Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Strange Tire Wear, Any ideas why?

I have about 9 months use on my front tires.
They look great except, the drivers side front tire is worn very badley in a strip about one inch wide on the outside edge, but only about 1/3 the way around. If the worn spot was on the ground the top of the tire looks perfect.

Any Ideas why?

Check the lower balljoint & lower 'A' arm bushes for wear/excessive movement.

Also check the alignment, especially if the car has ever been hit. Alignment should not be done until the condition of the suspension has been checked, as Terry mentioned. Too much positive camber on that wheel can cause such a wear pattern. Less likely, but still a posibility is that the toe is toed in too much. With toe it is most likely to exhibit a wear pattern of both front tires equally, but not always. Also the other tire might actually be starting to wear that way but is just not as pronounced yet.

Second on the alignment. I had 2 done in as little as 2-3 moths appart after noticing wear on inside of passenger side. "either a real bad alignment" or "My wife hit something big and did not tell me" Either way, alignment was needed!