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Elantra coupe SE abnormal tire wear

47K views 26 replies 7 participants last post by  applianceschoices 
#1 ·
Has anyone noticed abnormal wear on the front tires?

I have 8K on my Elantra coupe SE, replaced my OEM tires about 5K back and just had a rotation done ... the tire guy pointed out some abnormal wear on the inside of my front tires. It was "feathering" (the tread ribs developed a slightly rounded edge). The tire guy says he has seen this with vehicles that have suspension/shock problems but couldn't understand why my tires would have this as it is a new car.

Researching the cause of feathering, I found that if not a suspension problem it could be a possible toe-in alignment issue. I also found that some earlier model Hyundai owners have reported this as a manufactures defect with the suspension.

Anyway taking this all with "a grain of salt" I am going to get an alignment and see if the toe-in is off. I am still a little concerned as in the last 8K miles I cannot recall encountering any major potholes ... so I will update my post after the alignment.
 
#2 ·
but couldn't understand why my tires would have this as it is a new car.
And as it is a "new" car, why did you change the tires already ?

And what brand/model/size tires did you put on it ?

If you put on wider skins, they might just do that......unless you can talk someone into changing the alignment slightly.

Some styles of tires are more prone to do that than others.
In addition to checking the alignment, you might want to search for
similar reports using the tire model as a search key.

I once had a set of Firestones, IIRC, where the second rib from the outside was the first place to wear. That was really strange.
 
#6 ·
And as it is a "new" car, why did you change the tires already ?

And what brand/model/size tires did you put on it ?

If you put on wider skins, they might just do that......unless you can talk someone into changing the alignment slightly.

Some styles of tires are more prone to do that than others.
In addition to checking the alignment, you might want to search for
similar reports using the tire model as a search key.

I once had a set of Firestones, IIRC, where the second rib from the outside was the first place to wear. That was really strange.
The OEM tires were (IMO) too low profile (not much rim cushion) and a poor tread design to get me through the winter. I replaced the stock tires with General C-max all seasons. What a difference it made.... meatier tread profile, much better tread design and it handles great in the snow and rain.
 
#4 ·
Yeah, why new tires after 8k?? Careful on which tire you put on, some tires don't work well with certain cars. I know it sounds silly, but I've seen it especially on Mazda 3's. They put an aggressive performance tread on there, alignment specs are perfect (within spec) and suspension still good and they get feather edging.

Also no uncommon for a car to come off the line with out of spec wheel alignment. I will be putting mine on the rack soon to double check the alignment.

And I may be wrong, but in theory, if the insides of your tires have the wear, that usually indicates toe OUT.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for all your suggestion .... apparently I learned a lesson here... don't always trust the tire shop! Anyway the guy scared me when he said I had a possible suspension problem as I have been going to that shop for years and have a good relationship with the guy, but never had an issue with my car before.

Anyway to make a long story short I took it in for an alignment and infact the toe was way out of alignment (must of hit a pothole or something). So I will keep an eye on the tread wear .. but I think I am ok now... whew!
 
#10 ·
Wear Patterns


  • Toe-related tire wear is easy to recognize, as it is fairly distinct compared with other types. Excessive toe-out will cause a feathered wear pattern on the inside of the tire tread; too much toe-in will wear on the outsides. Toe-related wear can be distinguished from camber-related wear as it is at a much smoother angle and may spread over half the tread of the tire. This contrasts with camber-wear, which is usually only in a narrow area near the shoulder of the tire and abruptly disappears.

 
#13 ·
ALot of people think camber is the #1 tire killer but the actual problem is toe.

Toe will shred through tires. I am guessing the alignment was off when you bought the car. This is why I check my alignment once a year. I leave my toe at 0. And you are right that it should have been toe in. If it was toe out the car would be kind of unstable when driving. Toe in does cause a bit of instability but probably not as bad as toe out.
 
#14 ·
Problem with toe is you get no warning (except extreme cases) before your tires are effed. Toe doesn't cause pull, only wander (in extreme cases). Camber generally just causes edge balding, where as toe causes nasty edge wear, where in bad cases, can actually sound like a bad wheel bearing. My teachers say, not every car comes off the assembly line perfect. One of my fellow students brought his 2012 toyota in and the rear toe was way out, and you have to use shims behind the wheel bearing to correct it. Shite happens.. lol
 
#16 ·
Funny you mention PDI's... I used to work at a Kia dealership as an apprentice mechanic and did A LOT of PDI's... Was doing one on a Sorento, and found the jam nuts on the tie rods completely loose, like 1/2" from the tie rod end! Told the boss, and insisted it be sent for an alignment before delivered to the customer. Did they do it? NO IDEA... I'd like to think so though.
 
#27 · (Edited)
And as it is a "new" car, why did you change the tires already ?

And what brand/model/size tires did you put on it ?

If you put on wider skins, they might just do that......unless you can talk someone into changing the alignment slightly.

Some styles of tires are more prone to do that than others.
In addition to checking the alignment, you might want to search for
similar reports using the tire model as a search key.

I once had a set of Firestones, IIRC, where the second rib from the outside was the first place to wear. That was really strange.
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The OEM tires were (IMO) too low profile (not much rim cushion) and a poor tread design to get me through the winter. I replaced the stock tires with General C-max all seasons. What a difference it made.... meatier tread profile, much better tread design and it handles great in the snow and rain.
 
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