Thread: VERY strange tire wear... wtf?

Well, on the hunt now for new tires or possibly used rims/tires. If anyone is located in southern I'll, southeast no, southern in, west key and has anything for sale let me know.

That is what happens to snow tires when they are left on too long. Combine that with tired struts & you have a real issue. The compound that snow tires are made of are not made to take heat. If you get a good set of all season tires you will not have that issue. I am sure that the struts on your car probably could use replacement but the main issue is the compound of the snow tires.

TThe struts definitely could use replacing but they felt good when I had pulled them off last year. I really hope new tires don't wind up doing the same thing, I never realized how expensive our tires are, this is the first I've had to buy for the car and started looking with the expectation of $40 tires like I used to buy for my old accord.

Now that I've actually read the entire post (sorry been drinkin'):

1. You should NEVER drive on winter tires year round.
2. Even all seasons that are M+S shouldn't be driven on year round.
3. Cupping (gripping/sawtooth/etc.) is a result of heat that tears at your tread blocks.
4. You really ought to look for a decent A/S tire to drive on year round, and refrain from using winter tires until the temps are consistently below 40F during the day.

Thank you. I am on the hunt for some decently priced new summer tires locally or rim/tires on Craigslist. I knew it was bad for the tires to run them year round, but once I take them off I'll never need snow tires again so I figured I could use them til (well, something like this happens) rather than pull them off now in a state where I couldn't legally resell them and have worthless drivable tires taking up space.

Correct! You took the time to explain it better than I did. Just got home from work, 12 hours of telling people things that are wrong with their car and why they need to be fixed tires me out.

Well my experience from my Hankook's is that they do not like excessive heat (M+S rated) as I have done 80+mph on them, no sweat. They ride great but in time they wear prematurely, and show signs of "sawtooth" as I like to call it. Basically, one side of the treadblock is higher than the other side, generally the leading edge being worn more than the trailing edge. This actually exhibits poor wear signs and can lead to decreased traction when you really need it. About the only thing you can do to resolve is ensure tire pressures are good at all times, and rotate the tires a bit more frequently (every 1500~2000 miles) to even out the wear patterns.

Again, been drinkin' so if this doesn't make sense lemme know and I'll have better thoughts tomorrow with a clear mind

The issue I have isn't wear like from toe issues. That's what stumps me, its easier to see in person.. on the inside row of tread, for the entire circumference of the tires, one tread is great, the next is bald, the next great, the next bald and it continues.. imagine a - to be a good tread square, and a _ to be a worn out tread square.. the entire circumference of the tires inner tread looks like _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Here's a better example. Green is about 6/32, red is about 2/32. The treads are originally even and were even a week ago when I had them moved up front from the back. This is what the tires that are now on the back looked like last week as well, and they now are at about 0-1/32 all the way around. Only thing I can possibly contribute to this is that the better tread blocks have studs in them, and the ones wearing seem to be the ones without studs. The back tires have no studs left. Is the winter rubber really that soft?? I feel like a pencil eraser could hold up better...

I agree with all the rest that this is the result of using these tires for what they aren't meant for. FWIW, check out the Yoke Envigor all-seasons. Supposedly 60k mile tires that help boost fuel economy a bit and apparently are almost as good around the track as my Yoke S.drives, based on Tire Rack testing. A bit expensive, but then you won't have to worry about tires for a LONG time. My family just put full sets on 3 different cars and they love them.