Uneven Tire Wear After a Collision: Hidden Alignment Damage

How to read the wear

Run your hand across the tread. Smooth on one side and sharp on the other, called feathering, suggests toe problems. Wear on one edge suggests camber.

Why crashes do this

Bent parts and shifted mounts change angles.

Cost of ignoring it

New tires on a misaligned car wear out quickly.

What we do

Inspect parts, measure structure when needed and align.

Check pressure too

Underinflation also wears edges. Rule that out first.

Which wear pattern means what

Wear on the inside edge of a tire often means too much negative camber or toe-out. Wear on the outside edge means the reverse. A saw-tooth pattern around the tread, feathering, points to toe. Wear in the center suggests overinflation, and wear on both edges suggests underinflation.

Crashes and curb strikes can change camber and toe in a few seconds. The wear appears over the next few thousand miles.

Do things in the right order

Check tire pressure first. Then have the suspension inspected for bent parts. If the structure was hit, measure it. Alignment comes last, because it adjusts within limits and cannot move a part that is out of position.

Replacing tires before fixing the cause is the most expensive mistake. Ask for an alignment printout with before and after readings. They show what changed and whether the car is now within specifications.