Sponsored by The Tire Rack

[fl0wmastr]

i just got a preowned e92 335i coupe w uneven inner tire wear on the front & back tires. the car has h&r springs, which i suspect is causing the uneven wear. the vmr rims are highly rated so i doubt thats what is causing the poblem. what could be causing the problem and how can i be certain?
thanks,
brian

[phillip@bmpdesign]

Uneven wear can be a couple different things. If the inner 1-2" of tread are more worn than the rest of the tread, that is typically a camber or alignment wear, especially if the vehicle sits lower with the H&R springs. If the inner edges are worn wavy, then that is usually from uneven pressure on the inside edge while turning typically from worn shocks.

If the difference between the inside edge and the rest of the tire is within 2/32" that would be considered mostly normal inner edge wear from turning and a sport camber set up. The wheels should have no effect on tire wear unless they are bent.

[fl0wmastr]

thanks for your reply phillip! you're a big help!

[fl0wmastr]

i read that other causes for this can be:
- low tire pressure
- tires rubbing (check for shiny spot in tire well)
- toe could be off
- steer ahead could be off
- thrust angle could be off
- other alignment issues

[phillip@bmpdesign]

Seems like it is primarily an alignment issue. Toe doesn't typically cause that type of wear, it can have an effect on wear however, but usually it will cause the tread blocks to flair kind of choppy at an angle. Underinflation will cause shoulder wear on both sides of the tire because there is more load on the shoulders than what they were designed for.


\___________/ shoulder |__________|
tread tread

The left one is properly inflated, and the only time the shoulder should contact the road is when steering or if there is a camber issue. The right side is underinflated, which one side could exaggerate a camber issue, but will typically wear both shoulders.

I think a good alignment job should fix up your wear