Kinda irritated, is this tire defect or alignment?

[FriboRage]

I got my car aligned with new front tires about a year and a half ago. I was planning on replacing the rears this spring because they're about shot. I just took my front wheels off to clean the wheels real good inside the out. Discovered this.





The rest of the tread is still like brand new, you can even see the markings on the inside of the treads in the middle. Just this inside lip is worn down like this... Im pretty sure it's alignment which makes me feel like I should go back to who did the alignment and show them this. Im lucky I found this, and Im pissed I have to buy a whole new set of tires. This is the driver side, the passenger side is worn down a little but nothing like this one.

[Scottydoggs]

run your hand/fingers over the outer edge there. are the threads cupped? or smooth feeling, both side look like they may be cupped. hard to tell in a pic tho.

if cupped its alignment.

or you rubbed a curb hard, like real hard.

[FriboRage]

That's the inside though, the outside is brand new looking... along with the rest of the tire. I think if I rubbed a curb that hard I'd be buying new wheels, too, lol.

[Russosaur]

No good going back to the person who did the alignment if it was that long ago. They could blame you hit a pothole or something else to throw it off. Did the front tires looks visibility off? Thats a lot of wear, this is what one of mine looked like after the alignment being off and low air pressure.



Sent from BFE

[Scottydoggs]

the treads feel smooth? if not theres a alignment issue.

[SnowTh1ef]

being worn that much more on the inside than outside screams alignment to me.

[Scottydoggs]

the more i look at this pic, i see cupping.

[Russosaur]

The left side is up higher from what i can see

If thats what cupping is called

Sent from BFE

[CrazyGuy03]

Suspension issues

[Scottydoggs]

yup, if you look at the left side two rows the lugs are higher on one side, the right side looks smooth. if you slide your hand over that you'll feel the lip hit your hand one way with the sharp edge, then feel your hand drop over them the other way.

camber issue i bet.

[Russosaur]

I had those khumos. I hated those tires. Terrible in anything but the dry and wet and they always wore weird but i blame my alignment.

Sent from BFE

[FriboRage]

Well I took it to a guy I know personally that has been doing tires and alignment for longer than I've been alive. He said it looks like the ply in the tires is coming apart, and that it's a defect in the tire... the layers are seperating. He said he'll double check my alignment when I get the new tires.

Im getting away from the kumhos because as Russo said, I've had 6 of these tires now and they all wore strangely. I was hoping to wait until spring for new tires cause my car is gunna be garaged, but I cant let this go so.. off to tire rack I guess.

Thanks everyone.

[Russosaur]

I'd get the alignment checked anyway after new tires. Better safe than waste couple hundred in tires.

Sent from BFE

[CrazyGuy03]

You could have an alignment but
poor struts - cupping
Ball joints and tire rod ends - inner and outter wear
camber issues - same as above

[Fivefingerdeathpunch]

Those tires are almost spent anyway, they have maybe 4/32nds left and are just above the wear bars. You wouldnt make it though winter at all.


Also, larger than stock rims and tires make the tire wear worse and if you never replace them all at once you can't always do 4 wheel rotations and that lowers tread life.

[Fivefingerdeathpunch]

Thats pretty common to see of W-body cars, I notice it all the time at work even with good alignments.


That tire isnt cupped it's just worn on the inside because of camber. And some tires don't take well to camber and they do what you see there. Some Firestone tires do it alot, they will seperate a belt near the sidewall and wear smooth and then blow out. We run a factory negative camber and car makers don't care one bit if the tires don't last their full mileage warranty, if the car is within spec it's all that matters to them.

[HighOctaneRacing]

Looks like an alignment issue and over inflation of the tire as well. What PSI are you running in the tire?

[ericspecullaas]

does this chart help

[Timing]

Alignments can pop out anytime from hitting bumps hard and ****. Or the place that did the alignment was off. CAnt tell you how many times i went to certain places and the alignment was off then went somwhere else and it was dead on after that initial place said it was due to my tires.

[FriboRage]

Well, Im shopping now... two that caught my eye were Hankook Ventus S1 Noble^2... Ultra High Performance All-Season, scores well all around on Tire Rack reviews are good.

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric.. Ultra High Performance All-Season, again really good reviews $700 for a set with a rebate

Kinda leaning towards the Goodyear.