Car tire wear question

[Slasher]

Is it possible for struts going bad to cause uneven wear on tires?

 

I have an 08 Camary with a vibration in the steering wheel so I took it to a national repair shop. I thought it was the normal tire balance issue but they said that the struts were going bad which caused premature wear on the outside treads of the front tires.  They said that I needed front struts, two new front tires and an alignment to fix the steering wheel shaking.

 

My question is if I get two new front tires with an alignment would the fact that my struts are going "bad" cause the same uneven wear on the front tires?

[No_0ne]

If the struts are bad, then yes they can have an adverse effect on tire wear.  The tires are part of the suspension "system", each part affects every other part ...

[buck1032]

Yes, also the tie rods and bearing effect tire wear.

[peejman]

Yes.  The struts are part of what holds the tire on the road.  If the struts are worn and letting the tire wobble around, they will have unusual wear. 

 

That said, I'd get a 2nd opinion.  How many miles on the car?

[bersaguy]

Struts are a main front end part that basically controls most all front end parts. They do control the camber on the front tires which camber on older cars before struts also cause tire wear on outer side of tires and many times back then you ended up replacing inner and outer tie rod ends and got an alignment to correct the problem. The front struts are also the shock absorbers so they will cause shaking when worn. Make sure when you choose a shop to do the repair that you choose one that can do everything in house. Firestone and Goodyear are a couple that do this but they also love the almighty dollar. They will try and sell you a lot of things you probably don't need. If at all possible I would look for an Independent Shop before last resort Chain operations...........jmho

[Murgatroy]

Echoing all above.

 

Struts can eat your tires. Then they can eat your ball joints, and then they will eat your tie rod ends.

 

So no, new tires, a balance and an alignment won't resolve your issue if it is struts, it will just cause you to eat your new tires.

[musicman]

Ditto all of the above. Not much to add, really. :)

[Slasher]

Thanks for all of the responses. 

 

Peejman, I have about 80,000 on the car now. I bought it used about two years ago with about 35,000 or 40,000.

 

Bersaguy, you named one of the shops that I originally took it to and because of past experiences I am very weary about being up-sold parts and services I don't need.  Of course as you can tell by this post car repair is not my forte so I'm looking for a good trustworthy repair shop now.

 

So it sounds like they are telling the truth from what I'm hearing here.  With that being the case does $1100 sound like too much for front struts, two new tires and an alignment?

[Monkeyman2500]

Agree with all above. I would also take it to a couple other places and get opinions and quotes. I like a good local shop over a chain.

[NextExit]

I second the second opinion. ;). A good alignment shop will check inner & outer tie rods, ball joints, and control arm bushings before doing an alignment. And by "good" I don't mean Sears or Pep Boys. They'll sell you a new front end! Struts are an easy DIY project... rent the tool from Advance, O'Reilly, etc, and save enough $$ to spend on ammo. :) Then get the tires & alignment done.

[LagerHead]

Thanks for all of the responses. 

 

Peejman, I have about 80,000 on the car now. I bought it used about two years ago with about 35,000 or 40,000.

 

Bersaguy, you named one of the shops that I originally took it to and because of past experiences I am very weary about being up-sold parts and services I don't need.  Of course as you can tell by this post car repair is not my forte so I'm looking for a good trustworthy repair shop now.

 

So it sounds like they are telling the truth from what I'm hearing here.  With that being the case does $1100 sound like too much for front struts, two new tires and an alignment?

 

Well, struts will probably run you between $150 - 200 (if you buy from them) and an alignment is generally around $100. I'm guessing another $300 for your tires, which puts your total at approximately $800 for parts and $300 for labor. Probably a bit more than I would want to pay, but I can install my own struts. It doesn't sound unreasonable though.

[peejman]

Thanks for all of the responses. 

 

Peejman, I have about 80,000 on the car now. I bought it used about two years ago with about 35,000 or 40,000.

 

Bersaguy, you named one of the shops that I originally took it to and because of past experiences I am very weary about being up-sold parts and services I don't need.  Of course as you can tell by this post car repair is not my forte so I'm looking for a good trustworthy repair shop now.

 

So it sounds like they are telling the truth from what I'm hearing here.  With that being the case does $1100 sound like too much for front struts, two new tires and an alignment?

 

 

80k seems early for struts to go, but it depends heavily on how it was driven.  Frequent gravel roads or unbalanced tires will kill them in short order.   $1100 seems a little high to me, but all the stuff adds up quick.  Get an itemized quote and do a little reality check.

[bersaguy]

I have no idea where Collieville is and wish you were closer to Nashville area. I know several shops I could get all the work done and save you some funds. I was a master ASE Certified mechanic in this area for 35+ years and I know all the shops you can trust and the ones you can't trust around here................. :ugh:

[Two Dogs]

Dang man, you're in Collierville! I've got a shop out back in Eads where we get together on Wednesday nights and smoke cigars and drink bourbon. Brink it over and I'll put it on the hoist to have a look. My labor rates are lower too. PM me if you're interested. Edited June 3, 2015 by Two Dogs

[gregintenn]

Well, struts will probably run you between $150 - 200 (if you buy from them) and an alignment is generally around $100. I'm guessing another $300 for your tires, which puts your total at approximately $800 for parts and $300 for labor. Probably a bit more than I would want to pay, but I can install my own struts. It doesn't sound unreasonable though.

I'd like some $300 tires!

 

Seriously, I've driven a couple of Camrys Well beyond 200k with no work to the front end. Has this car been wrecked or otherwise abused?

 

That being said, struts are a wear item and need to be replaced periodically.

 

$1100 sounds fair assuming you aren't getting crap tires.

[tercel89]

80k seems early for struts to go, but it depends heavily on how it was driven.  Frequent gravel roads or unbalanced tires will kill them in short order.   $1100 seems a little high to me, but all the stuff adds up quick.  Get an itemized quote and do a little reality check.

 

 I agree with this !!!!!

[LagerHead]

I'd like some $300 tires!

 

Seriously, I've driven a couple of Camrys Well beyond 200k with no work to the front end. Has this car been wrecked or otherwise abused?

 

That being said, struts are a wear item and need to be replaced periodically.

 

$1100 sounds fair assuming you aren't getting crap tires.

 

I think only the front tires are getting replaced, so I think $300 is a pretty reasonable estimate.

[teecro]

Thanks for all of the responses. 

 

Peejman, I have about 80,000 on the car now. I bought it used about two years ago with about 35,000 or 40,000.

 

With that being the case does $1100 sound like too much for front struts, two new tires and an alignment?

 What sounds unusual to me is that you need new struts from a 7 year old car with less than 90K on the OD.... I'd be asking another shop or even a Toyota dealership for 2nd opinion....

[peejman]

I think only the front tires are getting replaced, so I think $300 is a pretty reasonable estimate.

 

 

Right, $300 for 2 tires, not 4. 

[Slasher]

To the best of my knowledge the car has not been wrecked or driven real hard.  Of course I got it pre-certified used so there is no way to really tell how hard it had been driven but I did have it checked out before I bought it and they said it looked good.  The one thing I'm not sure of is if the repair shop I took it to is being honest about the struts so I'm for sure getting a second opinion.  There's a good chance they are just trying to up-sell parts/services, which they have tried in the past on a stepsons vehicle, and that is what I was trying to catch by coming to you guys.

 

Thanks everyone. I appreciate all of the advice.

[Caster]

I tell people everyday, 

 

It don't take many tires to pay for struts and an alignment.  ESPECIALLY if you're buying new tires.  anything that's not aligned right will wear tires.  Get that crap fixed and get it aligned.  It will pay for itself quickly when you're not replacing tires.  

[peejman]

I tell people everyday, 

 

It don't take many tires to pay for struts and an alignment.  ESPECIALLY if you're buying new tires.  anything that's not aligned right will wear tires.  Get that crap fixed and get it aligned.  It will pay for itself quickly when you're not replacing tires.  

 

 

Yep.

 

Man... 28k miles and these tires are shot.  They're total crap!  I'm never buying them again!  Did you get the alignment checked?  No.  Do you check the air pressure monthly?  No.  Do you get them rotated?  No.   Gee... I can't imagine why they wore out so fast...   :shake:

[Monkeyman2500]

Dang man, you're in Collierville! I've got a shop out back in Eads where we get together on Wednesday nights and smoke cigars and drink bourbon. Brink it over and I'll put it on the hoist to have a look. My labor rates are lower too. PM me if you're interested.

This is where I would go. If I were closer I would break something just to have an excuse to go over there! Probably on say, a Wednesday night. :)

[Two Dogs]

Don't have to break anything, open invitation to all if you're in Memphis.

[gregintenn]

Right, $300 for 2 tires, not 4. 

Sorry, my bad.