[costcocombo]

Hi everyone,

Just discovered this while lifting up car to install a front splitter. Looks like I'm due for an alignment and new tires. My front passenger tire is showing a lot of wear after 26k miles. My driver has some but not this bad. My alignment feels straight if i don't steer for a bit. I know it's not recommended, but am I fine to continue driving until my new tires arrive? Sucks because we can't rotate with a staggered setup. Any one have experiences driving with the cords showing? I had my tires balanced at Costco a few months ago and kind of mad they didn't tell me about this.

 

[gatornek]

Did you get a GOOD alignment done when you installed the tires, and presented with before and after results?

And I'll let you know a head of time, that its hard to find a place that does a proper alignment. Most places that sell and install tires and ALSO provide the alignment will not give you before and after results, as they frequently have someone who does not know what the he11 they are doing running the alignment machine. And the only reason I have this strong opinion now, is due to the fact that I've been now getting aligned at a shop that dedicates itself to proper alignments...and its NIGHT and DAY difference (and they are priced the same).

The other portion of tire life is rotating them every 1/4 miles of the rated mileage. So if your tires are rated for 50K, you shouldve rotated them every 12.5K.

 

[Husky1971]

I too have a staggered setup. I got a 4 wheel aligment from a reputable shop in atlanta when I lowered my car and they said that these EB mustangs are notorious for wearing the inside of the front tires in stock height from the factory. You can help it by getting camber bolts/plates, which is what I had to do.

 

[gatornek]

Sorry. Missed the snippet about the staggered setup. I don't have a staggered setup, but my car is dropped. I did use some camber bolts to ease the inside wear, but if I don't rotate them, they will surely look like yours.

 

[Horcy1]

That tyre is fucked and I wouldn't drive on it. That's a fine and points on your licence here. Your also have a nightmare with insurance if your in an accident.

That type of wear is likely due to a very bad alignment there is however very little camber adjustment and this may be a result of a worn or bent part

 

[MC Stanger]

I had the issue on my stock 2017. Two sets ruined with the inside wearing out way to early. I switched out the stock camber bolts with adjustables to give me a bit more positive up top. It has helped as the last two sets are wearing even. However I will note from another forum that another option is to get the alignment done with stock items within spec but then add a small amount of extra toe-in even if out of range in the report to both sides. With the camber bolts adding positive you lose the recommended inward tilt needed for corners. The toe-in only should keep the handling better. I will decide on my next set if I go back to stock settings with extra toe or not. This is what I found for my ride but there are many habits and conditions that can be a factor.

 

[zhent]

And I run more camber than recommended (-2.1 degrees each side up front with camber plates) and never get this kind of tire wear on my tires. Excess toe wears tires faster than camber does.

Others have said it, a good alignment is key.

 

[Buldawg76]

That is a toe in issue not a camber issue. Camber would have to be very noticeable as in of you looked at the tire from the front of the car you could visibly see the tire leaning inward at the top excessively.

The right front tire has excessive toe in, this means the tire is being dragged sideways on the inside of the tread causing it to scuff off the inner tread. You can have good toe in on one side and the other side be out of specs and still drive straight.

You need at least one new tire and a 4 wheel alignment performed.

BD

 

[zhent]

That is a toe in issue not a camber issue. Camber would have to be very noticeable as in of you looked at the tire from the front of the car you could visibly see the tire leaning inward at the top excessively.

The right front tire has excessive toe in, this means the tire is being dragged sideways on the inside of the tread causing it to scuff off the inner tread. You can have good toe in on one side and the other side be out of specs and still drive straight.

You need at least one new tire and a 4 wheel alignment performed.

BD

I knew someone could explain it better than I could.

 

[VolvoBertone]

Uhhh... You can't have "bad toe on one tire and good toe on the other" unless the steering wheel isn't centered when you are driving straight. Toe is only steering difference from side to side. There is no magic.

Toe in will not wear the inside of a tire unless the inside is more in contact than the outside (negative camber). If anything, if the camber is exactly flat there will be a slight tendency for excessive toe in to slightly wear the outside of a tire because the side force will take all the suspension compliance to increase positive camber plus the tire will slightly roll to wear the outside. (It used to be more pronounced with bias ply tires.) Excessive toe out could slightly wear the inside edge but not like you are having.

Obviously there is an alignment issue. If the basic alignment checks out then you need to check corner weights and you'll need to see how the alignment changes as the wheels are turned and the suspension moves through its range. Most alignment shops can't do this. A good body shop that does frame straightening can check if the suspension pickup points are all square. A good race shop can do this too. A basic alignment is just a normal maintenance cost but going beyond that can get expensive.

One thing to keep in mind is how much will it cost to figure it out and to fix it vs how much the tire cost is. If the tire wore out in a few thousand miles you need to look into it. If the tire wore out in 25k+ miles it might not be that critical.

 

[Husky1971]

Uhhh... You can't have "bad toe on one tire and good toe on the other" unless the steering wheel isn't centered when you are driving straight. Toe is only steering difference from side to side. There is no magic.

Toe in will not wear the inside of a tire unless the inside is more in contact than the outside (negative camber). If anything, if the camber is exactly flat there will be a slight tendency for excessive toe in to slightly wear the outside of a tire because the side force will take all the suspension compliance to increase positive camber plus the tire will slightly roll to wear the outside. (It used to be more pronounced with bias ply tires.) Excessive toe out could slightly wear the inside edge but not like you are having.

Obviously there is an alignment issue. If the basic alignment checks out then you need to check corner weights and you'll need to see how the alignment changes as the wheels are turned and the suspension moves through its range. Most alignment shops can't do this. A good body shop that does frame straightening can check if the suspension pickup points are all square. A good race shop can do this too. A basic alignment is just a normal maintenance cost but going beyond that can get expensive.

One thing to keep in mind is how much will it cost to figure it out and to fix it vs how much the tire cost is. If the tire wore out in a few thousand miles you need to look into it. If the tire wore out in 25k+ miles it might not be that critical.

NICE, what he said!!!!!

 

[gatornek]

Here is where I get aligned. He does it all. Here is his price sheet (starting points depending on what you want done). I love the fact that he saw a need for a niche, and stepped up. His shop is small, but large enough for his alignment rack and his tools.
Apex Alignment Services

 

[VolvoBertone]

Here is where I get aligned. He does it all. Here is his price sheet (starting points depending on what you want done). I love the fact that he saw a need for a niche, and stepped up. His shop is small, but large enough for his alignment rack and his tools.
Apex Alignment Services

He has really good prices. The tech's knowledge is way more important than their equipment. The best (by far) alignment service I've ever worked with has no electronic, laser, digital or otherwise automated equipment. They have turn plates, bubble gauges, big straight edges longer than a car, scales, and they scribe lines on the tires to check toe!
But they know car suspensions and structure. And they can quickly see where the root cause of any sort of problem a car can have and they know what can be done about them. (Plus they do a lot of referral work from other shops when they can't figure out what is wrong.)

Occurred to me another thing you can look at. Your car has 4 wheel independent suspension. On an IRS car when people have a problem with one corner of a car they often forget to look at the opposite corner. Opposite corners effect each other like a teeter-totter. (The common use of that effect is weight jacking.) If your car got smacked in the driver's rear or you have bad suspension bushings in that corner it can show up as issues on the passenger front. Check that tire for any odd wear.

Either way the alignment guy will have seen a thousand times more issues than you have.

 

[gatornek]

Occurred to me another thing you can look at. Your car has 4 wheel independent suspension. On an IRS car when people have a problem with one corner of a car they often forget to look at the opposite corner. Opposite corners effect each other like a teeter-totter. (The common use of that effect is weight jacking.) If your car got smacked in the driver's rear or you have bad suspension bushings in that corner it can show up as issues on the passenger front. Check that tire for any odd wear.

Are you talking about me or the OP? I'm okay with tire wear. 😅

They have turn plates, bubble gauges, big straight edges longer than a car, scales, and they scribe lines on the tires to check toe!

I think he uses a "Hunter"(?) rack if memory serves me correct. He doesn't let anyone in his shop while he's working, but I see him pretty busy underneath there with quite a few tools and I MOST definitely see all the scribe lines for the suspension points. In fact, after the first time I went to him, it was that much smoother and easier to get in and out, and he "thanked me for not going anywhere else and returning" as he didn't have to "fix anyone's mess". For $100, can't beat it. I would imagine the only bad (but obviously not for him) part is he works M-F 9 to 5, so you gotta take time out of your work schedule to make it happen.

 

[Buldawg76]

Tire wear on the inside is a result of negative toe (toe in) and/or negative camber and can be on one wheel only especially if both camber and toe are out of specs.

Inner-Edge Tread Wear

Inner edge tread wear is the most common type of tread wear issue seen by shops. This is another culprit of poor wheel alignment. The angles that cause this type of tire wear patterns are typically negative toe and camber.
If a wheel alignment does not solve the issue, then the suspension components of your vehicle will be to blame. This will be more likely an issue on older vehicles, vehicles with higher mileage or vehicles driven in harsher terrains.

Of course, worn bushing, tie rods ends, ball joints and strut mountings all can be a cause as well. You also have to take into account wear or misalignment of the other 3 wheels and overall thrust angle measurement of the 4 wheel combined settings which can lead to the thrust angle of the vehicle rolling down the road with a thrust force that is not allowing the car to track straight.

I have aligned more cars in my 50 years on the old hunter machines that used lights and turn tables and can easily tell if the alignment is close to specs or if there are worn/loose parts that will not allow a proper alignment to be performed without replacement of worn/loose parts.

The fact that the OPs pic clearly shows only excessive wear on the inside of tire with no feathering or excess wear on the outer 3/4s of the tire indicate a negative camber/or toe in issue at the wheel. Toe out wears the outer edge of the tires.

BD

 

[gatornek]

This might be the best alignment thread this site's ever seen. No lie. Great info all around.