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Irregular tire wear
- Thread starter AJAgarwal
- Start date
GHammer
Dark Star
From that picture I dont see any irregular wear, that looks like a scuff mark from running over a curb.
M109Rider
Active Member
I think he’s talking about the feathering you can see in the shadowing on the treads. Not the depth of tread.
Here are some possible explanations.
“When you run your hand over the tread blocks, they will feel like saw teeth. ... Feather edge tire wear: Tires are “feathered” when the tread ribs are worn lower/smoother on one side and higher/sharper on the other. This is often caused by a combination of improper alignment settings, such as excessive toe and caster.”
“The indicator of excessive positive or negative toe angle is a tire feathering or scuffing that can be detected by stroking your fingertips across the edge of each tread bar or tread block. A feather edge on the inside of the tread bar indicates excess toe-in, while a feather edge on the outside of the tread bar indicates toe-out. Because toe angle is affected by changes in camber and caster angles, it’s always the last angle to be adjusted during the wheel alignment process. In addition, any change in camber or caster angles will immediately change the toe angle. Toe angle geometry can also be greatly affected by changes in suspension height.”
Here are some possible explanations.
“When you run your hand over the tread blocks, they will feel like saw teeth. ... Feather edge tire wear: Tires are “feathered” when the tread ribs are worn lower/smoother on one side and higher/sharper on the other. This is often caused by a combination of improper alignment settings, such as excessive toe and caster.”
“The indicator of excessive positive or negative toe angle is a tire feathering or scuffing that can be detected by stroking your fingertips across the edge of each tread bar or tread block. A feather edge on the inside of the tread bar indicates excess toe-in, while a feather edge on the outside of the tread bar indicates toe-out. Because toe angle is affected by changes in camber and caster angles, it’s always the last angle to be adjusted during the wheel alignment process. In addition, any change in camber or caster angles will immediately change the toe angle. Toe angle geometry can also be greatly affected by changes in suspension height.”
GHammer
Dark Star
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
...would that be Tesla service shop? Don’t know if they’ll tell me this is not covered under warranty...
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
Yes, Tesla can do the alignment. I would think the alignment should be covered under warranty if you only have 3800 miles on the car, as it appears the car may have been delivered with the alignment error. The tire wear won't be covered, but if you get it aligned now, the effect on the tires' longevity will be minimal.
GHammer
Dark Star
Any competent tire center should be able to check the alignment but since this is a new car Tesla service may do it for free. Tesla charges $150 for alignments at service intervals.
M109Rider
Active Member
It’s possible it came from the factory with an alignment issue. Or, the driver could have driven over something to cause the alignment to go out as well. I would t say it’s a warranty issue by default.
I’m not 100% certain, but I’m not sure just anyone can do an alignment on the model 3.
They have a combination of physical and software changes to make. Not sure if just anyone can do both.
GHammer
Dark Star
I've never heard of alignment having a software component, can you please point me to a source for that?
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
I would generally agree, the assumption is that he didn't drive over a curb or something that would knock the alignment out.
However, while an impact with an object could conceivably change the front-end toe, I find it very difficult to believe that you could knock the rear wheel toe off enough to cause this tire wear.
Another possibility is that there is something wrong with the wheel itself or the tire mount. But that would have to be on both wheels to affect both sides, which I find unlikely.
SammichLover
Banned
My front right toe was really bad and because the wear was on the inside edge I didn't notice the uneven wear until I went to rotate tires at 7,000 mi. I rotated the tires and the wear stayed at the wear, it didn't move. I went into the SC, showed them the tire, and asked them to check the alignment. They seemed to think there wasn't an issue. 
They were going to charge me full price for an alignment adjustment (near $300 IIRC), then suggested they just check it with was something a little over $100.
I wasn't going to force the issue on it being a factory issue or not became my wife had curb-rubbed the rim on that wheel, the rash on the rim was pretty obvious, and unfortunately I caught it only after it was double the miles you've had, but I was really confident it was an alignment issue and gave the OK for them to check it (signed for that).
They came back and yup like I tried to tell them that corner was definitely out. They said, roughly, "the tech didn't know we were just doing a check and not adjustment, they went ahead and adjusted, so we'll just charge for the check". 10,000 miles later and the uneven wear problem has reoccured.
Good chance it was bad from the factory and/or shipping, I'll never know for sure, but it is definitely not something you should rule out and you're in a better position than I was to push them on it. I would definitely open with a gentle "hey, this looks wrong and I haven't done anything to cause this".
They were going to charge me full price for an alignment adjustment (near $300 IIRC), then suggested they just check it with was something a little over $100.I wasn't going to force the issue on it being a factory issue or not became my wife had curb-rubbed the rim on that wheel, the rash on the rim was pretty obvious, and unfortunately I caught it only after it was double the miles you've had, but I was really confident it was an alignment issue and gave the OK for them to check it (signed for that).
They came back and yup like I tried to tell them that corner was definitely out. They said, roughly, "the tech didn't know we were just doing a check and not adjustment, they went ahead and adjusted, so we'll just charge for the check". 10,000 miles later and the uneven wear problem has reoccured.
Good chance it was bad from the factory and/or shipping, I'll never know for sure, but it is definitely not something you should rule out and you're in a better position than I was to push them on it. I would definitely open with a gentle "hey, this looks wrong and I haven't done anything to cause this".
That appears to be shoulder wear from cornering, although it's a bit hard to tell without examining the tire in person. The first thing to do is to check the alignment, just to make sure that it's correct. Generally, tire rotation should be done to even up the wear. No one rotation period is correct for every driver.
SammichLover
Banned
It is possible. Usually that'll show up on both sides to some extent, barring them being a NACAR driver or on a planned delivery route that avoids left hand turns.
AJAgarwal , is this just one wheel or is it happening similar on both sides? If it is both sides it might be driving style. I suppose it still could be alignment if the alignment is borked in the same way on both sides, but that's not overly likely.
I was just at a SC last week for an alignment issue on my 1 year old car. Price to check was ~$105 and to do the alignment was ~$280.
GHammer
Dark Star
SammichLover
Banned
*has NOT reoccured
Note that I suspect this was their way of quietly splitting the difference because this might have been a factory issue. On one hand I was out $100, on the other I got a verified alignment check AND a correction that might have been on my wife. I'm out some damage on a couple of tires but I worked those things over myself anyway, and I'm near 20K on them (due to order replacement 18" PS4S this week) . So I'll just take that a run.
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