Tracking probs

I've got a P reg Ulysse which 'may' have a problem with it's front end. I bought new tyres all round a few thou miles back and forgot all about them. I parked up one day very badly with full lock on and saw that one of the front tyres was near worn out. I went to my local garage to find that my tracking was 29 something out. I did ask about the drifting to the left but was told "as all roads are cambered this was all right". I bought a new front tyre and got the tracking corrected but am now watching the other tyre wear away rather quickly. It still drifts though but not as bad as before. Is there a problem with the Ulysses' front end or have I just bought crap tyres (UK £130 pair). Hints would be appreciated as I will have to get a new set for the front VERY soon. Paul

Reply to
paulmac
Loading thread data ...

Have you had the car from new? An accident damaged car can have serious body geometry faults which cause tyre wear and drifting. An experienced eye can often spot the tell tale signs of a repair. A heavily kerbed car can have front or back geometry errors.

An (expensive) all round geometry check for both front and rear geometry will usually find the problem, backing up a high kerb is a common source of bent rear suspension arm. Errors at the rear can show as front end tyre wear, because you are making a continuous steering correction..

If you are a DIY'er you can do a pretty accurate geometry and tracking check yourself, to find if the car is lozenge shaped from a shunt, if the front suspension strut and tower are a bit out of kilter, and whether your toe in/out are within spec. If the car is rectangular then its diagonals, corner to corner from chosen reference points, dropped and marked on the floor will be equal to within an eighth of an inch. Up to a quarter inch out I'd not be too worried, over half an inch, getting worried.

There are other causes of tyre wear but these are rare ones, the above quite common.

Reply to
Ato_zee

PS to an experienced eye the pattern of wear says a lot, garages want to sell tyres, the faster they wear the better, they may not be over interested in why they are wearing, and unevenly to boot.

Reply to
Ato_zee

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.