Tires wearing very strangely
#1
04-10-2013, 03:43 PM
Tires wearing very strangely
I hope this is the right board to post this on. If not, please let me know where I should go instead. Anywho, what has been happening with my Monte is the front tires are wearing only on the VERY outside of the tires, and it looks like maybe even partially on the side wall. I'm not sure what would be causing this, but I have only had these tires since last summer, and have only put probably about 2000 miles on them. The rest of the tires tread is perfectly fine, but the outers are just totally worn out. Anyone know what could be causing this?
#2
04-10-2013, 03:51 PM
From what I know about tires, which granted it isn't a whole lot, But there are lots of things that can cause uneven wear. It could be that they aren't properly inflated, be it to much air or to little air, your car needs an alignment, wheels just need balancing and there are a few other things like bad shocks, tires need rotating, etc. I would check those all out and if all of those are good then I'm at a loss haha. I'm sure someone who knows a bit more will be able to narrow it down for you
#3
04-10-2013, 04:02 PM
Hi `Alex, Sounds like uninflated tires 
It pays to check your tires air pressure every week (When Cold) Get a good tire gauge (if you don't have one) & start checking ? Good Luck
Tire Tread Wear Patterns
Worn on:
Outside edges: tires that are worn on the outside edges have been under inflated. There is excessive contact with the outer edges of the tire and the road surface as the vehicle travels down the road.
Center of tire: tires that are worn in the center have been over inflated. There is excessive contact with the center of the tire and the road surface. Always use a tire air pressure gauge when inflating tires.
One of the edges: when the tire is worn on one side but not the other the camber angle is off either negative or positive.
Positive camber: is when the top of the tire leans away from the vehicle. Negative camber is when the top of the tire leans in towards the vehicle. This can also be caused by bent or damaged front end parts: tie rods, ball joints, etc.
Tire is feathered: when the tire is feathered across the tread the tie rods are worn or the vehicle needs to be aligned. The ball studs get loose in their sockets allowing the tires to toe in/out as the vehicle travels down the road. Toe in is when the fronts of the tires are closer together than the rears and toe out is when the fronts of the tires are further apart than the rears.
Tire is scalloped: when the tire is scalloped or cupped across the tread it is usually caused by bad shocks or struts. This can also be caused by out of balance tires. Jounce the front end to see if it oscillates and test drive the vehicle to see if it floats and leans excessively around corners. Bad struts are the number one cause of cupped tires. Tire wear can indicate a worn steering or suspension component, an over or under inflated tire, or a misaligned vehicle. Visual inspection of vehicle tires is an important step in the preliminary inspection process.
It pays to check your tires air pressure every week (When Cold) Get a good tire gauge (if you don't have one) & start checking ? Good LuckTire Tread Wear Patterns
Worn on:
Outside edges: tires that are worn on the outside edges have been under inflated. There is excessive contact with the outer edges of the tire and the road surface as the vehicle travels down the road.
Center of tire: tires that are worn in the center have been over inflated. There is excessive contact with the center of the tire and the road surface. Always use a tire air pressure gauge when inflating tires.
One of the edges: when the tire is worn on one side but not the other the camber angle is off either negative or positive.
Positive camber: is when the top of the tire leans away from the vehicle. Negative camber is when the top of the tire leans in towards the vehicle. This can also be caused by bent or damaged front end parts: tie rods, ball joints, etc.
Tire is feathered: when the tire is feathered across the tread the tie rods are worn or the vehicle needs to be aligned. The ball studs get loose in their sockets allowing the tires to toe in/out as the vehicle travels down the road. Toe in is when the fronts of the tires are closer together than the rears and toe out is when the fronts of the tires are further apart than the rears.
Tire is scalloped: when the tire is scalloped or cupped across the tread it is usually caused by bad shocks or struts. This can also be caused by out of balance tires. Jounce the front end to see if it oscillates and test drive the vehicle to see if it floats and leans excessively around corners. Bad struts are the number one cause of cupped tires. Tire wear can indicate a worn steering or suspension component, an over or under inflated tire, or a misaligned vehicle. Visual inspection of vehicle tires is an important step in the preliminary inspection process.
#4
04-10-2013, 05:05 PM
Outside on bothside or just one side? If its just one side then it sounds like a camber issue. Check your tire pressures and make sure they're at the correct pressure.
#5
04-10-2013, 10:04 PM
Yeah, the outside only. I checked them, and they're properly inflated. I slipped into a ditch not last winter, but the winter before. I never really had any problems with the car, but could this be because of that? I never got my axle or anything in that area checked out after that, so that's why I'm assuming that could be the culprit.
#6
04-11-2013, 05:26 AM
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Utah
Posts: 4,903
Based on the article submitted by Space and your observation the wear is only on the outside on the tire and not on both edges of the same tire it appears it could be a camber out of adjustment problem. Especially if you went into a ditch, it appears a front end alignment is required. Good luck... 
#7
04-11-2013, 07:10 AM
Yeah, the outside only. I checked them, and they're properly inflated. I slipped into a ditch not last winter, but the winter before. I never really had any problems with the car, but could this be because of that? I never got my axle or anything in that area checked out after that, so that's why I'm assuming that could be the culprit.
#8
04-11-2013, 09:40 AM
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Utah
Posts: 4,903
I agree with others that an alignment is needed to correct camber, but if the tires are wearing near the sidewalls as you stated then expect to find some bent steering/suspension components that will require replacement prior to an alignment. When the alignment is done insist on a 4 wheel alignment otherwise the vehicle won't track correctly.
