so i've noticed my tires have bubbles in them. would it be caused by my rims? I have a 99 gsr with kyb agx + h&r sport + skunk 2 camber kit. i have a giant bubble on the sidewall of my tire(s) only noticed one by feeling it, i don't know if i have more on other tires but i have really uneven tire wear also. not camber but tire wear. there's uneven spots. what's the cure? I NEED HELP!

 

Bubbles on the sidewall are indeed dangerous! Don't drive on them except very slowly and gingerly on your way to the shop to get them replaced.

Uneven tire wear can be caused by a number of different things. I'm not sure what you mean when you say "uneven spots". Typically, tire wear is uneven because one (or both) edges of the tread wear more (or less) than the center, or there is "chunking" (chunks of the tread are missing), or there is "cupping" (concave areas along the tread). The solution depends on exactly how they are uneven. The only thing that "uneven spots" sounds like is cupping, and that is usually caused by a problem with the suspension. Check the entire suspension, including the shocks, the bushings, the control arms, etc. It's also worth checking your alignment and your tire pressures.

The bubbles may be caused by whatever problem is causing the uneven spots on your tires, or they may be the result of a manufacturing defect in the tire itself. You could try taking them to a local tire dealer of that particular brand and asking them about it.

If you need some recommendations for summer tires, click here. It was written for the Integra Type R but is equally applicable for any Integra on 15" wheels. (Most of it applies to other sizes too.)

 

Thanks for the reply. I believe the problem I have may be "cupping". When I run my hand along the contact patch of the tire, there are concave "lumps". When I do check my suspension, what would I be checking for? There's nothing that I can tell that would be out of the ordinary? I didn't cut my bump stops when I installed my suspension setup if that has anything to do with it.

Manufacture's defect on all 4 of my tires? What are the odds? This is a horrible situation. Before having to replace the tires, would the rims be the cause of these problems? I don't want to go out and buy new tires and in the end, the same thing is happening due to the rims.

 

This website has a good description of tire cupping and its causes. It was written for trucks, but everything they say (except references to trailers) is equally true of cars.

The Tire Rack website notes that if bulges in the sidewall "appear on the sidewall of a recently installed tire, it reveals that there is an undesirable gap between some of the body ply cords inside the tire. The tire should be removed from service and replaced under the tire manufacturer's defects in materials and workmanship warranty.

If a protruding bulge doesn't appear until later in the tire's life, it was usually caused by a road hazard when the cord was injured as the tire struck a pothole, curb or object in the road."[/i]

It says basically the same thing on the Michelin website.

As for all four of them happening, perhaps you hit bad potholes hard with all four on a very rough road, either all at the same time or at different times. Do you travel on roads with potholes? And do you sometimes hit them hard instead of avoiding them?

 

The pothole theory may be valid, I have hit a few potholes that were unavoidable (stupid construction on CA streets) that made me pretty pissed for hitting them though.