Tire "Chop"...am I being taken for a ride?

[thevinmanfxst]

I just had my tires rotated after about 15k miles. (New tires...first rotation) and the guy in the garage told me my front tires were "chopped", slightly. I went out to look and he showed me what he was talking about. Now this is hard to describe without a picture, but I will try.

Looking at the top of the tires, from the side of the vehicle, it looks like the trailing edge of each tread is slight rounded, and the leading eadge is still square.

Like this:
Screenshot from Lightshot
Screenshot from Lightshot

It does not look like feathering or uneven wear. It doesn NOT look like this:
Screenshot from Lightshot

This wear is only visable on the front tires, and the "chop" is pretty symetrical...that is, it's not any worse on the right or left side of the tire...

Now, the suspicious thing is that the tires were rotated at a "Brake and Muffler" shop...and it seems awful conveniant that my tire wear was blamed on "bad" front struts, which will run me $600 according to thier "daignosis" of the "cause".

More info:
I have Bridgstone Revo 2's with 15k on them. (first tire rotation)
The vehicle they are on is a 2007 Toyota 4Runner, with 50k.

So, my question is this...what could be causing this type of wear? (Is it really bad struts?)

 

[XJeepguy]

I will say 99% chance of bad front struts . What you have is also called tire cupping . Been in the tire biz for 30 years and it's usually what causes cupping .

Get a second opinion from a different shop if that makes you feel better . I'm guessing struts though.

Your tire is hitting the ground harder in some spots than others and that causes random cupping due to 'problematic' front struts.

 

[thevinmanfxst]

Your tire is hitting the ground harder in some spots than others and that causes random cupping due to 'problematic' front struts.

One of the many reasons I doubt the strut thing is because the chopping is not random. It's on every tread, all the way around...and the same amount on every tread.

Everything I've seen called "cupping" looks like this (see attachments)

...and that's not what mine looks like.


I just want to make sure new struts makes sense...its a hell of a lot of money to lay down if its not the cause.

 

[thevinmanfxst]

I took a picture of the tread wear. Again, it's the same on both the inside and outside treads and on every tread around the entire tire.

 

[TOYLUVA]

ive heard it called cupping or scalloping and it happens to all types of IFS vehicles. happens to my my 97 chevy and it has torsion bars not struts. has to do with front end alinement and your driving style, {taking corners fast}, will cup your outside treads very fast,{ see some road racing tires} air preassure also is a factor and the best thing you can do especially with a set of super swampers or boggers is rotate tires every oil change. this will make them last a long time and ride very well througout the life of the tire.