I hate flat spots. They are the worst. Ever. I hope you never get one, but if you do, you will definitely agree with me.

What is a Flat Spot?
A flat spot is literally a spot on your tire that is flat. Yes, I know, tires are supposed to be round. And that is precisely the problem with flat spots. Flat spots make really annoying vibrations and thumping noises at highway speeds. Severe ones can even wear out suspension parts prematurely.

How do Flat Spots Form?
Flat spots form anytime a tire is locked and skidding along the ground. This most commonly happens when a tire locks under heavy braking. Ebrake turns are another common way to flat spot a tire, though I guess this is technically brake induced as well.

The worst part about flat spots is that once you have one, that tire will lock up sooner, right on the flat spot, compounding the problem!

Really small, quick lockups of tires do not flat spot the tire to any serious degree. It is unlikely to affect performance at all, and is usually imperceptible.

How do I fix a Flat Spot?
The best way to fix a flat spot is to buy a new tire. Yes, this is not the best solution for most people, who don’t have money to burn. But it is the only sure way to eliminate a flat spot.

Doing a burnout can sometimes fix minor flat spots by burning off the rubber around it. But, the flat spot also get burned down a bit, just not quite as fast as the surrounding rubber. I haven’t had too much success with this technique, but any excuse to do a burnout is a good excuse.

You can also have the tire shaved, if you can find a shop to do it for you. Depending on how much they charge, it might be cheaper and easier to just buy a new tire.