Worn or defective shock absorbers cause cupped tires.

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Worn or defective shock absorbers fail to damp the vertical motion of the suspension, so the tire loses consistent, controlled contact with the road. This lets the wheel bounce and repeatedly impact road irregularities, causing the tread to wear in a series of cupped depressions. That hollow, cup-shaped wear pattern is a hallmark of insufficient damping, since the tire isn’t staying flat and evenly loaded as it travels. While other factors like inflation, alignment, or road conditions can influence wear, the direct result of worn shocks is the cupped tire pattern, making the statement true.