Identifying the Cause of This Tire Wear

Question

The tire is worn on only on side, suggesting incorrect camber alignment. However, the amount of wear varies along the rotation of the tire.

Does the fact that the wear is not even for the entire rotation point to some other suspension issue or is it more likely the result of just alignment, alignment+balance, etc?

Answer 1

From the photos it looks like it's both a potential camber issue as the wear is only on the inside, and an issue somewhere else due to the uneven wear. It basically looks like the tyre is 'hopping' down the road, which usually means:

• The wheel isn't truly round (it has more of an egg shape).
• There could be an issue with the suspension, so check the shock absorbers and the bushings.
• You might be suffering from a badly worn wheel bearing. That's probably the easiest thing to check - safely jack up the car, grab the wheel at the top and bottom (12 o'clock an 6 o'clock) and see if you can rock it around the center. Any sort of movement would suggest that you either have a worn wheel bearing or worn suspension (most likely bushes) very close to the wheel spindle.

Answer 2

I had something like that happen on a track day, but it was a combination of a good chunk of wear from drifting, plus the effect of one lockup while sliding sideways for a few seconds at high speed. Looked quite similar.

Unless you have had a good slide (or two) with locked up wheels I can't see why you would get the variation around the circumference.

Answer 3

Are you sure the rim is straight and not bend? A slightly bend rim can cause very weird wear but you should feel it when you drive.