To get everyone up to speed I accidently, lightly, hit a curb weeks ago, during the last snow of the year, my mechanic doesn't do alignment but said my alignment was out. I was getting H&R Sport springs anyway, so I decided to wait until two weeks after the springs were installed to get my alignment. I haven't got my alignment done yet (it is still within the two weeks), I cleaned my car again yesterday, and sprayed armor-all on the tires (I know not to use that stuff but I havent picked up more Meguiars tire gel) now I have these wierd marks on my tires. It is on both front tires equally, on the outside it is easy to see because of the armor-all, but the marks are on the inside of the tires as well (I jacked up the car to check). I thought I noticed a slight rubbing mark on the tire a few days ago, but it wasn't in one place, it was all over the tire (the "burn" marks were there before the springs were installed but were not bad at all).


It seems like the tire is folding at the white lines, leaving the mark in the armor-all. could there just be too much pressure on the tires while turning. This only happened to the two front tires???


My ideas are - possibly tire pressure
- will be fixed when camber is adjusted
- might need shocks???
- will/could be fixed when alignment is done


Any help would be appreciated - By the way this is a '99 TL so the tires are 16's. I have heard about a "bubbling" problem in the tires but I figured it was the lower profile 17's on the TL-s

 

do you turn hard? those arent low pros they're going to rollover if you over do it. Low psi will magnify that characteristic of your tire.

 

Hey ResidualFreedom,

That's not the 'bubbling' phenomenon -- a bubble is clearly apparent. As the name implies, you get this big bulge out of nowhere when the tire has been pinched. That streaking that you're getting on the tire ... that's a new one. You might want to get that checked out. If it's something serious, it's your personal safety we're talking about!

Any others with insight?
- derrick

 

I have turned hard but not really hard, and not at high speeds, like 15 mph, I know I needed to get my alignment done, so I haven't even "tested out" the springs due to the alignment being out before getting the springs. I didn't want the alignment out and to start firing through corners. still don't know?????

 

I get those same marks, was up with that??? I also have H&R's, but I noticed those marks well before I had the springs on.

 

here is a couple more that might help.

My Uncle owns a tire store downtown, I'll check with him and see if he had heard of something like this. I figured someone here might know...and I'm not looking for a "go buy some aftermarket tires" comment, these tires went on the car b4 I bought it so there is no reason to get rid of tires with 6000 miles on them..

 

looks like just something that didnt mix well with the armorall, or 2 much that sat by the bead of the tire then ran out. its not something the tire is going to do because you scuffed a curb.

 

but the marks are on the inside of the tire as well, very faint though.
Very good possibility that the armor-all built up at the rim and I drove while the tires were wet with the armor-all and the lines on the outside are the paths the armor-all took headin' out from the wheel (there was some crap inside the wheel well that I wiped off.

I'm just cautious, it also could be the tire folding at the stress points. You know how a funny car tire wrinckles along the side wall before it takes off. I know thoes cars have 700+hp, I'm not trying to say my car is fast. I just hope the tire isn't folding/creasing in thoes spots.

 

I couldnt really see the tire very well at first but that looks like moisture from inside the wheel mixing w/ brake dust and then being spun out at high speed. What do ya think?

 

there was alot of armor-all on the tires b4 I drove, that's probably exactly what it is! I feel like a nob!

 

This phenomenon may be associated with the crop circles and the strange lights up north recently.....

Did you use anything like a spray on wheel cleaner? Judging by the looks of the rim, it may be something to do with the bare aluminum being exposed to the elements.

 

If you spray the tire shine directly onto your tires, give it a good hour to an hour and a half for it to dry. But if you're going to need to use the car for whatever reason that requires you to drive it after your done washing it, spray the tire shine on a rag and wipe your tires. Then afterwards, no more messy poooo.

 

Do you use Meguiar's EXTRA All Surface Cleaner on your wheels?

http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguia...l.cfm?sku=G-93

I did since I couldn't tell if my wheels (same type as yours) were coated or not, and the all surface cleaner is safe for both types. Any how, yeah, like yeild2S said, it's caused by the cleaner spinning off the wheel and onto the tires, then drying. The marks are damn near impossible to get off, but if you sit down with a bucket or warm water and a course hair brush, you can scrub them off eventually. However, they will fade completely away with time if you don't use that wheel cleaner. I'm looking for a different brand of wheel cleaner this year that won’t cause this....

 

Castrol Superclean wheel cleaner doesn't leave those marks, but I have seen those marks when using armor all wheel cleaner on a former car

 

it's just excess armour all coming off the tire as it rotates while you're driving.

 

oh and BTW,,, GET SOME CURB FEELERS!!!