Why Do Tyres Wear on the Inner Edge? Camber and Toe

Excessive wear on the inner edge while the outer face of the tyre looks fine is hard to notice without lifting the car.

What is camber?

Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the wheel relative to the vertical when viewed from the front. Too much negative camber puts more load on the inner edge of the tyre.

What is toe?

Toe is whether the wheels point inward or outward relative to each other when viewed from above. When toe is out of specification, the tyre scrubs slightly along the road and wears quickly at the edge. The most common cause of inner-edge wear is excess toe-out.

On sport-tuned cars

Many cars with sport suspension come from the factory with some negative camber. When worn control arm bushings are added, inner-edge wear accelerates.

The fix

• Bushings and ball joints are inspected and replaced if necessary.
• Camber and toe are set to manufacturer values with a 3D wheel alignment.
• If the wear is advanced, the tyre should be replaced; a tyre with a worn inner edge is not safe.