<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/40723/100_1421.jpg"></center><p>These tires are only 2 summers old (no more than 20K on them). Hard to believe I didn't really feel anything different about the car before I discovered them last night when I switched to my snows. The one worn the most was on the rear driver's side, the second worn one was on the rear passemger side. The normally worn ones were on the front. I had rotated them front to back this summer from their original spots last summer. Could bad belting in the tire cause it to wear like that? I think only the drivers' side tire was originally bad, but the hopping pattern was transferred to the passenger side through the sway bar. Pressures were at 36psi.

The only thing I can figure, but I need to check when I did the repair, was the bad wheel bearing I had on the rear drivers' side. I can't remember if I replaced it when I still had my snows on or if I got to it after I had the summers on. I can't look at my snows to see if they have a similar wear pattern because I already replaced them with new ones in the fall. But I don't really remember any of them being worn out of the ordinary. Could it be possible that the bad bearing caused a wear pattern to be set up, which continued to get worse even after the bearing was fixed?

This sucks! Can I replace just 2 tires and be OK with the slight difference in rolling diameter, or do I have to go with 4 new ones? Or maybe find 2 used tires with similar amount of tread left?

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/40723/100_1422.jpg">

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/40723/100_1423.jpg">

 

I'd have your whole suspension checked by a good shop.

And you have to have max 4/32nd difference between the tread depth of the new vs old tires - or you risk damage in the diff.

 

^^ 2nd

 

I think it's just too much of a coincidence that the side where I had a bad wheel bearing was the tire that was the most damaged. And when I say it was bad I mean it was BAD - the whole hub was loose and able to wobble.

 

Your wheel bearing caused that.

 

But, maybe I can use the warranty request to get the tire shop to inspect the car for a cause. If they find nothing then I am most certain that it was the bearing.

 

2nd

 

you had to have lots of warning to have a bearing that bad cause this?

 

a whining noise that changed in pitch when going around a corner on the highway. Ride was markedly improved once it was changed, but it was a very gradual failure, so you really didn't notice the degradation in ride quality. i really didn't think it was as bad as it was until I got the suspension piece removed and could move the bearing around by hand.

A rough ride is not uncommon here in New England, it's sometimes hard to tell if a rough ride is caused by the car or the pothole strewn road you're driving on. Smooth sections of asphalt are hard to come by.

 

California has the best (though they think otherwise)

You really need a good shop to look your suspension over to keep from ruining the new tires.