Tyre wear: indicators and uneven wear

The tyre is your only contact with the road, and in November, with cold, wet asphalt, a bald tread is expensive. Uneven wear also points to problems with pressure or suspension.

• Find the TWI marks or arrows on the sidewall: they point to wear indicators inside the tread grooves. Once the tread is level with them, replace the tyre.
• Inspect the tread across its full width: centre, shoulders, sides. A worn centre strip often means overinflation, worn shoulders mean underinflation.
• Run your palm over the tread in both directions. Saw-tooth ridges, steps or waves mean uneven wear.
• Check the sidewalls and tread for cracks, cuts, bulges and embedded objects. Cracks on an old tyre are reason enough to replace it, even with plenty of tread left.
• Check the production date: the four-digit DOT code gives week and year. If the tyre is over 5–6 years old, judge its condition with extra care.
• If only one shoulder is worn, or you suspect a wheel runout or alignment problem, go to a workshop. Beginners should not tackle that themselves.