Bad Tire Wear Problem (pics included) UPDATED: Specs page 2

[Solorange]

As some of you may remember I have been complaining a while back about some bad tire wear. I just took my rims off before we had our first snow today and thank god I did. look at that bulge. I bet a little longer and it probably would have blown.


Now for the bad tire wear issue. A little history first: Three summers ago I lowered my car with the tein/tokico combo and got an alignment done right away. I had no issues with camber or bad tire wear with the stock wheels. I got my rims two summers ago and put these tires on them brand new. They are Kumho Ecsta SPT's. I took them off for winter and no bad wear was evident then. I put them back on this past summer and rotated them from front to back. This summer I noticed these issues shown in the picture. I looks as if I have a camber issue. I took my car in for another alignment and they said it was fine, but they performed the alignment anyway just in case. I still continued to have the bad wear. Now some of my coworkers mentioned if you rotate your tires without balancing them each time that will cause them to wear wrong. Is that true? I don't think that sounds right. Do any of you have any idea on what the problem could be? Oh and it only wears bad on the front tires. I also checked the air pressure once a week to make sure that was correct. From my last alignment my camber was set at -1.2 deg. front driver, -1.1 front pass, -.8 deg rear driver, and -1 deg rear pass. Im just wondering if Kumho's suck. I will also have to pay attention to how my stock tires wear since they are back on the car now. Time will tell for that, I just can't determine that now.

Also when I took the car back in for an aligment the second time this past summer they mentioned that it could be the struts are bad. They said if they are too bouncy it could cause that. I wouldn't think my struts are bad because they are only three years old if that. Does that sound legit too?

[SleeperSolara]

It's could be a bad or worn out camber bolt.
That's my guess.

[Toy1mzfe]

well for struts, if they are blown, you can tell from the tire wear that it is not even.

cause if shocks are worn, when you hit a bump they would bounce up andd down. this causes the tire to wear more at some points and some less.

so shocks may be the problem.

-balance wheel
-alignment
-shocks
-rotate
- or it might just be defective.

[Paladin06Greg]

The car does not have shocks only struts. Your tire wear is from horrible front end alignment. That big knot loooks like something in the tire or perhaps a defective tire.

[Solorange]

The car does not have shocks only struts. Your tire wear is from horrible front end alignment. That big knot loooks like something in the tire or perhaps a defective tire.

So I take it having a -1 degree camber I have is not good? Zero is probably ideal but does 1 degree really matter?

I know my struts are good because I don't get excessive bouncing nor is there oil leaking from them. In fact im surprise it doesn't bounce more because of the tein lowering springs. Usually most lowered cars have a little more bounce to them. And yeah its defiantly bad when people cut their springs lol.

Do you guys re-balance your tires every time you rotate them?

[1gSE]

first pic looks like an impact break (pothole or something)

2nd and 3rd, i'd say camber is off

[solara driver99]

i would say you have an alimgment problem

[TadS]

It looks like that camber is out. I think -1 degree is at the very edge of spec and yes it does affect tire wear a great deal. Did you have a cam bolts installed? Also, worn parts can cause funny tire wear. Get those struts checked out, it should only bounce once. I balance my tires w/ every rotation. On a side note Kumho’s are ok for the price, but you buy a cheaper tire and you have to expect cheaper results. I had a set of 711’s and went through them in about 15k mostly highway. Good grip on dry, but they just didn’t last.

[Solorange]

I guess Ill have to take it in for another alignment and tell them to set it at 0deg. Watch then they will come back and say I need a camber kit lol. I also have them rebalance the tires this time. Like I said before Im pretty sure the struts are ok. I don't even notice any bouncing nor is the fluid leaking out of them. You think a place like tire discounters can handle the job. Im not taking it back to bob sumeral.

[Akfahad]

^^I had the exact same tire wear one my previous tires and it was because I totally forgot to do an alignment. The only difference was that my tire wear was on the inside of the tire, not the outside. I would say definitely an alignment/camber issue. Like said before, could be a bad bolt. Try taking it to a different shop.

The first pic looks like someone plugged it or if you remember hitting a curb or something, could be that or simply a defect. My other car just developed a buldge of the outside of the tire for no reason, so.... And your friends are wrong, I rotate my tires every 10k or so, you do not need to do any alignment simply because you change the tires around.

[Solorange]

^^^ The tire wear is actually on the inside of the tire. And my friends are talking about balancing the tire every time you rotate them not an alignment. Do you guys have your tires re balanced everytime you rotate them is what I need to know.

[solara driver99]

i worked at a hometown tire and we will not have people balance them ever time they rotate them unless there not rideing good. the tire balance would not have anything to do with how they wear

[Akfahad]

Do you guys have your tires re balanced everytime you rotate them is what I need to know.

HELL NO! no need....

[Biggi_e]

that buldge does not look right, looks like a tire manufacture problem. i had a buldge on one of my old tires and def. didnt look like that..

[Solorange]

Im just going to check my front tires weekly to see if the same problem starts to persist on my factory tires. If it does ill take it in and tell them to take a look at it and fix what ever it is causing it. If it doesn't then I know the Kumhos just suck.