joey77051

iTrader: (16)

hi,

I checked my tires today, and both rear tires are cupping pretty bad...and slight cupping in the front...my car is 2006 lower on HKS hypermax coilover...is there anything to do with camber, coilovers? or just need to get my both front and rear toe fixed

zenmstr

iTrader: (3)

basically time to change the tires and get an alignment. its always best practice to get your camber and toe fixed just to avoid problems like this. you should consider battle version camber and toe arms. in my experience they are excellent quality.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

Not to mince words but cupping is very distinctive. It is different from the common feathering described in the mother of all feathering threads. Photos appreciated.

dennisafrompa

...cupping is usually caused by out of balance condition. This combines with alignment issues for a nasty looking tire.

joey77051

iTrader: (16)

what is the difference between feathering and cupping?? i thought they are the same...?

so the alignment would fix the problem basically?

davidv

iTrader: (2)

The cup is the shape of a tea cup.

joey77051

iTrader: (16)

this is not my tire, i took it from the internet.. but my rear tires looks this, is this tire cupping or tire feathering?? its really make alot of noise especially in lower speed. how to fix it?? im getting tires soon

neal@tirerack

No way to really repair the irregular wear. Can be prevented with rotations and proper alignment.

joey77051

iTrader: (16)

yes, im getting a new set of tires soon...so basically new tires and alignment would prevent this? tires are so expensive...and btw..can the Z adjust front toe w/o any toe bolts?

cheshirecat79

iTrader: (9)

This is feathering caused by incorrect toe. If you were above the car looking down at it, the front of your rear wheels would be tilted toward the inside of your car like this / \ .

That causes the tires to "scrub" against the pavement. This can cause much worse wear than camber, which is when you're behind the car and your wheels also look like / \ .

When you drop the rear (basically anything more than half an inch) you'll need to get a rear camber kit and new toe adjustment bolts. Get both of those items installed and then have the rear aligned.

This is camber wear- notice how toe has an alternating light/dark pattern whereas camber is one solid stripe.

cheshirecat79

iTrader: (9)

The 350Z can adjust front toe, but not camber (at all) unless you have an aftermarket camber kit installed.

The rear has both camber and toe adjustment, but both will get maxed out with anything more than a conservative, drop, which is why you need to get the new parts. Those aftermarket parts give you more adjustment to play with, which is necessary if you want to get back into alignment (and stop burning rubber off).

You can get the front toe feathering fixed without a kit. This is a very common issue with the 350z.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

This is typical 350Z feathering. And oh yes it is possible to feather rear tires also. Looks likes this tire has some miles remaining. I would swap the tires.