Unusual tire wear pattern?

[brus brother]

I knew I was due with 58K miles on the original tires on my 05 OB but I was surpirsed to find that while all tires showed more wear on the outside edges, the right rear was damn near bald 1/3 away across from the outside edge!

Is this an alignment problem or individual tire balance problem?

Based on board discussions, I already ordered Goodyear Triple Treds through Tirerack ($40 rebate on 4 tires) and they are being shipped to my local indie shop.

Is Subaru balancing or more importantly, alignment any better than an independent shop?

[brus brother]

Its an alighnment issue. Make sure you get the 4 whels aligned with the car empty.

 

Almost any monkey can balance a tire with the new computerized machines, so you can go anywhere.

 

nipper

Hey Nippy,

OK on the tire balancing. How about alignment? Same monkey business?

PS I think I followed your lead on the Triple Ts.

[four-fleet-feet]

I was surpirsed to find that while all tires showed more wear on the outside edges, the right rear was damn near bald 1/3 away across from the outside edge! Is this an alignment problem or individual tire balance problem?

Alignment is needed for certain, if all 4 are worn on the outside edge only, but you'll get your new tires balanced anyway, when they're mounted. If you haven't had to replace the dreaded Subaru rear bearings, give them a check on that wheel. This is the same wear pattern Dragon showed on her one rear tire. All her tires were worn, but the pax rear was down to the wear bars and the outside third was worse. That wheel's bearings were shot. Replacing the tires is good, but if there's another problem, just getting an alignment won't fully solve it - and may cause your new tire on that wheel to wear out prematurely.

 

Is Subaru balancing or more importantly, alignment any better than an independent shop?

If you have any seriously long-distance driving to do any time soon, I'd recommend considering using a nationwide shop chain for the alignment instead of a local shop, no matter how cheap the local shop is. I actually used Sears for years only because their alignments are warrantied for several thousand miles, any Sears will recheck the alignment under the warranty, and I've never had a complaint with any of my previous 4 vehicles from 1978 until now. (Dragon doesn't need one yet, but if she does, I think she might be going to Sears. I drive a lot and I'm often all over the West Coast. Considering the price of tires, I'm NOT waiting until I get home to get an alignment fixed under warranty!)

 

That said, I'd check to see if Sears is still giving the same warranty on their alignments. Also, if your local dealer states ANY Subaru dealer will honor the alignment they do on your car, I'd actually consider having the dealer do it. However, I know for a fact that the 4 dealers in Phoenix will not warranty another dealer's work on an out-of-factory-warranty car. If your local dealer states any dealer will honor their work in case of trouble, I'd definitely get that in writing and make a few calls to other dealers to confirm that.

[brus brother]

While I recall mention of Forrester right rear bearing issue, I don't recall others.

I will have it checked nonetheless.