4 Signs that Tire Feathering has started

Tire Feathering is the situation in your tires occurs when the tire tread showing excessive wear and lower tread depth causing risk of loosing control over vehicles while driving.

What is Tire Feathering?

Tire feathering refers to a condition where the treads on a tire wears unevenly, causing the edges of the tread blocks to become rounded and smooth while the center of the tread remains relatively sharp. This can create a situation where the tires began generating more noise and vibrations, and can also reduce traction and shorten the lifespan of the tire.

This can be caused by a number of factors, including improper alignment, worn suspension components, or incorrect tire inflation. It is important to address the underlying cause of tire feathering in order to prevent further damage to the tire and to ensure safe and reliable performance from your vehicle. Regular tire rotations and inspections can also help to identify and address tire feathering before it becomes a more serious issue.

Inner Edge Feathering tires

This type of feathering occurs on the inner edges of the tire tread. It is usually caused by misalignment of the wheels, worn suspension components, or a combination of both. Inner edge feathered tires can cause abnormal noise and vibration, and can also reduce the tire’s lifespan.

Outer Edge Feathering tires

This type of feathering occurs on the outer edges of the tire tread. It is usually caused by over-inflation of the tire, which causes the center of the tread to wear more quickly than the outer edges. Outer edge feathering tire can also cause noise and vibration resulting in near end of tire life.

Tire Tread wear conditions

Uneven wear pattern: Check the tread pattern of the tire and look for any areas where the tread blocks are more rounded and smooth than others. Feathering can cause the edges of the tread blocks to become rounded and smooth, while the center of the tread remains relatively sharp.

Rough or bumpy tread: Feathering can cause the tread to feel rough or bumpy in some areas and smooth in others. Run your hand over the tread of each tire and check for any noticeable differences in the tread depth.

Increased noise and vibration: Feathering can cause the tire to generate more noise and vibrations, particularly at high speeds. If you notice any unusual tire humming noise or vibration while driving, it may be a sign of feathered tire noise.

Different tread depths: Feathering tires can cause the tread to wear unevenly, resulting in different tread depths across the tire. You need to measure the tread depth of each tire using a tread depth gauge and compare the minimum tread thickness standard for passenger car tires because sometimes one tire may wearing faster than other tires

How to check the feathering tire conditions?

Visually Inspect the Tires: Look at the tread of each tire and check for signs of uneven wear. Feathering usually causes the edges of the tread blocks to become rounded and smooth, while the center of the tread remains relatively sharp.

Run Your Hand Over the Tread: Run your hand over the tread of each tire and check for any noticeable differences in the tread depth. Feathering can cause the tread to feel rough or bumpy in some areas and smooth in others.

Check for Noise and Vibration: Feathering can cause the tire to generate more noise and vibrations, particularly at high speeds. If you notice any unusual noise or vibration while driving on urban roads or loud tire noise at highway speeds, it may be a sign of feathering.

Use a Tire Tread Depth Gauge: Measure the tread depth of each tire using a tread deathered epth gauge. Feathering can cause the tread to wear unevenly, resulting in different tread depths across the tire.

Is it dangerous driving with Feathered Tire?

Is tire feathering dangerous? The answer is No, as it may not pose an immediate safety risk, it can have a negative impact on your vehicle’s handling, traction, and stability, which can ultimately affect your safety on the road.

Feathered tire also reduce the tire’s grip on the road, particularly in wet or slippery conditions, which can increase the risk of skidding or losing control of the vehicle.

In addition, tire feathering can shorten the lifespan of your tires, which can increase the risk of tire failure and blowouts. A tire blowout can be very dangerous, particularly at high speeds, and can cause loss of control of the vehicle, leading to an accident. Therefore, it’s important to address tire deteriorating tread depth as soon as it’s noticed to prevent further damage to the tire and ensure safe and reliable performance from your vehicle.

Conclusion & Remedies before your tire tread got affected?

Although once the feathering phenomena began, it cannot be reverted but however it can be slow down by taking some steps mentioned here.

Maintain Proper Tire Inflation: Ensure that your tires are inflated to the recommended pressure specified in your vehicle owner’s manual. The tire pressure information sticker also provided near side body for quick reference. Overinflated or underinflated tires can cause uneven wear and lead to feathering.

Rotate Your Tires Regularly: Regular tire rotations can help to ensure that your tires wear evenly and avoid feathering. Mostly tire manufacturers recommend rotating your tires every 5,000 to 7,000 miles.

Check Your Alignment: Misaligned wheels can cause tire feathering. It’s a good idea to have your alignment checked at least once a year, or if you notice any signs of uneven wear on your tires.

Replace Worn Suspension Components: Worn suspension components such as ball joints or tie rod ends can also cause tire feathering. It’s important to have your suspension system inspected regularly and to replace any worn components as needed.

Drive Carefully: Avoid sudden stops or aggressive driving, as this can cause excessive wear on your tires and lead to feathering.

Frequently Asked Questions