Over-inflation wear occurs at which part of the tread?

• A. Edges
• B. Shoulders
• C. Center
• D. Sidewall

Answer: (C)

Over-inflation wear shows up in the center of the tread because when a tire is over-inflated, the tire becomes firmer and the contact patch is concentrated toward the middle rather than the edges. The edges ride higher and contribute less to contact with the road, so the center bears more of the load and wears faster. If the tire were properly inflated, the contact patch would be more evenly distributed across the tread width. Under-inflation, by contrast, tends to wear the edges or shoulders due to a larger, flatter contact patch. Regularly check and set tire pressures to the recommended values to promote even tread wear.