Hello all, I am new here so please bear with me while I get used to this forum etc.

I am helping my daughter out with her 2016 Fiat 500 1.2 Pop which now has 61000 miles on the clock and little or no service history worth talking about (I have done the odd job in the past but it's not recordable obviously).

So, she is now wearing out front tyres unevenly, the inside of the tyres are wearing out before the rest of the tread) so I think her ball joints and having looked at it, the bushes on the wishbone, are wearing out causing the uneven tyre wear.

Not nice that you have to change the whole arm for just the ball joint but I guess it makes sense to change all of the bushes along with the ball joint then if one piece fixes all its not that crazy. Is it about right for this to be worn out already ??, 61K seems a bit early to me but then I don't know Fiats all that well (yet).

Hi

My experience ..on a panda..( probably identical mechanically )

61k sounds typical.. but on mine the wishbone rubber had perished..

4 years does sound a little premature..

Charlie

First get the tracking checked, sounds toe out to me, then consider how long you're keeping the car?

61k in 4 years sounds like the cars had a fair lot of use easily could be worn out from 61 k of curbs and potholes

I don't see why the toe-in angle could have changed and certainly not both sides equally so I am ruling that out for now.

I think we are going for replacing the wishbones each side as the tyre wear is more or less identical each side. She did do a lot of urban (short trip) driving since she bought the car (new) so I guess its just wear and tear.

The upside is that the wishbone comes with new bushes and ball joint so it's 3 in 1 essentially.

masonmjs said:

I don't see why the toe-in angle could have changed and certainly not both sides equally so I am ruling that out for now.

I think we are going for replacing the wishbones each side as the tyre wear is more or less identical each side. I guess its just wear and tear.

The upside is that the wishbone comes with new bushes and ball joint so it's 3 in 1 essentially.

Click to expand...

Hi again

Any MOT mentions about front suspension?


The pandas from 2004 were of a 'soft set.up' easily knocked out of true..


Ours certainly needed adjustment every time it was checked..


Problem being the slop in a tired wishbone will change the 'attitude'of the wheel..

So a tracking check now could be pointless

This is the test I did:

Front wheel.. get a long lever tool on a wheel nut-bolt ( I used a wheel brace on the Pandas bolt..)

Load left ..then right CW then CCW rotational force

I could see the gap in wheelarch change..as the wheel flexed in its mounts.. not good

The new wishbones sorted that

If you can be bothered ..
fast .fit places often do Free Wheel Alignment checks..

It would be a good reference as to current tyre wear..
And a handy comparison for 'After'

Charlie