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'06 XRS tire cupping?

2K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Ron AKA 
#1 ·
So I bought the car used @77,4000 miles on the odometer last March. It now has ~109,000 miles. The dealer originally had economy tires installed, but they put on a lightly used set of Bridgestone potenzas (dunno the specific model) at my request which came from my friend who only had them on his car for less than 1,200 miles (I know because I went with him to buy the tires) so the tires now have roughly 32,000 miles.

Out of curiosity after an oil change, I removed the driver side rear wheel and the driver side front wheel to compare the treads and saw that the rear tires were cupped/feathered.

I never rotated the tires (out of a combination of stupidity and lazyness, but mostly stupidity) since I planned on buying a new set when these were worn down, but I was told that tire cupping is the indicator of an underlying issue with the suspension. The shocks seem to be fine as the car isn't bouncy, and it doesn't feel like the suspension is softening when I take the car out for an aggressive drive. I never planned on running with these tires for this long - life just happened - but I do plan on replacing them within the next few weeks since I found out about the odd tread wear.

Anyone have any thoughts on the matter?
 
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#4 ·
Years ago I took a relatively new car in for a wheel alignment at a tire shop. They told me that my front end was shot and I needed all new parts, because my tires were cupping. I smelled a rat and took it in for a check at a Ford dealership. They told me there was nothing wrong with the front end but I had a leaky shock and that was most likely the problem. I replaced the shock and it was the end of the problem. I suppose there could be other reasons. Visually check your shocks and struts carefully. If they are leaking they are bad. If not leaking and pass the bounce test, they are most certainly good, and you need to look elsewhere. Wheel balance is the other possibility.


If it is a minor issue and there is lots of tread left, I would rotate and see what happens. If the cupping returns to the same position on the car, you know there is a problem there, and have learned it without ruining a new tire.
 
#5 ·
Post number 2 has all the info you need. In my experience, tire cupping is usually caused by constant hard driving, toe that way out of spec, or struts in that order. Rarely it is caused by wheel balance as well.
 
#6 ·
Ok so I went and took a look at the suspension and nothing was leaking. What I did find interesting though is that, when comparing it to the pic justice posted, the left rear tires are more scalloped than the right one. In fact, my dad had a look n' feel and thought that the left tire was the only one that was scalloped.

Could it be that the left rear is the only one out of alignment?

Going to have to get it aligned anyway when I get new tires, but thanks for all the information guys. This way I know what to expect when I go to the dealers for an alignment when I get new tires.
 
#7 ·
It would be difficult for the rear end to be out of alignment considering it's a solid axle.

But seriously, 30,000 miles without a rotation is a very long time. The tire noise back there has to be insane! The problem is that now if you rotate them the feathered tires on the front will likely intensify the noise and vibration cause by the tire and you will not be happy at all.

These front wheel drive cars are very light-weight in the rear and as a result you get wear like this on the rear tires if you don't rotate them regularly.

You probably have a combination of a worn (not blown) left-rear shock and lack of rotation going on. I wouldn't be too worried about it. Just double check to make sure everything is tight. Go ahead and rotate the tires if you want, just be prepared to rotate them back to the rear if you're not happy with that tire's performance in the front.

If the noise isn't bothering you then just roll with it until the tread is no longer safe on that tire. Otherwise plan on buying new tires.
 
#8 ·
Yea, I tried the car after rotating the tires and rotated them back to their original positions after 15 minutes of sounding like an Off Road vehicle!

Now with the tires back to where they were, the only sound I notice (now, because I'm aware of the damn thing) is when braking... it's only noticeable when I have the radio off and I'm concentrating on the sound, but otherwise the rest of the car is quiet.

Looks like I have to plan a trip to the tire store soon.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Yea, I tried the car after rotating the tires and rotated them back to their original positions after 15 minutes of sounding like an Off Road vehicle!
Looks like I have to plan a trip to the tire store soon.

If you want to get the most out of the tires you have, you may want to put up with the noise for a while and see if it goes away. If you go for new tires, make sure you rotate them regularly this time. Every oil change is ideal. See link below. Pattern C is my preferred pattern for a front wheel drive. Pattern D is about the only choice if the tires are directional. I try to avoid directional tires for this reason. Again in my opinion shocks and struts have to leak to fail. If they have not leaked and pass the bounce test, you will be replacing them for nothing. And I have never seen wheel alignment cause cupping, but you will hear both those stories from those who do wheel alignments and shock replacement.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=43
 
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