Tyre wearing out

[Clint68]

Hi,
Had my 2007 V50 for just over 2 years and never had any major issues. Recently I have had to change my rear offside tyre, tread was around 5mm. The inside edge had eaten right through to the cord and steel. I would of said tracking if it was on the front but this is the rear. There is adjustment on the eccentric bolts on the suspension arms but surely these shouldn’t have moved. A mate of mine recommended a worn bearing or suspension bushes but I can’t find any play and it has just passed the M.O.T after first replacing the tyre.

Any ideas?

[volvopilot]

tire 'cupping' happens very regularly on Volvo V50/S40/C30 and the ford focus.

inside of the tire will wear out a lot quicker due to the large camber of the wheels. If you look straight past the tire you can actually see the incline and the top of the tire is faced inwards. This improves high speed stability and better handling in general.

you can prevent the tires from cupping by selecting the right tire. Some tires are way more prone to cupping than others. I have great results with Dunlop tires.

Furthermore, rotate your tires every 5000 to 7000 miles. Either X pattern or just front and back.

Check tire pressure every month and add around 0.5 bars. I usually drive around with 2.8 bars in the rear (40psi)

Make sure you check the wheel and suspension parts for play, but if they are in okay condition you will probably be fine by taking these items into account.

[andy_d]

find a Decent tyre alignment shop who can Properly do 4wheel alignment
V50's have 4 wheel alignment, they have adjustable camber + toe angles for the front And rear

[LizardOfBodom]

FYI, pre FL V50's in particular are known for eating the insides of rear tyres, even with "as good as possible" tyre allignment. Something to do with rear suspension parts, there was even an upgraded version released to correct this issue (sorry, dont remember what it was at the moment).
Having said that, if you find a good garage with Hunter 4-wheel laser tracking, you will minimise the issue so defo worth doing.

[Welton]

The rear alignment can be adjusted on a decent Hunters machine, I've had mine adjusted a few times and never once had a problem with the insides of the rear tyres.

[volvopilot]

I am pretty sure that in my 2006 S40 the rear end can not be aligned with stock suspension?

[Clint68]

Thanks for all the replies regarding my tyre issue. There are 2 eccentric bolts on the rear suspension arms to adjust the camber. You can see the camber of the wheels when stationary. Never thought to have the rear alignment checked but I will now be looking for a local garage to check it. I have been advised to go to a specialist alligning centre in Liverpool if I can’t find one locally.

Thanks again.

[poiuytre111]

I think you need to tell the tyre people exactly what you want them to do.
When I first bought my C70 I did some googling and spotted this issue as premature inside edge wear had been advised in a recent MOT. The guys in the US talked about the range of negative camber that was available/adjustable and the effect it has. From memory some people measured 2.5 degrees or more negative but about 1 to 1.5 degrees negative was thought to minimise wear while not losing too much of the handling benefit. For my part I just upped the rear tyre pressure and it hasn't been a problem for me - yet.