weak struts & tire wear

Anybody have any experience with tire wear caused by weak struts?

I just had my rear struts replaced on my 2003 OBS. They also swapped my winter/summer wheels/tires at the same time. I noticed that both my rear summer tires have more wear on the inside edges. Could the weak struts be the cause by not holding the tires out at their proper position?

I'm gonna take it in for an alignment anyway, but I thought I would ask.

Reply to
Chicobiker
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In the past, 'cupping' was always an indicator of bad shocks. I'm sure there are multiple ways a strut could cause uneven wear. Often a simple 'toe' adjustment is all that is required for edge wear on the front - maybe have the rear toe checked? Seems like some worn bushings or a chronic overloaded wagon would be the only way for good struts to do this.

I dunno - just some thoughts

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Hi,

Yes, weak struts can cause excessive wear. A good alignment shop should be able to look at your tires and tell you what the cause may be (if the wear's on one side, and even, I'm w/ Carl that it's likely toe, if cupping or feathering's involved, add shocks/struts to the list of suspects.) Suggest alignment after any strut replacement--unlike "old style" shock absorbers that could usually be replaced w/o affecting any alignment settings, replacement of struts almost always has at least a bit of an effect on alignment.

I didn't see how many miles you have on the vehicle. If an OEM strut's got over 50k miles, it's probably due for inspection if not outright replacement. Be sure to replace as many of the bushings as you can at that time, too. (It's not unusual that some shops will not.) Some better quality aftermarket units may go closer to 100k miles under certain conditions, but don't take that as a general guideline! I find about 75k is my personal average before shocks/struts start to really show some wear.

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

150k kms (90k miles). I've never done an alignment on this vehicle since day 1, so it's due. I'll be taking it in next oil change and get all 4 corners done.

Why did I assume that a shop would tell me about such things ...

Chicobiker

Reply to
Chicobiker

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