Unusual Tyre Wear

[GT ACT]

Took my wheels off this weekend to give them a good clean and check over and found an unusual wear pattern on the inner edge of the offside front tyre (RHD). The tyres are original fit from new in February 2013 and have covered 28213 miles. Remaining tread depth is 3mm on fronts and 5.5mm on rears. Wear on other three tyres is fairly uniform with slight step on offside rear tyres inner edge. I know that the car is not driven hard and I haven't driven fast over any large potholes etc. the near side front tyre is wearing evenly so I don't suspect a tracking problem. Tyre manufacturers websites describe this concave wear pattern as 'cupping' and suggest cause as suspension damage, wheel imbalance or offset belts within the tyre. I suspect the latter unless VW did not set the geometry correctly at the factory with too much negative camber on this wheel. A friend who works for a tyre company says that sometimes excessive soft rubber, used to bond the tread to the sidewalls can be formed into the edge of the tread during tread extrusion resulting in a softer tread on one edge. Worrying thing is that this wear is tricky to see with the wheels on the car as its on the inner edge. Also it could be a rapidly developing wear once into the softer rubber as the car had its annual inspection service at a VW main dealer only 4000 miles ago with a video report stating everything was fine.
I found an old thread on the forum (http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5599) with a near identical problem also with a Pirelli tyre on a Golf GT. Could this be a batch of incorrectly manufactured tyres in this size used on the GT or is it a vehicle specific problem? Anyone else with similar experience of this problem?

 

[spielwurfel]

Hello my friend

Just noticed your post here... So, considering the wear pattern shown on your tyre, it suggests you're suffering two problems, maybe three at the same time. Seems that your wheels are misaligned (excessive camber angle). As you can see, the tyre shoulder is flat at an angle, while it should be curved.
And these deeper "cups" formed in a specific section of your wheel suggests that they are unbalanced, and the points where these "cups" are located are the oposite side of the unbalance causing "feature" on your wheel, forcing them harder against the pavement at each rotation.
Are you sure your alignment and balancing are ok? Do you notice this same wear patter on the other wheels?
Also, I noticed that the center region of your wheel seems to be more worn, it even seems like they are buldged down. This would suggest you're constantly running your car at a lower tyre pressure than recommended. I'd suggest you to look at that.

Btw, I've just posted a topic about a strange wear pattern I've been noticing on my tyres, and they are exactly the same as yours, Cinturato P7. If possible, would kindly check your tires at the points I'm showing mines and tell me if your's are suffering from the same issue? From what I can see on your photos, it seems yours aren't suffering from the same issue as mine, but it would be nice to have a confirmation from you and maybe some photos.
http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21490

Thanks! =)

 

[MikefromSA]

Too much positive camber by the looks of it and excessive toe in

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[The Fed]

I've found car manufacturers do too much toe-in to make the car steer straight longer if you the your hands off the wheel. But your alternative is too much wander.

Definitely a camber issue. Time for 4 new tires and an alignment. Inspect for abnormal wear every three thousand miles or five thousand kilometers.