Modern Shit help?

[Hendry]

Kindly help me please fellow autoshiters, although the problem relates to my modern shit car, its a problem not specific to a particular model of car, which is excessive tyre wear on one front tyre.

 

Basically my car keeps wearing out the outside edge of the near side front tyre but the offside is wearing evenly and gradually, the rest of the nearshore tyre is hardly wearing at all, outside edge is like a racing slick yet again.

 

It's had the tracking/alignment done about 5 or 6 times now, wheels balanced about a dozen times and its not a wheel issue as it does it no mattet which one of the 4 wheels is on that corner, car had a new steering knuckle in June 12 and after that it went to mcconechys for a laser wheel alignment with their Hunter machine, the one which gives you a before and after printout of the figures.

 

Then in July 12 I noticed I had a slightly flat tyre so had a look and noticed 2 panel pins in the tread but Also that the outside edge of the tread was totally bald, as was part or the sidewall where the size/makers name was etc, so got a new tyre and then put the car into Renault under warranty and they said tracking was out and wheels needed balanced, so got it done, couple months later no improvement so put It in again, they said tracking out again so got it done again, got another new tyre as this 3 month old one had a cut in the tread, this new tyre was still wearing out in same place, got tracking done by national tyres, needed yet another new tyre due to unfixable puncture, wheel needed refurbed anyway so got it refurbed and a new Continental tyre put on and put it on the OSR where the now immaculate wheel and expensive tyre were unlikely to get damaged, put the OSF wheel/tyre on the NSF and the wheel/tyre originally from OSR on the OSF, anyway fast forward a few months and NSF tyre is again wearing the outside out but rest of tyre is fine, tyre almost fucked due to this, this time try a reputable local garage who check and say tracking is out, so it gets done yet again, I keep nearly fucked tyre on for time being to see if this had cured the issue before forking out for a new tyre incase it too gets fucked, has still continued to rapidly wear outside edge whilst rest of tyre normal wear, guy at garage said he'd checked everything and track rod ends not worn, no fucked bushes etc and asked if the car had ever had a clutch changed as Clios need subframe dropped and if not done up right afterwards could cause this, car hasn't, he then said if I did journeys with lots of roundabouts this could cause it, but I don't use that many roundabouts to cause wear like that, also don't see how tracking being out could cause it as that affects both wheels but OSF is fine, only things I can think of now is car has been in an accident and not been repaired correctly with bent chassis, bent wishbone, strut, etc but other than tyre wear no other symptoms and evidence of that, only thing is NSF wheel was kerbed when I bought car so previous owner has obviously smacked a kerb so maybe hard enough to cause damage to steering components to cause this wear but not enough to be noticeable when checking suspension/steering components.

 

It's really pissing me off and making me want rid of the car because I'm getting frustrated with both not bein able to figure out the issue and with having to fork out for new tyres every couple of months and chuck away otherwise good perfectly usable tyres for 1 strip of baldness on the outsid edge.

 

Can anyone help me out with suggestions before I lose the plot and start doing a Basil Fawlty on it? Cheers

[rml2345]

It definitely sounds like something is bent to me. I can't think of another reason why it would wear one side rapidly and unevenly in comparison to another. 

[overrun]

Renault

Think I have found your problem.

[Hendry]

It definitely sounds like something is bent to me. I can't think of another reason why it would wear one side rapidly and unevenly in comparison to another.

 

I'd be inclined to think that myself except half a dozen different places hav checked he car and none could find anything, nothing's ever been picked up at any of its services or MOTs either.

[Albert Ross]

The outside edge of the nearside front tyre on any FWD motor always wears the fastest. PHACT. This is due to the weight above the front axle, the propensity for any UK spec vehicle to drift to the N/S when allowed to due to the camber of the road, and you pull against that to make the car drive straight. Also the fact you have a French car is also relevant, as their roads are cambered differently, and this nugget of theory I have. Driving round a right hand corner in the UK, the driver feels safer, so might go faster than a left hand corner, where they feel more vulnerable... also, see roundabouts.... which way round do you go? Do you live in Basingstoke, Milton Keynes or anywhere else? We all know which way round a roundabout we go..... that's just a theory, but is it a good one?

[Geep]

You say you've had tracking done what about the other angles? Camber, caster KPI/SAI? Any obvious pull to one side or steering wheel slow to return when cornering?

 

This place may be able to help you http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/

 

They have some approved branches outside their own place and a forum as well. Realy know their stuff there, might be wrth a look/visit.

 

Edit to add:

 

http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/tech-camberbasics.php

[Richard]

Do you live in a New Town by any chance?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Yeah if you've had it set up so many times have any of them given you a print out of their findings? Clearly one wheel is on the cock somehow. If its not the tracking (which is unlikely anyway as the tracking is a function of both wheels not just the one) it must be the camber or something else like that. Have you inspected all the bushes and suspension arms for damage, wear etc?

[fordperv]

I also ask is there alot of roundabouts on your travels

[Micrashed]

Borked ball joint? Will cause the wear you claim but when the wheel is under load will not be easy to spot - jack it up and see if there is any play in that wheel.

[Cavcraft]

Shock absorber?

[Split_Pin]

I think you should take it to a reputable independent garage with specialist tracking equipment. Mconechys, national and such like are usually monkeys and don't know shit from shite. I got my Astra tracking done after I lowered it by a supposedly reputable place who damaged my alloy, denied it and then 6 months later I discovered my tyres were wearing in the inside again after just 1000 miles. I got it done properly at Peugeot Ecosse of all places and all seems fine so far.

 

Having said that, I remember lorry drivers where I worked used to get bollocked for going round roundabouts too fast and wearing the outside edge of the n/s tyre right down. Balljoints and bottom arms that are worn and loose can also have spectacular effects on tyres!

[Barry Cade]

Do you live in a New Town by any chance?

I lived in a New Town in my yoof, and it was always my rear tyres that wore worst.

[CortinaDave]

Glenrothes is the worst. Roundabouts by the thousand and thanks to the OMG WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN brigade speed bumps covering every single road that isn't a 60 limit.

 

It's the most driver unfriendly town imagineable.

 

What they don't seem to take into account is said children then being driven by their parents at high speed on the motorway in cars with tyre bulges or broken suspension thanks to the 3 million bumps they have to cross every day.

[Junkman]

This uneven and quick tyre wear on <enter the M-word here> girl-wheel-drive cars is completely normal.

Expect to change them every 15-20k miles.

[Hendry]

Right this is the thing, a reputable local garage has done the tracking which they said was miles out recently, tyre is still wearing rapidly, I don't live in a new town full of roundabouts, and also this isn't like the rest of the tyre is worn evenly down to 3/4mm with a bald bit on the outer edge, the tyre is still almost brand new, with 6mm+ of tread on it but like a racing slick on the outside edge so it's clearly wearing a lot faster than it should even if I lived in a new town, wrung it's neck around roundabouts etc

 

The previous tyres were likewise, loads of tread and otherwise spot on except the racing slick outer edge, I've had an older clio and a 206 before which didn't do this so the set up for French roads camber thing can't be it, also wouldn't the RHD UK spec cars be set up for our roads to avoid issues like this?

[Des]

Sadly that sounds like it may have suffered a slide into a kerb, quite a common one in the ice is N/S front wheel going into kerb side on, stops the car dead, may not be any damage visible but something gets bent, once the ice melts driver notices pull from steering, steering wheel off centre, maybe tyre squeal when going straight so goes off to get the tracking adjusted by some hapless kwik fit monkey who then winds inches int one side and removes the steering wheel to centre it. Tracking is an adjustment that should only be needed rarely and in small amounts, more than a gnats of adjustment needed and somethings wrong, you could try counting the threads on the track rods adjusters both sides to confirm they're the same, try parking on level ground with steering centred and see if the wheels appear to line up the same, look along the outer sidewalls like a gun sight and see if they line up against the rear wheels in a symmetrical manner.