Tire treads having tread elements with inclined lateral sides

A method for reducing tread wear due to non-zero toe angle alignment and road crown, the comprising:

• providing a first tire and a second tire, each of the first and second tires comprising:
• an annular tire tread including:
• a tread length extending around a circumference of the tire,
• a tread thickness extending in a depthwise direction from an outer, ground-engaging side, the depthwise direction being a radial direction normal to the outer, ground-engaging side and extending normal to both a tread width and the tread length, and
• the tread width extending laterally in a direction transverse to the tread thickness and to a length of the tread, the width extending laterally between a first lateral side edge opposing a second lateral side edge of the tread;
• a plurality of longitudinal grooves;
• a plurality of intermediate tread elements offset inwardly from each of the first lateral side edge and the second lateral side edge, the plurality of intermediate tread elements consisting of all intermediate tread elements arranged along the tire tread, each intermediate tread element having a first lateral side and a second lateral side each arranged adjacent one of the plurality of longitudinal grooves such that the intermediate tread element is bounded between two of the plurality of longitudinal grooves,
• the first lateral side extending in a direction of the tread thickness by a first lateral side angle relative to a radial reference direction;
• the second lateral side extending in a direction of the tread thickness by a second lateral side angle relative to a radial reference direction,
• where the tread is characterized as having an average lateral side angle equaling the average angle of all of the first and second lateral side angles for all of the plurality of intermediate tread elements along the length of the tread, the average lateral side angle being greater than or equal to 3 degrees or equal to or less than −3 degrees;
• and
• where the average lateral side angle for each of the first lateral side and for the second lateral side is non-zero for all intermediate tread elements;
• installing the first and second tires on a vehicle, the first tire being arranged in a first wheel position and the second tire being arranged in a second wheel position, the first and second wheel positions being arranged on opposing sides of the vehicle such that the first tire is installed in a left or right wheel position and the second tire is installed in the other of the left or right wheel positions and such that both first and second tires are together installed in front or rear wheel positions.