I have uneven tire wear on the front right tire. It is down to the threads on the outside part of the tire. The tires have about 8,000 miles on them and are warn past the wear bars. The tires were balanced at time of installation and the wheels were aligned. I brought the car to the shop that performed the installation and had them do a thorough check. They stated that all parts (tire rod, shocks, etc.) were in good condition and the alignment was still in spec. They really could not explain the uneven tire wear. So, I called TireRack and they are sending a replacement tire at a reduced cost. I will be sending them the old tire for inspection and if found to be defective they will refund the reduced fee I paid today.

Today I noticed that when I make a tight U-turn in the direction away from the tire with a wear problem, the car wobbles. I did not notice this when turning in the other direction? To me this seems like an indication of a worn or broken suspension part but I am not a mechanic and like I stated it was already checked by a mechanic. Can anyone provide any insight based on the description of the problem? Let me know if you need more details. I have attached a picture of the tire.

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful responses.

 

I think your thoughts sound about right. If you notice an issue while turning heavily to one side then something is definitely wrong in you suspension assembly. In a static stand still alignment the problem may not be revealed, but under driving load and turning forces it seems to be prevalent.

Usually wear like that can be attributed to too much positive camber. I might be wrong, but it seems to cover too much contact patch to be a toe issue, but if it is a toe issue, it would be too much inward toe. It's certainly one or the other and I know thats a lame thing to say when diagnosing this issue, sorry.

Additional details about your setup might help us like:
Are you lowered? If so how much?
Do you have aftermarket camber arms or tie-rods?
Have you hit any large pot holes or are you aware of any past

 

I am not lowered, do not have any aftermarket suspension parts, and have not hit any potholes/curbs/etc.

Also, I do not notice any sway during driving meaning I have no trouble keeping the car going in a straight line.

 

i have the same problem with what seems to be my passanger side too, its partially on the drivers side.. and i dont think its the suspension because it feels good. my alignment seems good because the car doesnt pull or goes to the sides, it runs nice.. so im wondering what this could be. my car is completely stock too so there hasnt been any mods.

 

Really looks suspension/alignment related. Being on the right side of the car you'll get the worst parts of the road there. Doesn't take a lot to tweak something out of spec.

 

I hear you Neal. But, my mechanic (not tire shop) spent a couple of hours checking all the suspension components and checked alignment. Maybe I should take to the dealership for a second opinion. The new tire from Tire Rack is at my mechanic's shop. Should I get a second opinion prior to putting the new tire on?

 

Can't hurt really. Would put suspension to rest if they find no issues with it.

 

I have this same issue. Would you mind telling us what you found out please?

 

I took it to Just Tires for a free alignment check. They determined the car was severely out of alignment. It turned out that a tie-rod bolt was backed off about 1/4 inch. Obviously negligence on the part of the mechanic at my shop that put the new tires on the car and did an alignment to ensure that my tires would not wear prematurely.

They ended up crediting me over $600 for the cost of the tires and alignment at Just Tires.