I've noticed that on front wheel drive cars, even when the tracking etc is correctly adjusted, the front near side tyre always wears more quickly that the front offside.
I've queried this with a couple of 'tyre people' etc and been advised it is normal and it certainly seems to happen across a number of cars.
Conversely, on rear wheel drive cars, the rear tyres seem to wear more or less evenly.
What no one has even explained is why front wheel drive cars display this wear pattern.
Any ideas?
Roundabouts. I experienced this in a very pronounced way when we lived in Milton Keynes.
An interesting idea. Roundabouts are (all but) unknown in the USA, I recall seeing one near Fort Knox. If your theory is correct, then Americans shouldn't see the same pattern- even if it were to be swapped to allow for their driving on the right. I have a regular chat with a couple of American friends most Sundays, I will try and remember to ask them. They live in California and I know their area- not a roundabout to be seen for love nor money. I believe there are some in Boston but that isn't an area I've visited.
I wondered about grit and general cr*p at the side of the road when you pull away but that wouldn't explain why yo don't see it on rear wheel drive cars so I think that kills my idea.
That you need to get a more involving hobby Brian? ;-)
But along with roundabouts, the camber can also have an impact. Given most cars will be affected by the camber to some degree ... and that effect is (for the car) to steer away from it, there is likely to be a very small steering input bias to counter it [1]. Therefore, in the UK that will mean that the n/s/f wheel will be the one 'scuffing' slightly whilst it tries to counter the affects of the camber and hold the car straight whilst the o/s/f may not be scuffing at all or if it is, to a lesser degree (depending on how accurate the tracking, how good the suspension components, now much drive load on the front wheels etc).
On top of roundabouts and road camber, we also generally tend to do 'U turns' to the right over here and so again, putting extra load (under conditions of full lock) of the n/s/f tyre.
Cheers, T i m
[1] I know on the Meriva it's currently quite sensitive to road camber and on typical cambers, letting go of the wheel will see the car turn to the left slightly, requiring a constant slight steering 'trim' applied to the right.
My last FWD was an Austin 1800. It did the reverse. I guessed because more likely to lose traction when pulling out to the right from a side street in a hurry.
Unequal loading of the front tyres due to the car only having a driver and no front seat passenger most of the time???
The driver sits on the off side, so the near side is more lightly loaded.
Which means the drivers side wheel grips and the near side slips, wearing the tyre?
Quite, I really hope Brian didn't teach physics!
Plus, I wonder what percentage of cars have a fuel tank biased to one side on another? I think on my old Mk1/2 Escorts saloons the tank was entirely on the o/s. The Kitcar (Mk2 Escort based) uses an Escort van tank and that's in the middle under the floor. I think both the Meriva A and the Corsa C (that it's based on) have the tanks off centre to the offside with the exhaust running down the nearside.
Cheers, T i m
I'd say you'd need to consider weight transfer when cornering enthusiastically. And which tyre has likely to have the greatest loading there.
Already mentioned re roundabouts etc?
Whilst that (and less than ideal wheel geometry during such) accounts for some of it, I suggest in 'miles traveled' they would be well down compared with all the straight line / motorway work (even if they did account for a disproportional amount of wear)?
Cheers, T i m
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