Alright, I purchased a set of 205/60/15 H speed rated BF Goodrich Traction T/A’s about a year ago with a 60,000 mile warranty. 30,000 miles have been put on them since then. These tires have been rotated front to back every 3,000 miles with the oil change and kept at 29 psi cold. I just recently took my car into Sears where I bought the tires to have the left front tire repaired from a rapid loss in tire pressure. Well they called me half way into the repair to tell me that my tires were more worn down then they had thought. Well apparently they are shot, meaning they are way below specs and are pretty worn down in the middle. Well they offered me a pro-rated warranty to buy half the mileage back because of premature wear because the tires are worn down evenly, even though they are excessively worn down in the middle. Yet this tire is shot at 30,000 miles on a 60,000 mile warranty! WTF! This tire is supposed to be an excellent tire and has nothing but awesome reviews on it and the UTQG rating is 440. The wear is in the middle where from brand new the tire already has less tread anyway. How is this possible?

I know what your thinking, it’s and over inflation issue dude. Well Sears says to inflate this tire at 29 psi cold, so that’s exactly what I did. I did not do it very often as well, so there is no freaking way this tire was anything but 29 or under psi cold. Last I checked, about a week ago, all the tires were around 24 psi cold, and 24-29 hot so I know they were not over inflated. Yet the direct tire wear is down the middle? What is going on here, how is this possible? Could it be a suspension problem, or some freak tires or what? I really need this issue resolved, as I need new tires today. I don’t know what to do, buy the same tires again and pray the same thing doesn’t happen, or go with a different tire? Help me out please!

I will have pictures up in a bit if it helps.

 

Dude, sorry to tell you tread wear ratings are put on there by the manufactures. Also, unless you change the size of your tire from
OEM, use the cold pressure values supplied in the owners manual,
you can also find it on the drivers side door pillar for most cars.
Good luck with your next set!


MYTH: The Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) rating is directly related to mileage for all tire manufacturers.

FACT: The treadwear or mileage portion of UTQG is an indicator within that particular brand of tires. It's not a good indicator between brands of tires because the interpretation of the standard is extremely broad.

MYTH: Uneven wear on a tire means that the tire is defective or that there are broken components within the tire.

FACT: Uneven wear can result from many causes, most commonly improper inflation pressure for the load being carried, lack of rotation at recommended intervals and mechanical conditions such as worn or damaged suspension parts and poor wheel alignment. In rare instances, it can be indicative of a problem developing within the tire structure. In all cases, tires exhibiting uneven wear should be examined by an authorized tire service person so that the cause can be corrected.

See this link for more info.
Tire FAQ

 

dont have an answer for you but to get new tires. and get a different brand this time.

 

Hmm, thank you for the info on the UTQG; I was comparing all tires in all brands for my next set by this number. I’m glad you got to me first. Also, I do not know if you were doubting me or not about the 29 PSI, but that is what is stated on the S13 Nissan 240SX’s glove box AND by Sears as well for cold tire pressure.

Also, about the uneven wear part; perhaps you did not read my post correctly. I clearly stated that there was no way in hell my tires were ever over inflated, thus causing wear down the center like everyone and their brother’s have been proclaiming (local shops). I also mentioned that I had the tires rotated front to back with every oil change at 3,000 miles. As well when I found out about this problem I had my suspension checked out and there were no problems to be found by the mechanic, nor by the seat of my pants while driving. Also, the alignment had been done when the tires were put on a year ago, or 30,000 miles ago. I do not know if that is too long to let the alignment go with out being put up on the rack and checked, but Sears seemed to agree that it was pretty current. As well the tires are checked for uneven alignment wear every oil change and tire rotation. Therefore there is no apparent reason why the should have freakishly wore out at half there warranty life. As you can see, I try to take careful care of my car and thus that is why I am expressing extreme concern for this problem. I mean tires just don't cut out halfway through a warranty. Thanks for the info though.