Unusual tire wear on stock Turanza's

[mmcdonald]

Okay, I did a search and couldn't find anything, so please excuse the duplicate post if this is one.

I am finding that my treadwear on the stock turanza's is weird. The sidewalls are wearing and rounding off the tread. I am wondering if this is from the left drift issue. It looks like the tires are twice as old as they are (about 28K miles) and that I have been running on low pressure - which I haven't.

I have had the tires rotated, so the front ones again look new, and the rear ones are rounded. So this means the rear tires are wearing normally, and only the front tires are rounding like this.

I am getting new tires shortly and think I should get the drift issue resolved at the same time to prevent further weird tread wear.

BTW, since I can't get the Tyota dealer to even return my calls, I am getting the drift issue done by the tire installer (full service auto repair [best shop in MD] and authorized tirerack installer.)

[cablemn]

28,000 miles is not bad as far as i'm concerned. The turanzas are kind of a soft sidewall tire and there will be some sidewall scrub happening on tight or highspeed turns. The softer sidewall helps to keep the ride quiet and pliable. You can replace them with a high performance tire that will have a thicker, stiffer sidewall but you might have more road noise. On the upside your solara will handle much better and you'll have better road feel. If you look hard enough you may be able to find a tire with the best of both worlds. But again at 28,000 you should see some wear, thats normal.

[MrMikeL]

I agree with cablemn. I would also want to find out how often you've had the tires rotated. Obviously the fronts take far more abuse than rears, so it's important to rotate. If you've never rotated, then this would explain the uneven wear. Tires should be rotated every 5k to 7.5k miles, so you should have rotated 4 or 5 times by now.

Alignment can also cause uneven wear on the front. If your car has never been on the alignment rack, it's probably time.

Let us know how it turns out!

[mattyboyl]

Good advice. I'd also like to add road manners. If you drive aggressively and chirp your tires and take turns at high speeds, you are putting your tires under more stree than say someone who drives more conservatively. Me, I drive like an idiot and therefore after only 10,000 miles, I have shedded my fronts about 60-75%!! Therefore I put them in the rear. I have been much easier on the front set now and don't chirp and burnout and other stupid stuff that sheds the tires onto the street! Just another thing to think about.

[mmcdonald]

Hehe, "tight or highspeed turns?" Would you consider 70mph on a 270 degree highway ramp tight or high speed? Hmmmm, you may have something there.

And this is the first time I have had them rotated since my local JiffyLube just got in the rack to rotate tires.

I guess I am not used to a soft sidewall.

Any suggestions for the new set? I need to get something all season. I was thinking of a 225/55, or 50. I need something suitable for my driving ... habits?

And mattyboyl, what means this "road mannn... manner... manners?" Me never heard of these two words in same phrase.

[MrMikeL]

Yeah, my suggestion for the new tires is ROTATE THEM EVERY 5000 MILES!!!

[snce1980]

don't buy bridgestones...buy michelin or toyo...the bridgestone turanzas are really bad tires...they don't stick to the asphalt as well...i had the bridgestones and it would drift like crazy...and the dealer put toyo proxes j33 on...and the ride is beautiful...(although the car isn't)...

also if you're having drift problems...tell toyota to replace those bridgestones and go w/ the toyo proxes j33...they're much better tires...and you won't get the drift...