[F1 fan]

My wife has a 09 335xi with 17000 miles and I just checked the front tires and they are wearing like crazy on the inside to the point that they are pretty much smooth. The car is all stock. Is this normal? I want to get her new tires, but I don't want the new tires to do this also. Is this the bridgestones or the alignment. Any input would be great. Tires are rft 225-45-17.

[sneaks]

I have the same car in an 08 model. I have 30000 miles on a set of the continental rft oem 225 45 17. There is wear similar to what you describe and from what i know is normal.

My car originally came with your bridgestones but i replaced them at 17000 miles for an unrelated issue. I found the continentals wear and handle bumps better but have reduced snow traction for which i've purchased snow tires anyway.

You should post a picture(s).

[4corners]

Tires should not wear unevenly. From what you describe you should have the alignment checked by someone good.

[Cuffss]

Originally Posted by 4corners

Tires should not wear unevenly. From what you describe you should have the alignment checked by someone good.

^ agreed

tires only wear unevenly during normal driving when you need an alignment or need to adjust your tire pressure.

[sneaks]

sorry, i don't agree. from the factory there is a negative camber setting
A tire will wear on the side where the most weight is. (the inside edge in this case)
I have 30,000 miles or 50000km on a set without being worn past the wear indicators and have had 2 maintenance alignments performed since i purchased the vehicle. there is more wear on the inside edge compared to the outside.
this is why i asked the op to post pics.

[F1 fan]

I will see about posting some pictures for you guys. The tires are wearing very unevenly in this case and I don't think it is normal.

[s14roller]

It might be the tires. They had an issue a few years ago with those tires and BMW was swapping them out for updated versions. If you do a search, you should be able to find the posts.

[Lenaxia]

Originally Posted by sneaks

sorry, i don't agree. from the factory there is a negative camber setting
A tire will wear on the side where the most weight is. (the inside edge in this case)
I have 30,000 miles or 50000km on a set without being worn past the wear indicators and have had 2 maintenance alignments performed since i purchased the vehicle. there is more wear on the inside edge compared to the outside.
this is why i asked the op to post pics.

This is truth. BMW's come with mild negative camber and SHOULD wear unevenly. However it is possible your alignment is out of whack and may have too much negative camber, hence we need pictures.

Toe-out can also contribute, is the car unstable during hard braking?

[F1 fan]

I need to post pictures, but haven't had time to take them. The car drives straight and the braking is fine. I was going to rotate the tires and noticed the wear. Without pictures the thing I can say is the inside is pretty smooth as in hardly any tread blocks on the drivers side and not quite as bad on the passenger side but still there. The rest of the tire is fine with plenty of tread left.

[sneaks]

You aren't supposed to rotate tires on your car. Its in the manual. The tires wear evenly on my ride at all 4 corners. A bit more on the inside vs outside of the tire front and back.

You said there is a difference between left and right side. If your wife hit a curb parking or a huge pothole, then it may be an alignment issue.

[forza1976]

it's common... every XI i've seen has this as well as i's

Mine included

[F1 fan]

This is her second xi and the first one wore the fronts quicker than the rear also. I know you are not supposed to rotate the tires, but I was going to anyway. I think this is pretty normal based on some research. I guess it's time for some new wheels and tires. Anyone know about the new bridgestone run flats on tirerack's website?

[Lenaxia]

Originally Posted by sneaks

You aren't supposed to rotate tires on your car. Its in the manual. The tires wear evenly on my ride at all 4 corners. A bit more on the inside vs outside of the tire front and back.

You said there is a difference between left and right side. If your wife hit a curb parking or a huge pothole, then it may be an alignment issue.

The reason why they say not to rotate tires is because RFTs are both directional and asymmetric meaning the tires are different on their left and right sides. Also, non-XI's come with staggered tires making front to back rotation impossible and considering they are also RFTs, left to right is also impossible. So to make thing simple they say not to rotate tires at all.

However if you're on non-staggered, non-RFT setup, it is not only OK but it is also wise to rotate your tires every 5k or so. Your tires will last longer by wearing more evenly.

Your fronts will wear faster than the rears because there is more negative camber on the fronts than on the rears. There is no way your front and backs wear at the same rate, if they are there is something wrong with your alignment.

If you're replacing your tires, go with the Continental Extreme Contact DWS or DW (depending on if you need winter traction). They are great non-RFTs that don't break the bank. It is currently one of the highest rated tires on Tirerack.

[Lenaxia]

Oh, also OP, before you get new tires, make sure to get your wheels checked out for bends and cracks. I got shafted by the tire shop because they mounted my tires BEFORE telling me that I had 2 bent/1 cracked rims, meaning I couldn't return them.

It's cheaper to get some good quality after markets than to find replacement OEMs. Upgrade to 18's?

[F1 fan]

Thanks for the advice on the tires. As far as rotating them I was only going to do front to back. What options do I have incase of a flat if I go with non run flat tires.

[Lenaxia]

Originally Posted by F1 fan

What options do I have incase of a flat if I go with non run flat tires.

I rely on my roadside assistance. There is a BMW flat kit from Tischer, but one of my credit cards provides road side assistance and I have AAA so yeah. Check with your credit cards/bank to see if they provide that benefit, if not, its up to you if you want to get AAA.

I'd much rather have a more comfortable ride 99.9% of the time and deal with a tow truck that last 0.1% of the time than have an uncomfortable ride 100% of the time. Since the day I was born I have never been in a car that has gotten a flat so I'm willing to bet on the non-RFTs and the more comfortable, quiet ride that doesn't destroy my wheels.

Also, if you do rely on roadside assistance, remember that when you call a tow truck INSIST on a flat bed truck. A traditional tow truck that drags 2 wheels on the ground will destroy your transfer case and thats not a cheap replacement.

[F1 fan]

I wanted to let everyone who is interested know that I had my wifes car checked out an sure enough the alignment was off on pretty much all four corners. She just drove the car normal and still the alignment was off. She has not curbed one wheel or bent any wheels either. My conclusion is the bridgeSTONE tires are so bad and hard that it just knocked it out with normal driving. We went the the continentals and it is so much better.

[Lenaxia]

Thanks for the update. Driving normally can cause your car to go out of alignment, it isn't necessary to hit something for it to go out. 17000 miles is really soon to need one though, I'd suggest checking your alignment again in about 5,000-10,000 miles to see how it's holding up and that something isn't potentially loose.

[sneaks]

Originally Posted by Lenaxia

There is no way your front and backs wear at the same rate, if they are there is something wrong with your alignment.

me - "duhh, mr. mechanic, something is wrong with my car. my tires seem to be wearing evenly and at the same rate at all four corners."

mechanic - "youre fucked"

thanks for the great advice lenaxia, im going to get an alignment immediately

[F1 fan]

The car had 19000 miles not 17000 by the way.