I have just replaced the original tyres - Conti Eco Contacts, on my MJ at 16,000 miles with winter tyres. Both original Front tyres were scrubbed / and virtually worn out around the inboard edges, the Rear Nearside tyre was similarly worn around the inboard edge.
A laser/camera steering geometry check by my tyre dealer found that there was excessive Front Toe-in both sides, and rectified that, also that there was excessive Toe in and Camber on the Rear Nearside tyre, but was unable to correct that, "Not adjustable". The Rear Offside tyre was, considering my mileage, virtually unworn. He was also unable to adjust the Front Camber. There was no detectable wear of bearings or bushes.
At the end of the check/rectification, it was found that the Front Nearside wheel Camber was outside Fiat tolerances, the rear nearside Toe in and Camber was borderline tolerance. These factors in his view had lead to the uneven tyre wear.
The vehicle is 14 months old, in daily commuting use, and otherwise fine and very economical. Never thrashed, never crashed or bumped and any speed humps negotiated, oh, so carefully!
So, is there a method of adjusting the Front and Rear Camber to return it to the Factory settings? and if so, what is it?
I have read the posts on here from S-X-I and others for 100HP Steering Geometry settings, which are interesting, but does anyone have the correct figures if they differ, for a 60 Reg 1.3 MJ Dynamic?
Grateful for any assistance.

Rear is none adjustable I believe. Have you owned the car from new?

Something tells me that there is something wrong with the rear beams on the Panda. If it were just one car wearing its tyres weird but there are a lot of people and always the inside of the tyre rather than the outside.

I'm going to have the allignment on my 500 looked at sometime soon. It's very squirrelly under braking. I'm sure nothing is wrong but I'm going to get it checked. I plan on putting the better rear beam in at some point in the future

306maxi said:

Something tells me that there is something wrong with the rear beams on the Panda. If it were just one car wearing its tyres weird but there are a lot of people and always the inside of the tyre rather than the outside.

I'm going to have the allignment on my 500 looked at sometime soon. It's very squirrelly under braking. I'm sure nothing is wrong but I'm going to get it checked. I plan on putting the better rear beam in at some point in the future

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Nothing wrong with our fleet

OP what tyre pressures are you running?

306maxi said:

Something tells me that there is something wrong with the rear beams on the Panda. If it were just one car wearing its tyres weird but there are a lot of people and always the inside of the tyre rather than the outside.

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Anecdotal evidence, but my Panda wore its original set of Ecocontacts very evenly for the 50.000km they lasted.

Pressures were 2.5bar in the front and 2.0 in the rear (MJ, so slightly higher in the front than a 1.2).

When I got my MJ, the tyres on the rear were wearing on the outside edges (possibly due to worn shock absorber bushes) so I switched them to the front to then watch them wear on the inside edges.

By the time I got new front tyres, they were virtually bald on both edges. When the tracking was checked, it was only slightly out (toe in) but I had it corrected anyway.

I will be watching the wear with interest.

KozmoNaut said:

Anecdotal evidence, but my Panda wore its original set of Ecocontacts very evenly for the 50.000km they lasted.

Pressures were 2.5bar in the front and 2.0 in the rear (MJ, so slightly higher in the front than a 1.2).

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Always good to get more "evidence" to add to the pot.

Thanks everyone,
I have owned the car from new, tyre pressures kept as recommended by Fiat. When it was serviced at 12,000 miles, I queried the apparently uneven tyre wear at that time, the 'service advisor' who's solution was to sell me a new Front offside tyre! Claimed that there was not a known geometry issue with Panda's. Bristol Street Motors, Worcester.
Tyres replaced and Geometry Camera / Laser checked at 16,000 miles, by my trusted local tyre suppliers, Miller Brothers, Malvern.
One of the posts above suggests that rear axle beam toe in/tracking may be adjustable, another not.
Surely there must be a means of achieving the correct 'factory' settings for both Front and Rear wheels in all three dimesions, how else could they send them out of the factory?
Perhaps any new / prospective Panda/500 owners should insist on a geometry check as part of the Pre Delivery Inspection?
We pay for the PDI and dealers want our business, after all.
It's going in on 31st, as it is within Fiat's 2 Year Warranty, I'm seeking at least some 'Goodwill'.
We will see.

Cookecarey said:

Thanks everyone,
I have owned the car from new, tyre pressures kept as recommended by Fiat. When it was serviced at 12,000 miles, I queried the apparently uneven tyre wear at that time, the 'service advisor' who's solution was to sell me a new Front offside tyre! Claimed that there was not a known geometry issue with Panda's. Bristol Street Motors, Worcester.
Tyres replaced and Geometry Camera / Laser checked at 16,000 miles, by my trusted local tyre suppliers, Miller Brothers, Malvern.
One of the posts above suggests that rear axle beam toe in/tracking may be adjustable, another not.
Surely there must be a means of achieving the correct 'factory' settings for both Front and Rear wheels in all three dimesions, how else could they send them out of the factory?
Perhaps any new / prospective Panda/500 owners should insist on a geometry check as part of the Pre Delivery Inspection?
We pay for the PDI and dealers want our business, after all.
It's going in on 31st, as it is within Fiat's 2 Year Warranty, I'm seeking at least some 'Goodwill'.
We will see.

Click to expand...

There is sadly no built in adjustability when it comes to a beam axle such as that on the Panda.

There are a couple of ways the geometry could be put out. Firstly there might be an issue with the manufacturing tolerances with regards to the beams. That's a pure guess of course and only a check at PDI time would tell us whether that is true or not. Secondly there could be damage to the beam or basically anything that mounts the beam to the car or anything that mounts the wheel to the beam. That damage could have been caused by the car hitting a pothole or something. The problem you will have at any point after you've picked it up is that the dealership will (quite reasonably) assume that any damage to the car has been caused by you.

No one seems to have gotten to the bottom of it yet. Some seem to have "resolved" the issue by going for other brands of tyre or increasing the pressures. To me that's not a resolution and may just be a something that masks the problem rather than solves it.

In the factory it is assumed that the chassis is "square" and that the beam is "square". Is this assumption wrong? We don't know.

As for adjustment. As I said you can buy shims which can be used to alter toe in and camber on the rear of the car, but this is something that I wouldn't be getting Kwit Twit or someone similar to do. It's completely reversible by taking the shims off, but personally I'd want someone more competent to be doing the job.

"The problem you will have at any point after you've picked it up is that the dealership will (quite reasonably) assume that any damage to the car has been caused by you".

The dealer would be incorrect to make that assumption. and will have my word, as a "Corporal, and a Gentleman" (Thanks Foggy) that none on these things have happened.
I could go 'On Oath' too, I'm used to that!
My tyre supplier said that it would take a quote 'Significant impact' to move both front and rear as far out as they were initially measured, and that some body distortion, would also be apparent.
The vehicle has not had such an impact,there is no body distortion.
I am aware though, that things can go or be put 'Out of adjustment' with use, so the 'Well Sir, you have been using it' excuse could be thrown in.
I think given the great number of posts that we cannot all be wrong to be concerned about geometry and tyre wear.

Took the MJ in to the he dealers today for Steering / Geometry check, The Front wheels now are now spot on to factory tolerances, including the Front Nearside Camber, which had eluded my Tyre Fitters.
However the rear wheel Camber and Toe in remain outside Fiat's factory tolerances, the Service Manager confirmed that the Rear Axle Camber / Toe in is not adjustable, but agreed that it is not right, and confirmed that the Rear axle beam etc. appeared clean and undamaged but "misaligned".
He is submitting a Warranty Claim to Fiat His words... "It will take 3-5 working days to come through from Fiat, then we'll get you back in to fix it and refund your money (£44) for the alignment check".
All very positive so far.
Fingers crossed.

interesting

Will update when I know the result of the warranty claim.

OK, here is the update!
Fiat UK approved the exploration of the Rear Axle Beam misalignment.
Took the MJ in last Monday the first attempt to realign the beam was unsuccessful, Fiat aproved the fitting of a complete Rear Axle Beam, which was done, and Front + rear wheel alignments checked against factory spec.
Now spot on.
Time taken 3 days in total.
I spoke with the mechanic who had worked on the vehicle throughout, he told me that he had expected to have wait some days for the new rear beam, but it arrived 'from stock', it appears Fiat had anticipated that the re adjustment attempt would be unsatisfactory, and that the beams was in stock.
I asked the reason.....'Fiat HQ Techs were very quick to respond, they are not normally that quick.....but perhaps they have had this before as they had the part'.
They also refunded the cost £44 of their wheel algnment check which I had initially had to bear.
I have asked for details of the correspndence between Fiat and the dealership, which I was told they will provide shortly.
Very encouraging customer service.
The new axle beam is finished in shiny black.....should it have been undersealed?

Glad it's been resolved relatively hassle free. Nothing wrong with having it in stock and doesn't prove it's common, I've known at least one panda on here to have a replacement due to an accident, so they are kept in stock for other reasons also

Shiny black is normal also.

MEP,
Re Shiny black axle beam, Thanks.
For info of everyone, the dealership is Bristol Street Motors, Worcester.
Happy with them and the service.