Tire Wear Pattern Guide
The tread is a clue. It is not a work order. Pick the pattern you see; we tell you what to check.
Pattern you see
Tread face seen from above. Left edge = inner shoulder, right edge = outer shoulder. The worn area is marked in green.
If the tire is already at 2/32", skip the pattern and use Tread depth — replacement comes before diagnosis.
- Depth is measured in 32nds of an inch, from the groove floor up to the tread surface.
- A new highway tire starts around 10/32". The wear bar is moulded inside the groove at 2/32".
- When the tread wears flush with the bar, 2/32" is left and the tire has reached the end of its service life.
- Federal rules require tires to carry those bars. The limit for driving is set by each state; in Florida it is 2/32".
What it does
Six common wear pictures with the probable mechanical cause from public OEM/shop guidance (Michelin, Tires Plus). Each pattern lists what to inspect and what this page will not claim.
How to use it
Choose the pattern that matches the tire. If more than one pattern is present, start with the dominant one. If the tire is at the wear bars, replace it first.
How to read the result
Center wear usually means chronic overinflation. Both shoulders usually mean underinflation. One shoulder is alignment (camber and/or toe — we will not pick which). Cupping is balance or dampers. Feathering is toe. A flat spot is a lockup or storage. Two causes can look alike.
What this does not calculate
You are looking at a photo of your own tire, not a machine measurement. We cannot see belts, inner liner, or whether the car is safe. A bulge or exposed cord is a stop, not a pattern.
Not a finding that a specific shock, ball joint or PSI caused this. Not permission to keep driving a damaged tire.
Questions
- Can you read a photo I upload?
- Not in this tool. You identify the pattern. A photo model would be a different product with different risk.
- Inner edge only on the rear — is that camber?
- Often, but toe and a bent axle can mimic it. The honest next step is a four-wheel alignment printout.
Related tools
- Tread Depth CalculatorWear bars sit at 2/32". How you get there depends on how fast you have been using tread.
- PSI to kPa to Bar ConverterThe sidewall number is a maximum. The door sticker is what the car wants. Convert units here — do not mix them up.
- Cold vs Hot Tire Pressure CalculatorAir in a closed tire follows temperature. Check cold. Do not bleed a hot tire down to the door sticker.
Estimate — not a fitment approval.
