Seriously, this is a friend. I was over her house this past weekend and I happened to notice abnormal tread wear on the outside of her passenger side front tire -- feathering I believe it is called. Not smooth by any means, but the center of the tire and the inside shoulder had more tread. I managed to sneak a penny in the treads and the two outside are marginally covering Abe's head. The rest of the grooves are much deeper. The driver's side front tire is a totally different brand, and looks fine. The rear tires are a matched pair of a third brand and look good. She is a single mom with two kids -- this is a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan. I know she does not have a bunch of bucks. It is all conjecture, but how serious might this be. I am thinking she can probably wait a couple of months before springing for two new front tires -- if indeed that would be the solution..... Rain usually does not start in earnest here until the end of October. Feel as if I should say something, but I want to be on somewhat solid ground before I squawk. kris
I believe abnormal tread wear like that would indicate a wheel alignment or some other front end issue. I will let the experts here debate the best course of action.
Bisco, my exam was done on the qt. I think the tires were all bought at different times -- and were used when they were bought -- probably at a Les Schwab. Schwab does seem to do a brisk business in selling used tires. Miles, got me, and I am sure she does not know, but all of them have varying miles, I am sure. I was just thinking if I could give her a heads up and she could save a couple of hundred dollars in the next two months it might head off overheating her credit card.
i guess all you can do is mention it to her, and suggest a reliable alignment shoppe. not sure if it will save her any money though. maybe you can help her understand auto maintenance, and the importance of regular service, both financially, and safety for her and her children. if finances get in the way, perhaps trading the minivan for something more economical would be a good decision.
First get the alignment fixed. Then a cheap replacement. Start with the spare and let the worn tire become the new spare. Did I mention first alignment? Check the usual suspects for a sale. Does Oregon have an annual safety or emissions inspection? When a front tire fails, unskilled drivers can hit their brakes and brake-steer into a bad place. Bob Wilson
A relative of mine just paid to have his tracking realigned for a similar thing only to be told it was set OK, but his tyres were UNDER INFLATED. I'd recommend checking tyre pressure first. It won't cost much to find out!
It would be interesting to know the dates if the tires are mounted "date side out". I would attempt asking about the van. There's not point taking it to the shop if she knows there is damage that can't be fixed or is too expensive to fix. I'm with RCO about checking and increasing the tp (my bet it is low) but that isn't causing the problem. Since we suspect the tires were bought used the current condition may have been caused by the previous vehicle.
