Tires: weel alignment and tire rotation, wheel alignment, continental tires

Question
I have continental tires on my SUV (76K), the  front tires are more worn particularly left hand side of the driver's side than the back ones, all tires thread meet the penny test.
I took my car to the Ford dealer to do wheel alignment and tire rotation and the mechanics there advised me that I need all new tires as there is a problem with the belt which is shifted (all tires and they could feel the lumps I couldn't)) and wheel alignment would not fix the problem with my excessive wear of the front tire (drivers side). When I ask them if my tires are unsafe and how much longer I can drive on them they told me that THEY PROBABLY LAST FOR ANOTHER YEAR. I don't understand why wheel alignment should not be done if the tires are still good for a year. Please explain?

Thank you,

Anna

Answer
Anna,

Not everyone is knowledgeable about tires, and the folks you encountered obviously fall into that group.

My experience is that the wear you desribed is caused by misalignment - including the mysterious lumps.  I have examined many tires with these lumps and have yet to find a separation (part of my job is to report on separations) - and since rubber is more or less a solid, how do belts shift?

So I would go somewhere else.  These folks are clueless.