Heel And Toe Wear
Heel-and-toe wear is step-like wear of individual tread blocks (see illustration), due to which an increased rolling noise can develop. The heel-and-toe wear is caused by the uneven distortion of the tread blocks in the contact patch. Heel-and-toe wear appears in more extreme forms on non-tractive wheels than on tractive wheels.
New tires have a stronger tendency to heel-and-toe wear, because the high tread blocks have greater elasticity. As tread depth decreases, the rigidity of the tread blocks increases and the tendency to heel-and-toe wear decreases.
How does the heel-and-toe wear look?
The tread blocks are higher in the front than back when viewed in running direction, see illustration. Extreme heel-and-toe wear may lead to customer complaints about noise.
Increased heel-and-toe wear occurs with:
- Toe values too great
- Incorrect air pressure
- Deep, open treads
- Tires which are not mounted on the tractive axle
- Extreme cornering
1 - Tread block, heavy wear at front of tread block
2 - Running direction
Non-directional tires:
When heel-and-toe wear occurs, the direction of travel of the tire must be reversed. If increased heel-and-toe wear and rolling noise develop, the tires should be rotated diagonally. This leads to a reduction of heel-and-toe wear. On vehicles with FWD, this effect is increased by increased wear on front axle. The rolling noise is somewhat louder immediately after rotating the wheels, but the normal noise level will be reached after traveling approximately 500 to 1, 000 km (310 to 621 miles).
Directional tires:
In the event of increased heel-and-toe wear of the tires on the rear axle - most common with front-wheel drive - rotate the wheels from back to front. In the event of increased heel-and-toe wear on the outer edges on one axle, reverse both tires on their rims. Then the left wheel must be mounted on the right side and the right wheel on the left side.
Heel-and-toe wear is a normal wear pattern and on non-directional tires, it is reduced by diagonal tire rotation after approximately 500 to 1, 000 km (310 to 621 miles).
The previous repair attempt should be briefly described on the complaint report.
Modern tires are designed for maximum driver safety even in wet conditions. Heel-and-toe wear is promoted by the open tread configuration in the tire flanks and the soft tread compound that is necessary to ensure this safety.
Heel-and-toe wear is not a fault in the warranty sense but rather is a completely normal wear pattern.