BMW 5 Series Tyre Wear / Noise.....

[Palmo]

Tony,

 

This is a long one so bare with me..... you may remember me.....you set-up the alignment on my BMW 5 Series a while ago - you may recall my ongoing 'Cross Wind' issue (there is a long, long thread on here about it somewhere). I also brought several other cars for you to set-up if you recall.

 

Firstly, on the 'Cross Wind' issue I believe I have found the problem only in the past few weeks (I am 99% sure) and I can't believe it.....nothing more than tyre pressures! I have always run my tyres at the minimum recommended pressure - up to 3 people / half load (Front 30 PSI - 245/35/19, Rear 36PSI - 275/30/19). On the occasions I have had a full load I have increased to maximum pressure (Front 36 PSI, Rear 43 PSI) and found the ride to be noticeably harder and so have decreased as soon as I'm back to the usual 'below half load' situation. At no point have I ever had the increased pressure on a day with above normal winds until a week or so ago. And..........you've guessed it, no problems - or at least nothing out of the ordinary. This means I have been driving for 3 years (64k miles) with 'Cross Wind' instability that appears to be nothing more than tyre pressure related. I believe I have now found a happy medium between min & max pressure (Front 34 PSI, Rear 40 PSI) that seems to be a compromise between comfort and stability (only today the car was faultless in quite considerable Cross winds) - maybe at the expense of tyre wear......which leads me onto my new problem and the purpose of this thread!

 

You may recall I also had a balancing issue on the front and Continental changed a front tyre which they proved was outside their tolerance for balancing. Those tyres were fitted approx 15k miles ago (I typically get up to 40k miles out of the fronts & 15 - 18k miles out of the rears). The tyres are Continental Conti Sport 2's (these are the OEM tyres and are 'normal' tyres as an upgrade NOT RFT's). They have performed faultlessly until the snow that we had earlier in the year when they became - challenging - to even pull away, as you would expect. I therefore opted to buy a 2nd hand set of BMW 5 Series 'SE' 17" wheels (in early January) and fitted them with some Winter Nokian Tyres (these were excellent). At the end of March I refitted my usual 19" Wheels & Tyres (the Winters didn't get much use but will do over coming years). Upon refitting, they initially seemed fine. However, after approx 1k miles I noticed these were beginning to get noisy. Now a further 2k miles on (I've done a total of 3k since the end of March with them refitted) they are now VERY noisy - on some surfaces it almost sounds like a wheel bearing is gone (the recent experiment with tyre pressure I mentioned above makes no difference to this). I have had the car fully checked over including it's first MOT and there is no fault on the car that can be seen. The car has now covered 64k miles from new. There is NO vibration at all and the tread is excellent across the full width of the tyres. However, I have noticed that on both the inside & outside edges of both Front Tyres they appear to be suffering from 'Heel & Toe' / 'Sawtoothing'! This is not extreme yet, but rubbing a hand across the tread confirms this. As an experiment (and I'm hoping you don't advise against this) I have swapped both front wheels side to side (they are asymmetric NOT directional) in an attempt to run the tyres in reverse to either counter act the wear (maybe wishful thinking) or to at least reduce the noise. This at first did seem to make the noise less severe, but today on a 120 miles journey proved to not be the case. The noise is at it's worst on perfectly new road surface.....

 

I am now in the predicament of what to do..... the prospect of running the car for another 20k miles (which the tyres have left in theory going on past performance of the same tyres) is not one I relish, but neither is dumping 2 perfectly 'good' tyres of this value! Do you have any idea what could be causing this? You may recall I also brought the car back to you after the first alignment because I hit a pothole and you did a full inspection and made some adjustments including to the camber of the nearside front wheel (it was the offside front that hit the pothole though which we thought was stange at the time) - but surely if this was an alignment issue the tyres wouldn't be wearing 'even' albeit in a strange manner. Next question, Is there anything I can do with these tyres to reduce the noise short of changing them?......I obviously can't put them on the rear as they are staggered! I have stuck with the Contiental's as they are the OEM fit tyres, but am thinking I will have a change when all 4 are due - What do you recommend as an alternative tyre - Front 245/35/19, Rear 275/30/19.

 

Sorry for the long post - I really appreciate and value your advice!

 

Cheers

 

Martin

[Palmo]

Tony,

 

I have just done some reading and come across an article written by Continental themselves which covers (amongst other things) 'Saw-Tooth Wear' and is as follows:

 

"Saw-tooth wear is a wear pattern caused under normal usage with normal suspension settings. This is the outwardly visible (and audible) manifestation of

various distortional forces at work on the tread. To explain this, it is better to first say something about tread design.

 

Tread grooves and sipes - a source of noise - are absolutely essential in ensuring safety on wet and flooded roads. In the case of low-profile tyres in particular, a higher percentage of tread void is necessary to take up the water and to improve the protection against aquaplaning.

 

Cross-grooves for water drainage form "freestanding blocks" in the shoulder area. These shoulder blocks can wear to leave the "saw-tooth" pattern as a result

of rolling mechanisms under certain operating conditions.

 

These operating conditions include:

- Long, straight journeys at constant speed

- Moderate driving style

- Suspension geometry (alignment/camber).

 

As the tyre rolls along the road, the freestanding blocks deform as they near the tyre's contact patch. They are compressed as they come into contact with

the road. As they lose road contact they "rub" the surface while snapping back into their original shape. The result is higher wear on the block run-out edge. This wear pattern is more likely to occur on nonpowered wheel positions.

 

Tyres with large blocks or laterally open grooves are susceptible to stepped wear, particularly in non-powered wheel positions. The blocks exhibit more pronounced wear on the rear edge (relative to the direction of tyre rotation) than on the front (leading) edge, giving the blocks a characteristic saw-tooth wear pattern when viewed from the side.

 

A minor amount of "saw-tooth" pattern wear is normal and has no discernible effects on comfort.

More conspicuous heel and toe wear points to specific operating conditions (improper inflation, excessive toe-in, low-wear applications).

 

Tip: In order to gain even tyre wear, the position of the tyres on the car should be changed at regular intervals (unless otherwise recommended by the

vehicle manufacturer). The position of the tyres should be changed in good time, at the latest when changing summer/winter tyres."

 

This article is interesting and covers details of the problem, but doesn't provide a cure nor any real advise on how to prevent this in the future. In my circumstances, I do a lot of "Long, straight journeys at constant speed" and also am unable to rotate tyres due to them being staggered. Also, BMW don't adivse tyre rotation anyway. Therefore does this article indicate I have to live with this problem? Also, why didn't my previous front tyres of the same make & type do this I wonder?

[Tony]

Hi Martin

I remember the car well, which is unusual for me Heel and tow wear is an argumentative topic because no one really knows why it happens. Good reasons can suggest a suspension issue, others geometry issues, the tyres themselves seem to have historic traits...

 

I can see logic that the suspension (damper) can cause a wear patten on the rear of a FWD during weight transfer/ braking and there's logic geometry can be the criminal but only if the wear is one side of the tyre, so this leaves us with the tyre it's self.

 

I find directional tyres most susceptible then asymmetric tyres, the bigger the block size also displays more susceptibility, so what to do? I think it's a case of checking the suspension/ pressures and geo just to be sure of a clean bill of health and ifs all's clear consider a different make of tyre?

[HighlandPete]

Interesting thread...

 

This problem does seem to be very common on BMW suspension setups, even from new. One thing I've noted on three different tyre makes (on one car) that they all have the tendancy to 'heel and toe'.

 

One thing I've kept a close eye on is, inside vs. outside, tendancy to 'heel and toe'. Obviously asymmetric treads will be slightly biased to one side, but directional tyres of symmetrical tread patterns will wear very similar either side of the front tyres. That teaches me the tyre, along with use, is more the culprit, rather than the geometry.

 

I know a lot of BMW users run the low pressures on front tyres, to try and help comfort, and stop some of the steering/tramlining issues, but to me that is a asking for tyre wear issues. Comfort and more control comes with smaller rims and more rubber, not ultra low profiles and compromised pressures. Best performance, even unloaded often requires about +0.2 bar (3 psi), than the low placard recommendation, on front tyres of many BMWs.

 

I'm not at all surprised at the side wind issue and low tyre pressures contributing to it. To me 30 psi on 19" front tyres seems so low anyway, with a 6-pot diesel sitting above them, whether it is a 3 or 5-series. I run 2.4 bar (35 psi) on the front of my E91 330d touring for normal use, and that is on 17" tyres.

 

HighlandPete

[Palmo]

Hi Martin

I remember the car well, which is unusual for me Heel and tow wear is an argumentative topic because no one really knows why it happens. Good reasons can suggest a suspension issue, others geometry issues, the tyres themselves seem to have historic traits...

 

I can see logic that the suspension (damper) can cause a wear patten on the rear of a FWD during weight transfer/ braking and there's logic geometry can be the criminal but only if the wear is one side of the tyre, so this leaves us with the tyre it's self.

 

I find directional tyres most susceptible then asymmetric tyres, the bigger the block size also displays more susceptibility, so what to do? I think it's a case of checking the suspension/ pressures and geo just to be sure of a clean bill of health and ifs all's clear consider a different make of tyre?

 

Hi Tony, thanks for the response!

 

What has me baffled is why the first pair of front tyres didn't do this? These were the exact same make & type. What tyres would you recommend as alternatives?

 

Cheers

 

Martin

[HighlandPete]

What has me baffled is why the first pair of front tyres didn't do this? These were the exact same make & type. What tyres would you recommend as alternatives?

 

Just a thought, are the replacements OEM as in BMW 'star' rated/marked tyres, or the standard Continental offering of the same type and size? That can make a big difference on tyre wear and performance.

 

HighlandPete

[Palmo]

Interesting thread...

 

This problem does seem to be very common on BMW suspension setups, even from new. One thing I've noted on three different tyre makes (on one car) that they all have the tendancy to 'heel and toe'.

 

One thing I've kept a close eye on is, inside vs. outside, tendancy to 'heel and toe'. Obviously asymmetric treads will be slightly biased to one side, but directional tyres of symmetrical tread patterns will wear very similar either side of the front tyres. That teaches me the tyre, along with use, is more the culprit, rather than the geometry.

 

I know a lot of BMW users run the low pressures on front tyres, to try and help comfort, and stop some of the steering/tramlining issues, but to me that is a asking for tyre wear issues. Comfort and more control comes with smaller rims and more rubber, not ultra low profiles and compromised pressures. Best performance, even unloaded often requires about +0.2 bar (3 psi), than the low placard recommendation, on front tyres of many BMWs.

 

I'm not at all surprised at the side wind issue and low tyre pressures contributing to it. To me 30 psi on 19" front tyres seems so low anyway, with a 6-pot diesel sitting above them, whether it is a 3 or 5-series. I run 2.4 bar (35 psi) on the front of my E91 330d touring for normal use, and that is on 17" tyres.

 

HighlandPete

 

Thanks for the comments. I have always run with the lower tyre pressures as this is what is quoted by BMW - this is the only reason. I am also very aware that 'over-inflation' can cause the centre of the tyres to wear excessively. So, it is based around this why I have run lower pressures, coupled with the fact the front of the car is extremely light (all aluminum - including the whole engine - this is the LCI 3.0 diesel engine). This has never seemed to cause any problems in everyday driving (all be it with the exception of in heavy winds it now seems). However, I have no issue driving with increased pressures if this is the right thing to do and am now currently driving with 34 PSI front, 40 PSI rear, which seems fine, albeit a little firmer than I'm used to, but as this seems to have cued the Cross Wind instability, I'm fine with that!

 

My only remaining problem is the droning from the front tyres. I'm just gutted to have to ditch tyres with very good tread (probably around 5-6mm across the whole width). If I were to change them, there is also no guarantee that the same thing would not happen again after a period of time!

 

Cheers

 

Martin

[Palmo]

What has me baffled is why the first pair of front tyres didn't do this? These were the exact same make & type. What tyres would you recommend as alternatives?

 

Just a thought, are the replacements OEM as in BMW 'star' rated/marked tyres, or the standard Continental offering of the same type and size? That can make a big difference on tyre wear and performance.

 

HighlandPete

 

They are the same as in the same make & type as originally fiited along with the accompanying BMW 'Star'. They are Continental Conti Sport 2's* (Front 245/35/19 93Y XL, Rear 275/30/19 96Y XL). So, don't think that's the issue but you're right to raise it. These tyres, from what I have read, are actually well known for being pretty quiet, which has been my experience to date, until now! It's really taking the edge off the car.

 

Yesterday, I was cruising on the M1. At one stage the droning got so loud I literally felt like I was waiting for a tyre to blow or extreme wheel bearing failure. I have today had the wheels off the car to inspect that the tyres arn't failing at all. Apart from the 'Saw-Tooth' effect on both shoulders, they look perfect. The 'Saw-Tooth' isn't extreme at the moment - just about visible - it's more you can feel it, and I presume is what is causing the noise?????

 

Cheers

 

Martin

[HighlandPete]

At least we have true 'like for like' tyres. Eliminates one issue.

 

You mention the 'saw tooth' on both shoulders, you mean of the same tyre? If so, are the saw tooth forms in the same direction? Meaning the leading edge is towards the front on either shoulder, (hand across them at the top of the wheel). Gives a clue the geometry is not far off ideal settingas, if at all needing adjustment.

 

I still believe a part of this wear is accelerated by running pressures at the low side of BMW's recommended rating. As said before, many users find the tyres need more pressure to work better and also balance the wear patterns. It is hard to wear the middles of front tyres on BMWs, without using excessive pressures. You'd notice the compromised drive chartacteristics, before you ever had too much pressure, if you increase and try at small incremental increases.

 

You mention the weight... it is all relative, light weight materials don't mean the car is light, still a 'weighty' car in real terms. The use of aluminium has really just stopped our cars getting too bloated in weight.

 

I swapped my original Bridgestone tyres 'side to side' to balance the heel and toe wear, which it obviously did, but the tyres were never as quiet afterwards. Stopped them getting worse and higher pressures slowed down the shoulder wear, but still came off at 15k miles with loads of middle tread, but useless as tyres.

 

HighlandPete

[Palmo]

At least we have true 'like for like' tyres. Eliminates one issue.

 

You mention the 'saw tooth' on both shoulders, you mean of the same tyre? If so, are the saw tooth forms in the same direction? Meaning the leading edge is towards the front on either shoulder, (hand across them at the top of the wheel). Gives a clue the geometry is not far off ideal settingas, if at all needing adjustment.

 

I still believe a part of this wear is accelerated by running pressures at the low side of BMW's recommended rating. As said before, many users find the tyres need more pressure to work better and also balance the wear patterns. It is hard to wear the middles of front tyres on BMWs, without using excessive pressures. You'd notice the compromised drive chartacteristics, before you ever had too much pressure, if you increase and try at small incremental increases.

 

You mention the weight... it is all relative, light weight materials don't mean the car is light, still a 'weighty' car in real terms. The use of aluminium has really just stopped our cars getting too bloated in weight.

 

I swapped my original Bridgestone tyres 'side to side' to balance the heel and toe wear, which it obviously did, but the tyres were never as quiet afterwards. Stopped them getting worse and higher pressures slowed down the shoulder wear, but still came off at 15k miles with loads of middle tread, but useless as tyres.

 

HighlandPete

 

 

Thanks again for your valued comments! I guess my comments about wearing the centres of the tyres was really as a knee-jerk reaction to the rate at which the rears wear in the centres - a typical characteristic of tyres this size I'm told. Anyway, your comments regarding pressures on the front is understood and I will bare this in mind.

 

This may then have been caused by pressures being too low - but I guess the damage is now done. So, apart from slowing further damage down be switching tyres side to side as I have done and by increasing the pressures as I have done there is nothing else I can do to reduce noise until I replace the tyres...... afraid it will have to be a 'turn the radio up' approach in the short term as long as they are safe (but noisy) which they appear to be!

 

Cheers

 

Martin

[HighlandPete]

Thanks again for your valued comments! I guess my comments about wearing the centres of the tyres was really as a knee-jerk reaction to the rate at which the rears wear in the centres - a typical characteristic of tyres this size I'm told. Anyway, your comments regarding pressures on the front is understood and I will bare this in mind.

 

This may then have been caused by pressures being too low - but I guess the damage is now done. So, apart from slowing further damage down be switching tyres side to side as I have done and by increasing the pressures as I have done there is nothing else I can do to reduce noise until I replace the tyres...... afraid it will have to be a 'turn the radio up' approach in the short term as long as they are safe (but noisy) which they appear to be!

 

Martin

 

Noise generated from tyres on the latest BMWs is not unusual, some tyres have had many complaints and even Technical Information Bulletins (TSB) on the issues. Not a simple issue or easy solution.

 

As to the rear middle wear, (I'm sure Tony will add his comments), but it is not all about overinflation. Centrifugal growth at high speed and high tractive forces, particularly on high powered RWD cars can cause far more middle wear on rear tyres, than a couple of increased psi. You can still get rear middle wear on high powered RWD cars at low setting pressures.

 

Which brings me to another variable we sometimes miss. When using the lower pressure values, (which makes things worse) we sometimes never achieve the hot working pressures we really ought to be running. Cold/wet weather can accelerate tyre issues, often we do not consider the pressure setting may not be high enough for our use. Easy to be running 3 - 5 psi lower than we think, just because our tyres don't get hot during some conditions of use. We do need to compensate, particularly on low profile tyres, as the wear rate/pattern is far more critical than running 'loads of rubber', from my experience.

 

HighlandPete

[Palmo]

Thanks again for your valued comments! I guess my comments about wearing the centres of the tyres was really as a knee-jerk reaction to the rate at which the rears wear in the centres - a typical characteristic of tyres this size I'm told. Anyway, your comments regarding pressures on the front is understood and I will bare this in mind.

 

This may then have been caused by pressures being too low - but I guess the damage is now done. So, apart from slowing further damage down be switching tyres side to side as I have done and by increasing the pressures as I have done there is nothing else I can do to reduce noise until I replace the tyres...... afraid it will have to be a 'turn the radio up' approach in the short term as long as they are safe (but noisy) which they appear to be!

 

Martin

 

Noise generated from tyres on the latest BMWs is not unusual, some tyres have had many complaints and even Technical Information Bulletins (TSB) on the issues. Not a simple issue or easy solution.

 

As to the rear middle wear, (I'm sure Tony will add his comments), but it is not all about overinflation. Centrifugal growth at high speed and high tractive forces, particularly on high powered RWD cars can cause far more middle wear on rear tyres, than a couple of increased psi. You can still get rear middle wear on high powered RWD cars at low setting pressures.

 

Which brings me to another variable we sometimes miss. When using the lower pressure values, (which makes things worse) we sometimes never achieve the hot working pressures we really ought to be running. Cold/wet weather can accelerate tyre issues, often we do not consider the pressure setting may not be high enough for our use. Easy to be running 3 - 5 psi lower than we think, just because our tyres don't get hot during some conditions of use. We do need to compensate, particularly on low profile tyres, as the wear rate/pattern is far more critical than running 'loads of rubber', from my experience.

 

HighlandPete

 

I'm aware there have been Bulletins issued by BMW relating to tyre issues but think these are mostly related to RFT?

 

Regarding the Rear Centre Wear, I am aware that it is generally a characteristic of larger width tyres to wear in the centre due to throw out and this is not necessarily anything to do with over-inflation. After my first pair of rears were worn by 15k miles I assumed it was overinflation as the outter & inner edges had much more tread left, but after reading and educating myself I'm aware this was not the case.

 

Interesting point regarding temperature and actual pressures, another reason to increase from the minimum setting I guess. I have tried in the past to inflate my tyres with Nitrogen (Uniflate) but to be honest I didn't notice any difference in neither wear of nor driving.

 

When I examined my tyres with the wheels off the car today (I checked the rears while I was at it also which are wearing fine, but they have not done too many miles yet) I did notice that whilst the 'Saw-Tooth' effect is indeed apparaent on both inside and outside shoulders of both front tyres, it is actually slightly worse on the inside edges of both fronts. They are wearing evenly in comparison to each side i.e. both sides are mirrored perfectly from left to right. The leading edge of the outter tread blocks are more prounced, but the inner edges are more wavy if that makes sense - sort of a more clear highspot and lowspot. Swapping from side to side has certainly began to reduce the level of 'Saw-Toothing' (I have done about 1500 miles since swapping).

 

Looks like I'll have to get a pair of fronts ASAP and hope the increased pressure avoids this happening in the future! If this is the cause, it will have been a costly mistake.

 

Many Thanks for all the comments / suggestions, it's appreciated!

 

Cheers

 

Martin

[HighlandPete]

Interesting point regarding temperature and actual pressures, another reason to increase from the minimum setting I guess. I have tried in the past to inflate my tyres with Nitrogen (Uniflate) but to be honest I didn't notice any difference in neither wear of nor driving.

 

When I examined my tyres with the wheels off the car today (I checked the rears while I was at it also which are wearing fine, but they have not done too many miles yet) I did notice that whilst the 'Saw-Tooth' effect is indeed apparaent on both inside and outside shoulders of both front tyres, it is actually slightly worse on the inside edges of both fronts. They are wearing evenly in comparison to each side i.e. both sides are mirrored perfectly from left to right. The leading edge of the outter tread blocks are more prounced, but the inner edges are more wavy if that makes sense - sort of a more clear highspot and lowspot. Swapping from side to side has certainly began to reduce the level of 'Saw-Toothing' (I have done about 1500 miles since swapping).

 

Looks like I'll have to get a pair of fronts ASAP and hope the increased pressure avoids this happening in the future! If this is the cause, it will have been a costly mistake.

 

Martin

 

A personal viewpoint, but I'm sure quite a few will have been caught by excessive, or odd tyre wear, due to the colder than average winter period. Some will be due to tyres running lower working pressures, due to not warming up the same.

 

Are you planning to visit WIM, to have the geometry checked? As you mention the inside wear is different, may be wise before fitting new tyres. Have you any pictures of the wear pattern to post on the thread?

 

HighlandPete

[Palmo]

Interesting point regarding temperature and actual pressures, another reason to increase from the minimum setting I guess. I have tried in the past to inflate my tyres with Nitrogen (Uniflate) but to be honest I didn't notice any difference in neither wear of nor driving.

 

When I examined my tyres with the wheels off the car today (I checked the rears while I was at it also which are wearing fine, but they have not done too many miles yet) I did notice that whilst the 'Saw-Tooth' effect is indeed apparaent on both inside and outside shoulders of both front tyres, it is actually slightly worse on the inside edges of both fronts. They are wearing evenly in comparison to each side i.e. both sides are mirrored perfectly from left to right. The leading edge of the outter tread blocks are more prounced, but the inner edges are more wavy if that makes sense - sort of a more clear highspot and lowspot. Swapping from side to side has certainly began to reduce the level of 'Saw-Toothing' (I have done about 1500 miles since swapping).

 

Looks like I'll have to get a pair of fronts ASAP and hope the increased pressure avoids this happening in the future! If this is the cause, it will have been a costly mistake.

 

Martin

 

A personal viewpoint, but I'm sure quite a few will have been caught by excessive, or odd tyre wear, due to the colder than average winter period. Some will be due to tyres running lower working pressures, due to not warming up the same.

 

Are you planning to visit WIM, to have the geometry checked? As you mention the inside wear is different, may be wise before fitting new tyres. Have you any pictures of the wear pattern to post on the thread?

 

HighlandPete

 

I understand what you're saying regarding temperature and the fact I was running on the lowest setting wouldn't have helped. But, during the coldest months I switched to Winter Tyres on different rims (standard BMW SE 17" wheels fitted with Nokian Cold Weather Tyres), so these tyres were no used during the coldest weather.

 

I would definately like to visit WIM, only probelm is I'm up in Manchester and it is a long round trip. In the past I used to do a bit of work in Gatwick and so have called in 'on-route' but don't do any work down there these days. I will look to see if I can call in at some point in the near future if possible. I completely rate tony who has aligned my car perfectly in the past.

 

I have taken photos yesterday but to be honest you can't really pick up the wear from these..... I've attached them anyway.

 

Front OS:

 

Front OS:

 

Front NS:

 

Front NS:

 

Remember, the worst of the 'Saw-Tooth' effect, certainly on the outter edges, has been reduced due to these been switched side to side approx 1500 miles ago - therefore the direction of the 'Saw-Tooth' is in the opposite direction to the side of the car the wheels / tyres are currently on (if that makes ssnse).

 

Many Thanks again.

 

Martin

[Tony]

The Continental explanation tells us what we already know. Don't forget the pattern of wear will differ front/ rear because of the drive, meaning the forces the tyres resist are different.

 

Moving the tyres side-to-side will help the tread recover but only a temporary solution, long term i think a good geo and tyres like the Sassanta are the way to go.

[HighlandPete]

Martin

 

Your pictures do appear to show more wear on the inside, whether the type of driving, or needing an adjustment, only a check will show.

 

I know from the wear pattern and tread depths across the tyres, I'd personally be running a couple more psi than your original figures, to try and balance out the wear rates.

 

On the bigger issue of getting high mileage out of our current tyre designs and specs, even for motorway use, we do seem to be all over the place with what users get. I'm sure Tony is seeing this all the time, and some unusual wear, even when the geometry is inside manufacturers tolerances.

 

HighlandPete

[Palmo]

Martin

 

Your pictures do appear to show more wear on the inside, whether the type of driving, or needing an adjustment, only a check will show.

 

I know from the wear pattern and tread depths across the tyres, I'd personally be running a couple more psi than your original figures, to try and balance out the wear rates.

 

On the bigger issue of getting high mileage out of our current tyre designs and specs, even for motorway use, we do seem to be all over the place with what users get. I'm sure Tony is seeing this all the time, and some unusual wear, even when the geometry is inside manufacturers tolerances.

 

HighlandPete

 

I currently have the following pressures which seem to be working well:

 

Front (245/35/19) = 34 PSI (up front 30 PSI)

Rear (275/30/19) = 40 PSI (up from 36 PSI)

 

Seem to be ok - slightly harder ride but acceptable. Only other 'major' positive thing is the stability in Cross Winds seems considerably improved as already stated. If this also helps tyre wear then great. I realise the uneven wear to the fronts may have already shortened their lives but will see.

 

Thanks to you and Tony for the advice!

[Tony]

There also comes a point where we need to sit back and think about the power and performance our cars flawlessly deliver a think all this performance and energy goes through the tyres, can we really, honestly expect a perfect world while driving the perfect car...... When it come to a long well known bend and we "floor it" we don't get out at the end of the journey an check the tyres and yet they hold a historical image of events we try to explain today.

[HighlandPete]

There also comes a point where we need to sit back and think about the power and performance our cars flawlessly deliver a think all this performance and energy goes through the tyres, can we really, honestly expect a perfect world while driving the perfect car...... When it come to a long well known bend and we "floor it" we don't get out at the end of the journey an check the tyres and yet they hold a historical image of events we try to explain today.

 

Ain't it the truth... was down at the dealer a couple of weeks ago and a nearly new 3-series was sat outside the entrance with front wheels turned. The outside shoulders on the front tyres were absolutely hammered. One of the worst I've ever seen on a car, but plenty of tread (6 - 7mm) in the middle. Bet he's the sort of driver who 'loves' the sharp turn in on the big rims.

 

HighlandPete