ROAD SURFACES: Tires provide traction because the weight of the vehicle forces the tread rubber into the roads small surface irregularities. Unfortunately, that same interaction causes wear as the surface tears microscopic pieces of rubber from the tread as it slips into and out of contact with the road. And just as coarser sandpaper removes material faster, coarser road textures causes more tire wear. The following mileages estimate what a typical 40,000 mile tire driven on smooth asphalt would deliver if driven exclusively on other road surfaces.

Smooth Asphalt... 40,000 Extra Coarse Asphalt..24,000

Coarse Asphalt… 36,000 Country Roads……….20,000

Concrete………... 28,000 Crushed Stone…………8,000

WHEEL ALIGNMENT: Wheel alignment controls the distribution of vehicle load across the tire footprint. Camber is the tire’s tilt inward (negative) or outward (positive) when viewed from the front and has significant impact on handling and shoulder wear. Caster is the angle of steering axis tilt when viewed from the side and while it doesn’t affect wear, it does affect the vehicle’s handling and tendency to track straight down the road. Toe is the direction that the tires are aimed when viewed from above. Toe-in is when the tires are pointed towards each other; toe-out is when they are pointed away from each other. Toe greatly affects tire wear since a setting just 1/16" off will make the tires want to travel sideways about 150 feet every mile.

DRIVING STYLE: The way you drive your car – passively or aggressively – can greatly impact wear.