Tires: tire wear / cupping, dodge caliber, tire wear cupping

Question
my 07 dodge caliber w/ dunlop sp50's  (reg FWD not AWD)
has developed cupping or feathering,on all 4 tires (leading and trailing edge of tread different depths at shoulders... ctr is fine)
14,000 mi and 2 rotations,after 2nd rotate, i noticed noise but no vibration or shimmy,  dealer states align & inflate OK, someone told me balancing ??
should they rebalance on rotation, could that be the cause

any thoughts, thanks
greg


Answer
Greg,

 Step Wear or cupping can be caused many things, worn struts, out-of-balance, under rotation, improper rotation.

 Did the dealer rotate the tires per the owners manual ?  I have learned from experience that tie rotation on Chrysler products is best performed by crossing the front tires to the rear and bringing the rear tires straight forward.  As for balancing every time, if you do not feel any vibration than the balance should be acceptable.  If rotation and balance are part of your purchase package then have them balanced each time regardless.