tire shop will even do it for free. If you have to stop by a gas station, it would not be more than a few bucks.
#2. Get Wheel Alignment.
An average wheel alignment costs between 50 to 200 dollars depending on where you live, how many wheels need to be aligned, and what kind of vehicle you drive. The alignment will more expensive at a dealership compared to other places.
Most manufacturers recommend getting a wheel alignment with every other oil change, but it may be needed sooner. If you drive down rough streets or hit a lot of potholes you will want to get the alignment checked sooner.
#3. Replace Ball Joints.
If you need four ball joints replaced, you will also need a wheel alignment. The total cost could be $400 to $800, depending on the type of vehicle you drive and where you take it.
Normally, it is recommended to replace all the ball joints at the same time. If you have mechanical ability, you could replace the ball joints in your garage if you have the proper tools. That would save you some money.
#4. Repair Suspension.
Suspension repair costs vary according to the repair needed, but it’s unlikely that it will be inexpensive, so plan on spending a little money. The typical cost, if you changed one spring, would be only $200 to $500. And if you have the right tools, you could do that at home.
However, replacing a bent strut will run you around $450-750, and the part isn’t a huge portion of that cost, mostly the labor charge.
So you could easily be out $800 or more if you take your vehicle to a dealer, or if you do go to see an auto mechanic that has a more luxury mind-set. Otherwise, save some cash and do it yourself.
To repair the strut tower, expect to spend $200 to $450. If you had to replace the entire tower, expect to pay $2,000 or more. An at-home kit might cost around $100, so if you do have that level of mechanical expertise, that could be a do-it-yourself option.
If you need to replace bushings, be prepared to spend $200 to $600. The parts will be $100 to $400 of that total, depending on the type of car. If you see that the labor charge is not making up the majority of the cost, you will be able to do it if you have the right tools.
Risk of Driving with Uneven Tire Wear
You might be comfortable driving on tires with abnormal wear, but you shouldn’t. It’s unsafe and leaves you vulnerable. At any moment a tire could blowout or go flat and you will be stranded on the side of the road replacing the tire.
It also becomes harder to handle your vehicle, brake and you will lose fuel economy when tires wear incorrectly.
On top of that, you will need new tires sooner, which means unnecessary waste of money. Regular tire inspections and adjustments to your cars wheel alignment will help eliminate the bad tire wear enabling you to get more life out of your tires offering you better value.