Alignment Question
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
Likes: 14
From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
Alignment Question
2004 A4, has severe wear on the inside of passenger front tire (cord showing!)
Car was aligned recently so I'm wondering if there could be worn suspension components. Looking for ideas on what to check?
Thanks in advance.
Car was aligned recently so I'm wondering if there could be worn suspension components. Looking for ideas on what to check?
Thanks in advance.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 931
Likes: 31
From: Rowlett, Texas
My 2000 has worn the inner right front since new. Been aligned several times, still does it. My nephew's 2004 does the exact same thing.
I've had the shop dial in minimum camber and toe-in, and slowed the wear a bit, but certainly didn't eliminate it.
My only solution has been to rotate the fronts left-to-right. Of course you must unmount/remount the tire/wheel to do this.
It's been my experience in 50 years of driving that if you have a car with a tire-wear tendency, then it's going to do that no matter how or how many times it's aligned; and if it wears evenly, you can drive it 100k miles and never touch it. My old Mercedes has 200k on it, and has had every suspension bushing and replaceable part redone; still wears the outer left just like when it was new. My '87 Vette went 65K with perfect tire wear front and rear.
DG
I've had the shop dial in minimum camber and toe-in, and slowed the wear a bit, but certainly didn't eliminate it.
My only solution has been to rotate the fronts left-to-right. Of course you must unmount/remount the tire/wheel to do this.
It's been my experience in 50 years of driving that if you have a car with a tire-wear tendency, then it's going to do that no matter how or how many times it's aligned; and if it wears evenly, you can drive it 100k miles and never touch it. My old Mercedes has 200k on it, and has had every suspension bushing and replaceable part redone; still wears the outer left just like when it was new. My '87 Vette went 65K with perfect tire wear front and rear.
DG
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 794
From: Longview Texas
The front end can be within factory specs on camber and toe-in and still wear the inside edge for street driving.
For example on my 04 Z06, the camber can be -.5 +/- .7, so it could be as much as -1.2 degrees of camber, which will give unacceptable inside tire wear for normal driving.
You need to tell the shop exactly what you want the alignment to be.
You need to go to Zero or no more than -1/8 degree camber to reduce the inside wear.
Toe-in also needs to be at zero to 1/32". (max. 1/8").
For example on my 04 Z06, the camber can be -.5 +/- .7, so it could be as much as -1.2 degrees of camber, which will give unacceptable inside tire wear for normal driving.
You need to tell the shop exactly what you want the alignment to be.
You need to go to Zero or no more than -1/8 degree camber to reduce the inside wear.
Toe-in also needs to be at zero to 1/32". (max. 1/8").
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 473
Likes: 1
From: Newport Oregon
Tex has it right on the money. You need an alignment tech that can set up the car for your driving style. Spec settings have too much negative camber for the way most people drive on the street. I found a good guy and now don't wear the front insides like it used to. I'll throw in more camber when heading to the track, but for normal everyday stuff I run fairly flat.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 9,891
Likes: 1,829
From: Hot Springs AR
My experience has been that improper toe settings have a much bigger effect on tire edge wear than camber. I'm running 0 toe in front and 1/16 toe-in in back, with -0.8 front camber and -0.6 rear; tire wear tends towards the inner edges somewhat, but I keep an eye on it and have the tires flipped about halfway through their life.
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 794
From: Longview Texas
Racer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
Switched to Michelin Pilot A/S ZPs, and have even tire wear on both fronts after 32K miles with the following alignment specs & the car tracks dead straight:
LF
Camber -0.3 Caster 7.5 Toe 0.02
RF
Camber -0.4 Caster 7.8 Toe 0.01
LR
Camber 0.0 Toe 0.02
RR
Camber 0.0 Toe 0.02
