Didn't think you could change toe angles on the rear due to it being a torsion beam?
Technical Uneven tyre wear
- Thread starter David Bliss
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Technical Uneven tyre wear
Don't think you can either.
Hmm maybe your right but they certainly did something as they showed me how far out it was..
Further to this post.... I've now done about 23k miles in the 500 with about 15k miles on the summer tyres and 8k or so miles on the winter tyres. The winter tyres have been rotated front to back as they're directional and the summer tyres have been rotated diagonally from the rear to the front and then from the front to the rear (hopefully that makes sense) and tbh there are no great signs of excess wear although as you'd expect there is a little more wear on the front right as it's the one that takes the most punishment on roundabouts.
I know a 500 is not a Panda of course but the rear suspension is more or less the same and the front suspension is similar so you'd expect tyre wear to be similar.
My wife's diesel Panda has just had it's first MOT and the local garage recommended referring the rear axle to Fiat because of the uneven tyre wear - inner edges wearing after 19,000 miles (she's already had new front after only 12k!)
Any advice on handling the inevitable cynicism of the Fiat main agent (where we bought it)? It's going in this morning and she's been told she'll have to pay for a full diagnostic check...
As far as we can see there is no adjustment possible to the rear wheel alignment.
Any advice on handling the inevitable cynicism of the Fiat main agent (where we bought it)? It's going in this morning and she's been told she'll have to pay for a full diagnostic check...
As far as we can see there is no adjustment possible to the rear wheel alignment.
Pandablues
Member
Just to keep the pot boiling......returned yesterday from a 340 mile trip. When there I spotted N/S front has scrubbed away to near enough illegal - again.
It's a 2004 Dynamic which we've had from new and it's always pulled steadily to the left. Checked twice by two different Fiat dealers in it's first year, suspension, steering, tracking (at one of them) one of which suggested I needed to be "more aware of the effects of road camber" - I'd been driving then for around 36 years....Car still pulls to the left.
New front tyres needed within 18 months. Tracking checked, no problem. New front tyres needed last October and tracking checked, no problem. New tyres today. Current mileage....26000 an a bit, not walking out to look.
The dilemma now is do I pay our for "good" tyres and watch them scrub away again over the next six months or get cheapies and save the money towards a new car?
It's a 2004 Dynamic which we've had from new and it's always pulled steadily to the left. Checked twice by two different Fiat dealers in it's first year, suspension, steering, tracking (at one of them) one of which suggested I needed to be "more aware of the effects of road camber" - I'd been driving then for around 36 years....Car still pulls to the left.
New front tyres needed within 18 months. Tracking checked, no problem. New front tyres needed last October and tracking checked, no problem. New tyres today. Current mileage....26000 an a bit, not walking out to look.
The dilemma now is do I pay our for "good" tyres and watch them scrub away again over the next six months or get cheapies and save the money towards a new car?
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Derv drinker
New member
On my 4th set ( front) at 80K on MJ, but I do a lot of motorway miles. I have had the tracking checked both dealer and independent and it seems to make no difference - they still wear on the inside edges. I will be using the Barum tyres from Tyre shopper next. I noticed they looked just like the Conti's, after a little digging, Continental own Barum. Good deals through Tyreshopper as they are owned by National / Viking tyres, they also have an ebay site as well.
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Front wheel drive cars tend to toe out at the front, this and the negative camber that's present will almost certainly increase tyre wear on the inner edges.
Add power steering scubbing the tyres and having to take on all those traffic calming measures, it a wonder how the tyres last so long!
As said, FWD cars toe out at the front, the Panda has a fairly narrow track and very narrow tyres, so it's likely to highlight this toe out. (it's a short wheel base to, so the factory toe is likely to be greater that longer cars)
The camber (angle of wheel to the upright) is affected by weight, it's only a little car that's lightly sprung, so any weight in the car will add to the negative camber, pushing the car down on it's wheels, causing the wheels to lean in more at the top (ever seen a loaded up car or van on the motorway and noticed the top of the wheels almost disappearing inside the wheel arches).
Power steering scubs the tyres and slow speed, dragging the tread across the tarmac, as the weight of the car is resting on the inner edge, this get the brunt of it.
Pot holes and traffic claming measure can damage the suspension bushes, particular the control arms (wishbones) bushes that attach it to the chassis, causing annoying knocking, but also adding to the negative camber as these determine the distance of the lower part of the wheels in relation to the chassis. I have to admit, here's where Fiats weak spot is with the Panda!
There is also a certain amount of natural play in the steering joints that get worse as they get banged about, leading to more tyre wear.
Recently, part of our group that deals with body repair have been getting cars in for the inner wing/strut top damage, where the pothole/speed bump has been hit so hard that the strut has bent the body where it attaches up inside the wheel arches, causing all sorts of camber, toe and caster problems, even after repair.
This may interest some of you
http://www.aa1car.com/library/wheel_alignment.htm
What can you do to help?
Check pressures weekly
Wheel alignment checked when buying a new set of tyres
Slow down for them speed humps
Have the car moving a little before you swing on the steering wheel (you older drivers will remember the days before PAS)
Ask for the rear axle bushes and front wishbone bushes to be check (they should pry them with a bar) every service.
Add power steering scubbing the tyres and having to take on all those traffic calming measures, it a wonder how the tyres last so long!
As said, FWD cars toe out at the front, the Panda has a fairly narrow track and very narrow tyres, so it's likely to highlight this toe out. (it's a short wheel base to, so the factory toe is likely to be greater that longer cars)
The camber (angle of wheel to the upright) is affected by weight, it's only a little car that's lightly sprung, so any weight in the car will add to the negative camber, pushing the car down on it's wheels, causing the wheels to lean in more at the top (ever seen a loaded up car or van on the motorway and noticed the top of the wheels almost disappearing inside the wheel arches).
Power steering scubs the tyres and slow speed, dragging the tread across the tarmac, as the weight of the car is resting on the inner edge, this get the brunt of it.
Pot holes and traffic claming measure can damage the suspension bushes, particular the control arms (wishbones) bushes that attach it to the chassis, causing annoying knocking, but also adding to the negative camber as these determine the distance of the lower part of the wheels in relation to the chassis. I have to admit, here's where Fiats weak spot is with the Panda!
There is also a certain amount of natural play in the steering joints that get worse as they get banged about, leading to more tyre wear.
Recently, part of our group that deals with body repair have been getting cars in for the inner wing/strut top damage, where the pothole/speed bump has been hit so hard that the strut has bent the body where it attaches up inside the wheel arches, causing all sorts of camber, toe and caster problems, even after repair.
This may interest some of you
http://www.aa1car.com/library/wheel_alignment.htm
What can you do to help?
Check pressures weekly
Wheel alignment checked when buying a new set of tyres
Slow down for them speed humps
Have the car moving a little before you swing on the steering wheel (you older drivers will remember the days before PAS)
Ask for the rear axle bushes and front wishbone bushes to be check (they should pry them with a bar) every service.
Trimdoner
Member
All perfectly true, but other car manufacturers seem to manage to get their car's tyres to last a bit longer.......
Since the tracking on our MJ was reset at an independent, the inners shoulders are no longer wearing, but it still looks as if the front tyres will only last about 16K max., but they were only cheap tyres.
(That'll be 5 pairs of front tyres before 60,000 miles. Our previous two Peugeot's did about 40K on the original front Michelins)
