What the heck have you been doing with the car? The outside of the tires look either like they got a) melty, or b) were driven hard under-inflated, or c) shredded on some sharp pavement while hot. Even the center blocks look like they got very hot or were shredded on some gravel road or rougher pavement.

The overall appearance of the tire won't help you much when you take it to try to get anything from a dealer. It looks like the temperature range for those tires was pushed a good bit past it's limits.

Oh, yeah that's the High/Low wear pattern, I know it well from my Z. I also run F1's on my G Coupe, and no issues, and despite some hard driving, they don't look like that across the entire tread.

 

195. You have to read at least some of it, it was 90 pages long when I first saw it, I think. Just carve it up - 1) What's covered under TSB, what will dealers do for you? 2) What's the problem look like? 3) Yes, you do need a quality alignment (see mine a few pages back), and 4) No, I have yet to see a definitive exact cause or complete solution, and this is a problem I've seen since late 2002.

Search the thread on key words to trim it down.

 

Try reading around here:

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....15758&page=159

Since late 2004 it seems like little really new info has shown up, other than discussion around the tire design change and/or new people showing up with an old problem. By that time the problem was fully a year to 2 years old, most of the solutions tried up to that point are in some posts around that link, plus or minus a few pages. If you're interested check my alignment specs somewhere after page 190 - I do not currently have this problem although under my old alignment my PS2's were showing some signs at the very end of their lifespan, my alignment was pretty whacked.

No question that alignment is critical, but you need very good equipment and technicians because the range is SO small for adjustment. Front Caster is fixed, and camber adjustments in front of any substance require aftermarket parts.

HTH

 

BTW, after your dealer does your alignment, take the spec sheet, and go to a good performance shop like I did and have it checked again. A lot of people came out of their dealer's on this thread without a really good alignment. I'm sure most of the better dealers do a fine job, just saying not all invest in the level of equipment of the Hunter unit used for my last one. Also BTW that's the first alignment I've done since the car was new 4 years ago...time goes quick!

 

Autocross.

 

I dont intend to get anything from the dealer. My Z has 61,000 miles.

 

F1's are pretty stout tires to show feathering like that, wear factor around 280, IIRC. How many miles? Also I've found that AutoX and track days tend to level out the feathering due to the very high side loading of the tires in front.

OT, I know, but what kind of tire pressure were you running for AutoX? The outer edge looks like it overheated, the inner surface looks slightly "torn". In AutoX, the outer edge knuckling under is usually too little air, but the overall surface tearing is usually either really sharp pavement or too much air. Do you chalk the tires? It almost looks like you're rolling the shoulder a bit.

I just ask because I run the same tires, and even my soft Michie PS2's I replaced never looked like that. Weird. The F1's are tough tires, if they both look like that I'd consider upping the fronts a few psi, if only one side looks like that, unless your AutoX is NASCAR style courses I'd check the alignment.

That kind of wear means you're fighting your tires, at least in front, or possibly experiencing a lot of understeer, in which case either larger front sway and beefier end links would help, and a zero-toe rear alignment which tends to shift the bias back toward oversteer. I don't recommend that for everyone, and it helps if you have lower profile and wider rear tires to go with that alignment.

 

I just picked up my '03 with 66k on it with new tires and after 1500 miles with it I am starting to notice a "warbling" sound that pulses faster and gets higher pitched with speed. Not very loud but noticable. I let the car roll out of gear to make sure it wasn't any transmission noise. The car drives straight as an arrow and I do not experience any shuddering even at very high speeds.

Is this what tire feathering sounds like?

 

Found my answer, best description, exactly what I am experiencing.

 

Wow all of these make me nervous about buying a Z....i really want one but now im just scared.

 

I got a question regarding the Claim Form for tire compensation from the class action suit. I couldn't find the other thread for it. I actually didn't look too hard just the first page of results and figured it fit here also.

So I got my claim form but you had to have purchased 2 replacement tires from the dealer if I understand it correctly. Is anyone going to fill out with receipts for replacing the tires with others beside the stock set? I think I am going to try it anyways and see what happens. worse case scenario they deny me but best case they send the $225 dealer gift card. What do you all think?

 

Sup guys....i just got my Z last dec and i know have about 14000 miles on it and I'm having the same problem took it to the dealership told them the front tries were feathering and had them look at my back tires cause only the inside tread is going bald while the outside of the tires are freshly new.... gave me the run around about how i need to check my tire pressure to make sure there all set to the same pressure... knowing the Z has the TPS. So they looked at it and said everything is fine and didnt know why it is dong that... i just wonder if there is somewhere to file a complaint or where to print a recall fix on this.... since the dealerships i heard have been giving a run around on many Z owners on this feathering issue...

 

flipping the tires helps.

 

03 25k miles base buyback @ $25k.

Finally my problems are gone...

 

how can i get them to buy mine back? not interested in a car that eats 300$ tires every 5k miles

 

I'm taking in my g35 in 2 weeks to have them look it all over and put it on the alignment rack. I've got 53K miles so inifiti said I have to pay for the alignment and if it's not right b/c of a factory issue then they'll fix it and pay for the alignment or work something out for me then.

 

You may have a lemon law option, depends on your service record and what your state law requires to qualify.

Once they refuse to fix the problem with the suspension eating the tires, you can file a Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act lawsuit against them (i.e. breach of contract). I used these guys http://www.yourlemonlawrights.com

At least give Nissan a chance to resolve the issue. I did... and when they started to throw me under the bus, I warned them they left me no option but to sue. They threw me under the bus anyways... so I sued.

I had high hopes to mod the car and really wanted a Z for a long time. Now I have a sour taste because of a **** poor quality product and would never buy another Nissan product again.

Lawyer fees are paid by Nissan if you win. They will eval your case to see if you have a chance and won't just take any case on. If you lose your not out much... (filing costs, tech eval of car, etc... couple hundred $$).

Good luck with whatever path you choose because it's a personal choice on how to deal with the on-going suspension issue.

 

so buying aftermarket suspension like camber, caster, coilovers,and wheels and tires want fix this problem? Is this just on the stock suspension that people are having this problem?

 

...'O4 Touring Coupe: Flawless AT! 13k!! $2O,5OO!!! NO FEATHERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
____________________________________________________________ _____
San Juan, Puerto Rico, U.S.A.!!!

 

...'O4 Touring Coupe: Flawless AT! 13k!! $2O,5OO!!! NO FEATHERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
____________________________________________________________ _____
San Juan, Puerto Rico, U.S.A.!!!