I have a 2007 two wheel drive Escalade with 18,000 miles. At 15,000 miles the LF tire began cupping and alignment was found to be out just a bit on the RF wheel. New alignment and rotate and balance done, and at 17,000 miles LF was again cupping. Align check showed slightly out at LF wheel; realigned, again rotate and balanced, still cupping. Took it in to dealer, he says alignment is OK, no problems in front suspension, must be incorrect rotation procedure, wasn't crisscrossed front to rear. Goodyear tire says front to rear without crisscross OK. Who do I believe and why is tire cupping? Thanks from a new member.

 

Have seen it alot, no info as to why. You could raise air pressure 2-4 psi and see if it helps.You do need to check air pressure atleast monthly.

 

Hi Charlie - and welcome!!!!

Nine times out of 10 cupping is caused by wheel balance problems -

With the wheels on the escalde - not only have them check the standard circular balance - but also side to side balance - they can be picky -

They often put the wheel weights on the interior of the wheel at the wheel's center balancing point....

Worth a try - those are expensive shoes..

 

You rotated the tires and the new the tire on the same location did it?
Any tire that goes on THAT location has a problem?
hmmm ... what do we think?

I KNOW, that location has a problem.
The tire may or may not, but THAT location has a problem.
caster, camber, toe in, toe out? who knows.
OR
you drive with serious extreme RIGHT TURNs putting some
serious extreme weight on that one wheel as the vehicle nose dives into the wheel.
IF that is so, that location still has a problem, driver related, but still a problem.
Get a stiffer suspension?

Look on the tires thread. side to side rotating is not what is recommended for radials.
front to back, back to front is about it.

NOW that I said all that, listen to Fox.
Fox is our suspension TECH.

 

Check the wheel bearings if it is in the same location... struts could also be a problem, but both of those are sort of unlikely with 18,000 miles.

Remember - once a tire starts to wear - it continues to wear the same way-no 'getting better' by rotating the tire to a new location.

 

If cupping is your problem, anbd the tire is balanced, is there any way to check balance on the whole rotating assembly?

 

We used to do on-the-car dynamic balancing but we found out that unless the guy doing it was a expert the ball-joints and suspenssion were are risk of being damaged. It is also somewhat more dangerous to the operator, probably OSHA regulated. Not sure who if anyone does that these days. Dynamic balancing then was done wheels on the car, spinning at speed.

In those days, some shops even "SHAVED" the tires round, then balanced them on-the-car ... that was some equipment.
Can you imagen now being told they have to "shave" your "Z" rated tires that cost $1,200 ?

Now dynamic balancing is done at a off-the-car machine,
The rotors are supposed to be well balanced and insignificant when looking at the whole picture.

 

has anyone heard of, i think it is called "pressure balance"?

 

Doesn't the "road Force" balancer take care of all those issues?

 

no ....


BUT, once there was a tire balancer device sold by JC Whitney that would be installed as part of the wheel assy
and it would balance the wheels/tires in motion.

Now days there are "balancing powders", "glass beads", "ceramic beads", etc that go inside the tire
and hopefully balance tire.

This is offered as a historical note only. IMO, this is not the type of technology that our cars should use,
specially with tire pressure sensors and low profile tires.

A well equipped tire shop with well trained workers should do a near perfect job.