Andy Holden

I will probably be told the answer to this is in the FAQ somewhere, but here goes....

My old road tyres that I now use for wet track days (16" P zeros, used at the front of the car) are worn far more on the inside than the outside of the tyre (by about 2mm). I have finally got round to putting my 'normal' road tyres back on after Wroughton and noticed the uneven wear.

Is this normal, or should I get the geometry checked out?

The tyres have done two or three track days - but it seems odd that the inside of the tyre is worn more than the outer shoulders.

Anyone have any comments?

Tony Quinn

Assuming that your car has not been in a big accident, this sounds like either:
i) too much negative camber; or,
ii) too much toe(most likely); or,
iii) worn suspension bushes; or,
iv) a combination of the above.

Find a GOOD garage and get the alignment checked/adjusted if you are happy that the bushes are not tired. Also, camber or toe irregularites can sometimes be clearly visible. It's easiest to spot toe problems if you point the wheels dead ahead and compare the wheels' directions in relation to the front wings.

I once had a car that ran with a considerable amount of negative camber on the front, I forget how much. It was enough to be occasionally spotted by friends with no interest in cars. Nonetheless, I never had any irregular tyre wear with that car. Hence, I suspect that the amount of toe is the problem.

HammerTime

Hi Andy

There is another possibility.

How do you drive?

If you frequently get the back end out and power slide it will the subject the insides of the front tyres to HEAVY wear.

The inside fronts always go first on my car, and used to on my rally car.

I have recently had the geometry set up with about 1mm of toe in and a bit of -ve camber (can't remember how much - it must be caching!). I have noticed a MASSIVE improvement in turn-in, and the overall handling is far better. This does however make the car much more oversteery in the wet and particularly under power, so it may or may not be how you want it?

Saying that - by the sounds of your tyre wear it may be perfect!!

Hope this helps.

Simon

[This message has been edited by HammerTime (edited 23-09-1999).]