Thread: VERY strange tire wear... wtf?

About two weeks ago, I noticed some strange wear in my front tires. It appears that every other piece of tread on the inner treat set was wearing down while every other tread looked good. I went ahead and rotated them to the back since the back tires looked pretty good still. Now, the tires from the back are doing the same thing... and the tires that are now on the back have worn down completely, from about 6-8/32 to next to nothing, in less than a week. Note that these are studded winter tires, and I have been driving them for a year on dry pavement, with a trip from IL to FL and back. They were fine until a few weeks ago.. Does this look to be a studded tire issue that is just now arising after a year of use or does it appear to be something more? Note also that my shocks/struts are OK, not great but still usable, ball joints and wheel bearings were replaced last year and are still good, there is no play in my wheels. Alignment as far as I know is good, I have zero pulling whatsoever.






and this is what the now back tires look like, they looked like the tire above about a week ago...

Shitty tire or too much driving on winter tires, looks like to me.

OK. I'm afraid of investing $500 into new tires if there is an underlying issue I havent been able to find, destroying the new tires in a week as these have done.

They are either crappy or you drove them too much.

I have never, ever seen tires wear like that in the conditions you show and mention that is related to a suspension issue. That appears to be a pure tire issue.

"Note that these are studded winter tires, and I have been driving them for a year on dry pavement, with a trip from IL to FL and back."

Why do you use studded winter tires so long and why go on a drive to FL and IL with them? Use tires appropriate for your application.

I got into an accident for using summer tires during the winter. The softer rubber became hard and slipped extremely easily and caused my braking distance to go to a level I never thought it would be at and it bit me in the ass. Buy all-seasons or another set of wheels and run dedicated winter during winter when you are in IL.

I am mostly confused by the fact that it is only every other piece of tread wearing initially. And the fact that they have worn so quickly, when my driving conditions haven't changed in a year. I am hoping it is just a weird situation being suddenly caused by the studded tires, since the ones wearing so quickly are the smaller tread pieces without studs, and eventually the studs rip out and the whole inner set of treads wears from about 70% to nothing in a matter of a week.

When I bought the car in Vermont the tires were on there already and brand new. I knew I wouldn't ever be driving in a place where I'd need them again so I was just using them while they lasted.

I am confused also but I think you are on the right path towards explanation.

Honestly, they look pretty normal for that type of tread block. Clean them up so I can look at them again.

My Hankook tires on my Armada are jagged much like a sawtooth knife on each tread block, and they're not over/under inflated, alignment is fine, etc. etc. etc.

Please take pictures of a clean patch so we can better determine what your issues are.

cupped wear = unbalanced tires
very easy to believe since there are metal studs in them and you've been driving year round

http://www.monroe.com/support/Symptoms/Tire-Wear

Here is the best I can do for tonight. My big issues are the tires pictured in this post didnt have this staggered tread until I moved them up front, and now the ones that did look like this that got moved to the back have went from looking like the tire in this pic to the last pic in my OP in a matter of a week.