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Topic
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I have a 1999 Accord with 330,000 miles and the original suspension. (yeah, I know) 🙂 I had a nice set of matching tires that are only about a year and a half old. Recently the car developed a shimmy in the front end and the driver side wheel started to have a small air leak. I jacked it up and spun the wheel and this is what I saw: (picture attached)
I have already ordered some new quick struts and plan on replacing the front tires soon. What would a wear pattern like this indicate? Will I need to replace more suspension/steering components?
TIA
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Replies
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Hit any potholes or curbs lately?
Extreme wear in just one spot–as opposed to around the entire circumference of the tire— can be from a bent wheel or a slipped belt inside the tire.
Any tire shop worth their salt will check the front end for worn components before doing an alignment.It’s difficult to tell fromt he picture, but it appears as if the internal structure of your tire has seperated. Inside a passenger tire are essentially layers of material to help it hold it’s shape. When these layers break down and come apart, like ripping a cotton t-shirt, the tire loses it’s shape. Usually resulting in a vibration and visually identifiable deformation. This image should help clarify a bit:
http://f.tqn.com/y/tires/1/W/J/0/-/-/helpTireConstruction.gif
The tire needs to be replaced, it has reached the end of it’s service life. As per good practice, the other tire on the axle should also be replaced and depending on how the others look, replacing all 4 is always the safest bet.
From there it should get a proper front end and suspension inspection and an alignment. Especially if you can’t remember the last time was you had an alignment and are installing new tires. A suspension inspection is something you could do yourself, although it should be included with an alignment.
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