Abnormal tire wear?

Volcom370Z · 06-26-2010, 12:00 AM

I'm somewhat new to RWD cars so please bear with me. I JUST passed 10000 miles today (I know, sad day) and I've been noticing a weird wear pattern on my rear tires (still running stock tires). The outsides seem to be wearing faster than the inside. I can tell visually that the rears have negative camber (which I'm assuming is normal) so I'm kind of stumped as to how the outsides are wearing prematurely. I know if the toe was off combined with the camber, there would be some feathering on the inside right? I'm a little confused. Also, I've had bad luck with alignment shops knowing all the geometry involved in alignments, so I'm looking for a bit of education.

Thanks guys (and girls)

Trips · 06-26-2010, 12:04 AM

Overinflated tires wear from the outside more than the inside. I have 6k on my tires, and mine are wearing pretty even. Make sure the air pressure is correct

Volcom370Z · 06-26-2010, 12:13 AM

I thought that over pressure would cause that on the inside and outside? or does the camber some how keep the insides from wearing?

Trips · 06-26-2010, 12:20 AM

Try here for further info. to much camber will affect the inside wear if you have a little to much neg, and vice versa.
Google Image Result for http://media.rd.com/rd/images/rdc/family-handyman/2006/03/Inspect-Your-Tires-For-Wear-And-Problems-05-ss.jpg

TreeSemdyZee · 06-26-2010, 09:44 AM

Trip, I believe you have it backwards. Too much air causes the inside to wear more. When having too much air, rather than having a "flat" surface to ride on, there is more of a rounded shape and the tire will ride on the highest point. i.e. inside (center) of tire.

OP. Just to make sure we're all talking about the same thing. When you say "inside" do you mean the middle of the tire or inside as in closest to the car? Since you said "outsides", I'm assuming that by "inside" you mean the middle of the tire.

Volcom370Z · 06-26-2010, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeSemdyZee

Trip, I believe you have it backwards. Too much air causes the inside to wear more. When having too much air, rather than having a "flat" surface to ride on, there is more of a rounded shape and the tire will ride on the highest point. i.e. inside (center) of tire.

OP. Just to make sure we're all talking about the same thing. When you say "inside" do you mean the middle of the tire or inside as in closest to the car? Since you said "outsides", I'm assuming that by "inside" you mean the middle of the tire.

I think there is an outside, middle and inside. My outsides are wearing too quickly. You are right, too much air causes the center of the tire to wear quickly, while too little causes the insides and outsides...

Another example would be that camber typically wears out the inside of the tire.

j.arnaldo · 06-26-2010, 10:17 AM

Those Nissan bugs are still on the prowl!

TreeSemdyZee · 06-26-2010, 10:30 AM

The camber "issue" isn't really a bug. The negative camber makes for better handling. Makes for more tire wear in the process.

Volcom370Z · 06-26-2010, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeSemdyZee

The camber "issue" isn't really a bug. The negative camber makes for better handling. Makes for more tire wear in the process.

Right, but negative camber should wear the insides of the tires faster than the outsides, and I have the opposite and as I mentioned previously, if it were a toe issue, then I'd be getting feathering on the outside (which I'm not). Aside from having positive camber on a tire, I can't think fo anything that would cause only the outside to wear faster than the rest of the tire.

Anyone know if it is just the compound of the stock tires? These days there might be different materials on different ribs of the tire... If this is just my driving habits (which is not aggressive), I'm ok with that (kind of) but if there is something I'm not thinking of, I'm all ears.

TreeSemdyZee · 06-26-2010, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volcom370Z

Right, but negative camber should wear the insides of the tires faster than the outsides, and I have the opposite and as I mentioned previously, if it were a toe issue, then I'd be getting feathering on the outside (which I'm not). Aside from having positive camber on a tire, I can't think fo anything that would cause only the outside to wear faster than the rest of the tire.

Anyone know if it is just the compound of the stock tires? These days there might be different materials on different ribs of the tire... If this is just my driving habits (which is not aggressive), I'm ok with that (kind of) but if there is something I'm not thinking of, I'm all ears.

Yeah, I was just speaking to j.arnaldo's comment.

I'll have to check mine when I go outside, but I vaguely remember the numbers on mine being a little weird also. It wasn't really enough to worry about when I checked it. Kind of attributed it to a heavy right foot.

Have you actually used a depth gauge or are you just eye-balling it?

Trips · 06-26-2010, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeSemdyZee

Trip, I believe you have it backwards. Too much air causes the inside to wear more. When having too much air, rather than having a "flat" surface to ride on, there is more of a rounded shape and the tire will ride on the highest point. i.e. inside (center) of tire.

OP. Just to make sure we're all talking about the same thing. When you say "inside" do you mean the middle of the tire or inside as in closest to the car? Since you said "outsides", I'm assuming that by "inside" you mean the middle of the tire.

Thanks for correcting me. Dam dyslexia

azn370z · 06-26-2010, 12:47 PM

How about some pics so we know if it's abnormal or not.

Volcom370Z · 06-26-2010, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azn370z

How about some pics so we know if it's abnormal or not.

I'll work on that...

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeSemdyZee

Yeah, I was just speaking to j.arnaldo's comment.

I'll have to check mine when I go outside, but I vaguely remember the numbers on mine being a little weird also. It wasn't really enough to worry about when I checked it. Kind of attributed it to a heavy right foot.

Have you actually used a depth gauge or are you just eye-balling it?

Thats the old mark 1 eyeball... its enough to notice visually... I'll try and get some pics

Volcom370Z · 06-26-2010, 05:04 PM

DSCN0904.JPG

DSCN0905.JPG

DSCN0907.JPG

Heres some pics... this is the drivers rear tire... so the left of the photo is the outside of the photo.

Mainly what I see is the depth in the groove to the far left compared to the other vertical grooves. Looks and feels shallower.

azn370z · 06-26-2010, 05:43 PM

I see that the outside inner is wearing out quicker. The wear doesn't seem to abnormal to me. If your cold air pressure is 35 then I would get an alignment, about $90.

06-26-2010, 12:00 AM	#1 (permalink)
Volcom370Z Base Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Valencia, CA Posts: 236 Drives: 09 370Z Rep Power: 15	Abnormal tire wear? I'm somewhat new to RWD cars so please bear with me. I JUST passed 10000 miles today (I know, sad day) and I've been noticing a weird wear pattern on my rear tires (still running stock tires). The outsides seem to be wearing faster than the inside. I can tell visually that the rears have negative camber (which I'm assuming is normal) so I'm kind of stumped as to how the outsides are wearing prematurely. I know if the toe was off combined with the camber, there would be some feathering on the inside right? I'm a little confused. Also, I've had bad luck with alignment shops knowing all the geometry involved in alignments, so I'm looking for a bit of education. Thanks guys (and girls)

06-26-2010, 12:04 AM	#2 (permalink)
Trips Administrator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Disneyland, Ca Posts: 8,728 Drives: 🔰 Rep Power: 10	Overinflated tires wear from the outside more than the inside. I have 6k on my tires, and mine are wearing pretty even. Make sure the air pressure is correct __________________

06-26-2010, 12:20 AM	#4 (permalink)
Trips Administrator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Disneyland, Ca Posts: 8,728 Drives: 🔰 Rep Power: 10	Try here for further info. to much camber will affect the inside wear if you have a little to much neg, and vice versa. Google Image Result for http://media.rd.com/rd/images/rdc/family-handyman/2006/03/Inspect-Your-Tires-For-Wear-And-Problems-05-ss.jpg __________________

06-26-2010, 12:47 PM	#12 (permalink)
azn370z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,722 Drives: z34 - R1 Rep Power: 489	How about some pics so we know if it's abnormal or not. __________________ 2010 k23 H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts

06-26-2010, 05:04 PM	#14 (permalink)
Volcom370Z Base Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Valencia, CA Posts: 236 Drives: 09 370Z Rep Power: 15	DSCN0904.JPG DSCN0905.JPG DSCN0907.JPG Heres some pics... this is the drivers rear tire... so the left of the photo is the outside of the photo. Mainly what I see is the depth in the groove to the far left compared to the other vertical grooves. Looks and feels shallower. Last edited by Volcom370Z; 06-26-2010 at 05:06 PM.

06-26-2010, 12:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
Volcom370Z Base Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Valencia, CA Posts: 236 Drives: 09 370Z Rep Power: 15	I thought that over pressure would cause that on the inside and outside? or does the camber some how keep the insides from wearing?

06-26-2010, 09:44 AM	#5 (permalink)
TreeSemdyZee Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kentuck-IANA Age: 59 Posts: 4,880 Drives: '09 370 & ‘14 Juke Rep Power: 27408	Trip, I believe you have it backwards. Too much air causes the inside to wear more. When having too much air, rather than having a "flat" surface to ride on, there is more of a rounded shape and the tire will ride on the highest point. i.e. inside (center) of tire. OP. Just to make sure we're all talking about the same thing. When you say "inside" do you mean the middle of the tire or inside as in closest to the car? Since you said "outsides", I'm assuming that by "inside" you mean the middle of the tire.

06-26-2010, 10:17 AM	#7 (permalink)
j.arnaldo Banned Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 937 Drives: Nissan 350Z, 2004 Rep Power: 0	Those Nissan bugs are still on the prowl!

06-26-2010, 10:30 AM	#8 (permalink)
TreeSemdyZee Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kentuck-IANA Age: 59 Posts: 4,880 Drives: '09 370 & ‘14 Juke Rep Power: 27408	The camber "issue" isn't really a bug. The negative camber makes for better handling. Makes for more tire wear in the process.

06-26-2010, 05:43 PM	#15 (permalink)
azn370z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,722 Drives: z34 - R1 Rep Power: 489	I see that the outside inner is wearing out quicker. The wear doesn't seem to abnormal to me. If your cold air pressure is 35 then I would get an alignment, about $90. __________________ 2010 k23 H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts

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