Wheels/Tyres: Uneven Tyre Wear

[Road King Scot]

Just got my 05 XC90 back from it's annual service and it needed 2 rear tyres. The offside rear had only done about 5000 miles and was down to the wear bars. I did need the rear wheel bearings replaced last month and the dealer said that the faulty wheel bearing may have contributed to the severe tyre wear.

Can anyone advise whether this is a likely cause. I've read what's been said about 4 wheel alignment and I now plan to get a tyre guage and check them weekly. If I see any excessive wear, and the pressures are ok, I'll then get the 4 wheel alignment done.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Road King Scot

Just got my 05 XC90 back from it's annual service and it needed 2 rear tyres. The offside rear had only done about 5000 miles and was down to the wear bars. I did need the rear wheel bearings replaced last month and the dealer said that the faulty wheel bearing may have contributed to the severe tyre wear.

Can anyone advise whether this is a likely cause. I've read what's been said about 4 wheel alignment and I now plan to get a tyre guage and check them weekly. If I see any excessive wear, and the pressures are ok, I'll then get the 4 wheel alignment done.

Utter nonsence to be honest , how can they justify saying that unless the wheels were flopping all over the place . When a wheel bearing goes noisy they never get play in them .
One factor in tyre wear on XC90 is tyre pressures , try and keep them at a minimum of 35 psi .. up to 40 if you find the ride unaffected ..

[longclose]

Hi I have the same problem on my rear tyres, anyone know the camber and toe values for the 4 wheel setup. Just want to make sure I am armed and dangerous when I take it in as I have known the wrong values set up on one of my previous vehicles!

Thanks in advance...

[radiohead]

My T6 alignment is slightly towards left. When I checked my front passenger side tyre, it's is slightly worn on the top outer edge of the threads compared with the driver's side or the rear tyres.

I will take the advice to do the 4 wheel alignment.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by radiohead

My T6 alignment is slightly towards left. When I checked my front passenger side tyre, it's is slightly worn on the top outer edge of the threads compared with the driver's side or the rear tyres.

I will take the advice to do the 4 wheel alignment.

Its almost normal for the left front tyre to wear on the outer edge , as most curves are right hand due to roundabouts .anmd most people never bother checking tyre pressures BUT try keeping your pressures high , it almost eliminates this wear .. a 4 wheel align is always good to have though .

[Jim314]

Many roads are not level but "crowned" to achieve drainage and to bias the direction of vehicles away from the oncoming traffic. This may affect tyre wear.

I have read, but cannot find a reference, to an assertion that the two front wheels of a modern car are not aligned symmetrically (i.e. not mirror images). They are aligned so that the vehicle pulls very slightly away from the oncoming traffic in the opposite lane, on a crowned roadway. The purpose of this is that if the driver falls asleep or otherwise fails to apply a slight force to the steering wheel that the car will wander off the road away from the oncoming traffic.

Here is one reference, but I am not sure if it discusses the exact question of non-symmetrical front wheel alignment. (This article assumes driving on the right side of the road.) http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=4&

I maintain the tyres on my 2004 V70 (195/65-15 Michelin Primacy, 44 psi max infl press) and on my wife's 2007 XC90 FWD (235/65-17 Michelin Synchrone, 51 psi max infl press) at close to 40 psi. We never see uneven tire wear, except that the front wheels wear more than the rear and the front tyres show some slight edge wear compared to the center of the tread. But we are conservative drivers, and we don't drive hard through turns.