Tyre wear rate - how do you do it?

[Coyoteboy]

Having just looked at another set of tyres down the drain I was wondering how often everyone elses wear out and do they wear evenly or do you end up scrubbing the inside/outside? And do you know if your alignment is right? Mines been checked and except for slight toe out on the rear its spot on, yet I still seem to rip tyres to pieces, fronts lose both shoulders (leaving 4mm in the middle easily) and the rears lose the insides. I get through a pair of fronts in 12K miles at most, rears maybe 20K.

[JDWRC]

If you're loosing the shoulders 4mm before the middle of the tyre then I think you need to run higher pressures! Too high and you'll wear out the middle first too low and the shoulders take a hit.
Or drive slower round corners

[Coyoteboy]

I do indeed corner hard (whats the point in a 4wd sports car if you dont lol!), certainly a recent trip in someone elses RWD "fast" car found me thinking i really must corner hard! I thought BMWs were meant to corner well

I thought deflated too but I run 38psi in them, I can only assume all my tyre gauges are poo - should buy a new on I spose.

[dawesy]

also if the cars lowered then the manufactures geometry settings are no good

[Jeff]

I too have found shoulder wear is the problem
I ran a set of cinturatos for 15 k with even wear at 32psi and next I had a set of potenzas, ran for 21k but the shoulders went (even at 34psi) Strangly the rear offside survived at 4mm all over while the rest were down to 2mm over 3/4 the width.
must do too many right handers???
Now trying Admirals (unbranded Khumos)... let you know in a few months!!:)

[Coyoteboy]

Im not lowered, and only running 17s Geom is all set as per factory (fectory).

[JDWRC]

Have you checked for any movement/play in the suspension? Worn bushes / wheel bearings / worn shocks ect? When I changed the lower arm last year I noticed alot of shoulder wear on that side due to the bolt on the chassis end of the arm having alot smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the bush, causing the arm to move left/right and hence causing the wheel to lean over under cornering. I wrapped the bolt in tin foil to pack it out, covered it in copper grease and hammered it home. Sod all play there now!!

[Coyoteboy]

Only thing thats not been replaced that showed any sign of wear is shocks, they arent brilliant but I've never had it explained how knackered shocks could cause wear to the tyres unless they had failed structurally, which they havent Phew.Anyone expand on the theory of that thought?

Incidentally the diameter of pivot clamp bolts through your bushes dont matter at all - the fact that they are smaller is irrelevant (so long as they are not stretching under loading), they are there as clamp bolts to hold the main metal bush cyl still by clamping either end against the body/support, not supporting from the inside, if you have play sideways its due to insufficient clamp force or dead bush, insufficient clamp force will cause the bush to wear holes in your metalwork as it knocks too and fro- eeek!

Anyways - I've checked all these things out and the only things I cant access is top mounts, ive given the struts a good hard wiggle when unloaded and dont get any movement or knocking.

[phillgt4]

i run potenza re050, excellent tyres, but i tend to destroy the shoulders pretty quickly. probs due to my sideway antics, the rest of the tyre still retains a nice bit of tread, seems a shame to chuck them. tempted to try f1s next, they're a tenner cheaper at 75 quid a pop. just depends how long they last me.

[Jeff]

£75 for F1's?? best I was offered was £116! (225x40x18's tho'!)

[phillgt4]

yeah i got quoted for 225/45/r17 cant remember the speed rating probs rated for a bout 140-150. £75 all in. fitted and balanced. and the re050 were a tenner more.

[GT4m]

RE 050's 225 40 18 are 105quid delivered on mytyres and the f1's are 110. Then there's fitting on top mind

[Jeff]

so where did you get that quote phil? Please advise us!!

[phillgt4]

c&s tyres in middlesbrough, by far the cheapest ive found. i usually run 215/45 and they were 96 a corner, but decided to go a bit wider, and they were cheaper

[Coyoteboy]

Phil, you run 225 45s? Theyre cheaper? They're a fair way off standard size though?