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Weird tread wear pattern, what problem?
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flatmetalsheet
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Aug 24, 2017, 11:08 AM
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Weird tread wear pattern, what problem?
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I started hearing noises back 4 months ago. Saw damage on a front tire, changed them out (put the new tires in the rear, rotated old ones to the front). Noise did not go away. The car is under warranty ( <3 years old, 21000 miles), brought it to the dealership, couldnt get much info out of it, (they were nice to have driven it with me but just said the tires were "cupped" nothing else is wrong)
Here is a picture of the (now) front left tire.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/u9hm3jtmk2lcas4/IMG_1756.JPG?dl=0
[edited: link to recording of the noise] https://www.dropbox.com/s/4r3vxyudrwe406n/New%20Recording.mp3?dl=0
The inside side of it is "cupped" (as in it has jagged edge). That can cause noises I know (my other car had the same problem) but the noise started before I changed tires (same noise same volume starts at same speed). The noise is a humming noise peaking at 40mph, doesnt sound like cv joint noise I found on youtube. Also I am surprised the tires are "cupped" because I drive very gently.
Notice in the picture (red arrows) there is this, for a lack of better word, "line" on the tread (zoom to see) I find the same line on the other front tire too, at the exact same position. And I know they developed while the tires were in the rear because 1. I have an old picture of my car that shows these lines while the tires were still in the rear, and 2. the brand new tires in the back (only a few months old) now starts to develop these lines too.
Since my tire problems, I have been religious about keeping tire pressures to the dot of manufacturer spec.
My question for you all - what could have possibly gone wrong? Note also I had my alignment done 1 week after I changed tires (thinking that was what caused the noise). Note also in the picture you see some white patterns that is at an angle, is that significant? I (visually) inspected the shocks in the rear, I dont think I see any leak but they are buried deep inside the wheel well so it is hard to tell. I tried pressing the rear down with my weight, it rises back up without (much) swinging although it seems alot easier to press down the rear than the front. The car is a front wheel drive so I don't really know what else to look for. It just feesl kind of unstable at low speed and sometimes it does sway left and right on the highway despite the alignment done.
Any suggestions would help and greatly appreciated!
car: 2014 benz cla 2.0 liter 21000 miles
(This post was edited by flatmetalsheet on Aug 24, 2017, 11:42 PM)
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Hammer Time
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Aug 24, 2017, 1:32 PM
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Re: Weird tread wear pattern, what problem?
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If you have moved and changed the tires and the noise didn't change, then why do you still think it's tires?
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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flatmetalsheet
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Aug 24, 2017, 7:08 PM
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Re: Weird tread wear pattern, what problem?
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Good point, I guess do not know as a fact its the tires. But I just cannot figure out
where the noise come from, and, thinking that wear pattern on the tires
can sometimes indicate what suspension (or other) problems there is,
that's why I asked... perhaps thats not true, I just do not know.
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Hammer Time
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Aug 24, 2017, 7:13 PM
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Re: Weird tread wear pattern, what problem?
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The cupping is a reflection of bad wheel balance, alignment and the condition of the shocks/struts. Cupping generally only happens on the "free rolling" axle, not the drive axle but moving the bad tire should change the noise considerably. The alternative is probably a bad bearing somewhere that still needs to be determined.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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flatmetalsheet
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Aug 24, 2017, 11:46 PM
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Thank you so much for the info. I do have a recording of the noise (that I recorded with a cell phone on the floor), I've added a link to that in the original post and here if anyone is interested. It peaks at the 6th-7th second, sounded like a resonance. (https://www.dropbox.com/...20Recording.mp3?dl=0)
I'm just not sure what to do now: the foreman at the dealer seemed to be convinced it is the tires (though I did tell him the noise started before the tire rotation). I am pondering bringing it back and have them look again... or bring it to a different place... or I don't know if there is any other advice you can provide.
(This post was edited by flatmetalsheet on Aug 24, 2017, 11:50 PM)
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Hammer Time
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Aug 25, 2017, 5:30 AM
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Re: Weird tread wear pattern, what problem?
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Or you could just replace the bad tires and eliminate that once and for all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
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Aug 25, 2017, 5:51 AM
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Read the tire's treadwear rating number. It doesn't mean miles just a clue of life expectancy for the particular type and brand not part of dealership's warranty if a defect but some performance tires only last very low miles to cooperate as initially designed on specialty makes like this. Some use soft rubber so they can claim unreal performance for handling, traction or several are directional to rotate when on car only one direction to grip properly or would wear funny but can't say for sure I never put any on wrong that I know of?
Other issue I have is the alignment with worn tires can't be perfect for new ones it was for where the tires were when done and how they were worn - you should have a printout.
Think: No matter what the vehicle the only thing that touches the road surface is the tires so nothing for features can do any better than that grip and performance. Flaws in the cards too,
T
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flatmetalsheet
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Aug 25, 2017, 11:35 AM
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Thank you so much you all for replying. I really do appreciate it.
Just to answer the questions: the tires were really expensive (more than $400) and the bad ones still have a fair amount of tread on. If changing the tires fix all the problems I am all for it... I just wasnt sure thats why I hear the noise. And it sounds to me like the "lines" developed on my new tires could be because of the bad tires... ok... but frankly I am quite surprised that we think that "line" is "normal" cause I have never seen anything like that... The tires are rated 40k miles... it has I thought 17/31?? so I thought thats still a bit..
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Tom Greenleaf
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Aug 25, 2017, 12:49 PM
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Re: Weird tread wear pattern, what problem?
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The rating is a # not how many miles. The higher the # the more life/miles they should do for use as a comparison only. With a Benz I'd be shocked OE they chose something that wasn't all about handling and performance less than long life but also handle high temps too another character. More is they would handle the speed the car is capable of realistically - there's compromises with what a tire concentrates on the most how well they do and please you not just that they still have legal tread depth left.
Some folks like to run tires to the legal limit and are allowed to but doesn't mean they feel so great past a certain amount of miles and how used.
This is hard to know if in the range of something normal for the exact brand or what. Again, doubt totally Benz would choose an lousy tire for what the car was most about always would claim control and handling IMO over just super long life pounding miles as some folks do if so get used to new tires a lot,
T
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Hammer Time
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Aug 25, 2017, 1:50 PM
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Don't put too much faith in any of those treadwear ratings.
They are determined and selected by the tire manufacturer and frankly, it's just a marketing tool to them. they label them to whatever fits their needs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
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Aug 25, 2017, 3:00 PM
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Can agree with a lot of lies about that getting thru. Because is not the cheapest something just to commute with the name suggests there was thought that went into which type more than some others. What I'm suggesting is the original tires might just not be that good when used. Personal to me alone maybe but hate tires when 1/2 worn they are gone and do take total care. Hate the feel of the last miles of a tire and the last miles of brakes just a thing with me. No surprises please for wearing items,
T
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