Is my tread wear effected by overinflation?
Overinflation is almost as bad as underinflation. Overinflation is any pressure that exceeds the pressure needed to carry the load by 10% or more. Just as with underinflation, overinflation changes the footprint too. The contact patch actually becomes shorter and narrower. This results in the shoulders of the tire scuffing along while only the center of the tire makes full contact with the road which leads to irregular wear patterns and lost tread mileage. Center rib wear, flaking, chunking, erratic depression wear are commonly observed conditions in addition to overall rapid tread wear. A tire that is overinflated by 20% will lose 10% of its tread mileage. In addition, traction is negatively impacted since the contact patch is much smaller than is optimal. The ride is harsher since the sidewall is much stiffer and handling is different since the footprint has changed. Vehicle suspension and steering system components are also affected by the harsher ride and handling due to over infla
