Help Me Figure Out This Tire Wear

[callahanoffroad]

Long story short. I run 195/65/15's on my Volvo. I keep getting weird wear patterns on my tires. Presently the front tires look under inflated. But I run them at a constant 36 psi. 42 in the rear. Suspension and steering is all brand new within the last year. It's been alinged twice in the last year. Only suspension components that aren't new are the swaybars, sway bar bushings and the Delta link bushings. Upper and lower torque mounts are poly. Motor mounts looked okay last time I checked them.

So I'm stumped. Tires are wearing out on the edges, which is symptomatic of under inflation. But I have the tires inflated at the recommended "economy" setting. Not the 32 psi "comfort" setting. I inflated the tires up to 42psi today in the front to see if the wear comes off the edges.

Clearly I'm going to need to buy new tires, which sucks.

Any thoughts?

[abscate]

What is your typical load in kilograms or pounds that you carry? I think it is high?

Inlcude passenger and driver weight in the total load.

That is classic underinflaion which would wear the same as heavily loaded.

Are you rotating every 10k or so?

[callahanoffroad]

What is your typical load in kilograms or pounds that you carry? I think it is high?

Inlcude passenger and driver weight in the total load.

That is classic underinflaion which would wear the same as heavily loaded.

Are you rotating every 10k or so?

Let's see.

There's my wife and myself that's about 390 lbs. The groceries are usually between 50 and 250 lbs depending on the size of the order.

I have a 20 pound wagon that I use to move big orders. I get about one order a month that is super heavy, like maybe 500lbs.

I keep the spare in the trunk.

So maybe 500-600 lbs in weight constantly.

I didn't even think about weight. But you're totally spot on. I need to run my tires fully inflated like a loaded pickup.

Yes I rotate every two oil changes (10k miles).

[BEJinFbk]

You haven’t been hangin’ any hot corners, have you?
Any kids that drive this car? Just checking.
Not that I would have any idea what
that kinda tire wear would look like...

Just asking for a friend.

[abscate]

Look at the trade wear rating on the tires, divide by 2 for real life and see how many miles are on them, too

[scot850]

Those tires also look tired. There are cracks appearing between the treads which is not good. How old are the tires?

I run my tires at 36psi and there is mostly only me in the vehicle to prevent premature wear on the outer tire shoulders like you are seeing.

Some tire brands have an 'XL' rating, not sure in a 15" size. These have stiffer sidewalls and with the constant amount of weight you are carrying in the car it is as others have said, the looks of under-inflated tires.

Are all 4 tires equally worn like that?

If it is mainly the fronts that get the wear, I know you have had alignments done, but have you had the tie rods (inner and outer) replaced recently? What about sub-frame bushes and delta links?

On the rear I would expect wear on the inner edges of the tires with more load as the tires tend to lean in at the top with higher loads causing the greater wear on the insides.

Neil.

[crlande]

Definitely list the treadwear, traction, and temp grade of the tire brand.

[WhatAmIDoing]

Those tires look old based on the amount of cracking. When my delta link bushings were failing, I got weird wear on the edges of my rear tires. But those tires just look spent. Once they start cracking like that, their life is pretty short.

[callahanoffroad]

I'm going to wrap up this thread with the declaration that the cause of my excess wear was old tires with weak sidewalls causing excess wear. This requires excess tire pressure to compensate. Solution: buy actually new tires with a proper load rating. Used tires is no longer an acceptable solution for me.

[abscate]

How old were those puppies??