FAA Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA)Landing Gear SystemsMedium
A technician inspecting a main landing gear tire finds excessive wear across the entire tread with feathered edges on the tread ribs. This wear pattern most likely indicates
- Aexcessive brake heat
- Btire overinflation
- Ctire underinflation
- Dwheel misalignment (toe-in/toe-out)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. wheel misalignment (toe-in/toe-out)
Feathered edges on tread ribs, where one side of each rib is sharp and the other rounded, are characteristic of tire scrubbing caused by wheel or gear misalignment, not inflation pressure problems.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Excessive brake heat causes flat spots or heat-checked rubber, not feathering.
- B. Overinflation causes wear concentrated in the center of the tread.
- C. Underinflation typically causes wear on the shoulders/edges of the tire, not feathering.
Tire Wear Patterns
Distinct tread wear patterns that diagnose specific landing gear or inflation problems.
- Center wear = overinflation
- Shoulder/edge wear = underinflation
- Feathered rib edges = misalignment/scrubbing
Memory trick: Feathered edges feel the friction of a crooked wheel