Severe front end and tire issue..

**Banshee1967** · 08-27-2006, 06:56 AM

I posted a thread awhile back about a thunking/clunking sound coming from the front end during backing up and slow speed braking...Well, car has 108k on it, put all new F1's at 95k and went to get an alignment. The old fronts had 20k on them and had severe (I mean severe) outer tire wear. I replaced inner and outer tie rods at 95k and had an alignment done. In the past 2 months, the outers have worn to the first rib and no tread remains on the outer 3-4" of tire. These tires have very easy highway miles and tire pressures are checked often.

I installed ball joints last week as well and have 2 new front hub wheel bearings to go on today. As I stated previously, I put on new I/O tie rods with the new wheels and had an alignment (shop could not align unless replaced). Shocks and springs are original.

What am I missing? The tire wear is unbelievably horrible and I replaced the tie rods as the shop recommended to cure the original tire wear and now my new tires are wearing the same.

AARGH! I need some direction please!

**mysticZ** · 08-27-2006, 10:54 AM

Go to a diff shop. Most of the time outer wear on the first band is from positive camber. If its on the outside HALF of the tire then most of the time it comes from being toed in. Any time you have parts replaced on your front end it can mess with your alignmet. If they didn't get it on the second try, then they may just be tring to get your cash.

**02z28ls1** · 08-27-2006, 02:25 PM

Let me see if I've got this right-you went 13,000 miles since replacing the front-end parts and tires and getting the alignment done? You need to be rotating your tires at 6,000 mile intervals first off. The alignment may not have been done right, go back to them and get it redone. Have them set your camber to as close to zero as they can-it can be in spec but not perfect. My shop warranties alignments for 12 months 20,000 miles. Even with perfect alignment scrub radius will wear tires off on the outside edges in the front. Balance and rotate those tires if they are save-able.

**nytmare** · 08-28-2006, 04:38 AM

I agree with the first two posters. A little more information would be helpful as well. Such as... what kind and size of tire, when have you been rotating them (can you rotate them), what were the alignment specs when you last had them adjusted?

Here's what I do: First, I have Toyo Proxes T1S's (275/40 17's, Z rated) on stock 17x9.5 rims, I rotate my tires every oil change (3,500 - 4,000 miles), I have uni-directional tires (so I swap front to back (no crossing over)), and I have them balanced every third oil change.

The factory alignment specs have a little positive camber dialed in, so the tires will wear on the outer edge more quickly than anywhere else. On a side note: I've found on my car, the stock specs tend to make the car wander a little at highway speeds and follow ruts in the road. I don't care for that much. So, I researched A LOT and settled on the following specs for my car:

Camber: -.6
Caster: +4.5
Toe: 0

With those specs, my car tracks straight and true, no wandering and is very stable at all speeds whether in a straight line or on curves. Also, my tires wear very evenly.

I currently have around 21K miles on my Toyos and they're holding up quite well. I suspect I'll get another 6 or 7K out of them.

Good luck,
Marc

**Banshee1967** · 08-29-2006, 06:54 PM

I had Eagle F1 275/40/17 on the car and replaced with the same tires at 95k with new tie rods after shop said they couldn't align without new tie rods (which were shot). Replaced myself and rotated at 102,800. Outer wear more evident on drivers side than passenger side. I then replaced upper/lower ball joints last Sunday which were, well going.

I was thinking of moving (as they are directional tires) the right front with the outer tire wear to the left rear and left front to right rear to keep the wear pattern inboard on rear end, any comment? They all have 7/32 tread remaining.

I do not have the last specs available..but can find them.

I too have noticed that my car tracks alot pretty much anywhere..actually got stopped on a main road because the police thought I was drinking..it tracks and wanders that bad.

I will go to a different alignment shop with those specs in hand and have them set my car to those.

As a quick side note, if my car was in a front end collision prior to buying it, could it be that I have a bent control arm, or is that something the alignment tech would/could pick up on?

Oh, and that clunking sound coming from the right front was a cracked caliper. One piston was applying pressure and the other was not (but both pistons move freely) The pads were completely worn down at bottom of pad and the upper portion of both pads look unused. I should have picked up on the increased brake dust on the wheels over the past two months. And I didn't observe the 4" crack until I removed the caliper and shotblasted it to rebuild it.

Thanks!

Tom

**nytmare** · 08-30-2006, 05:15 AM

Yeah... you definately have some issues to figure out. A front end collision could certainly bend just about anything, to include the frame. It just depends on how bad the collision was. You might want to have someone who really knows their way around an F-Body check out the suspension and frame to see if anything is tweaked.

Make sure everything's ok with the suspension before you spend more money on an alignment though. Not sense throwing good money after bad. If you find out the suspension's ok, then get yourself a good alignment and see what you get.

Marc

**02z28ls1** · 09-01-2006, 12:42 PM

The alignment will answer the questions about the straightness of the front end and rear axle. Just look for the thrust angle and setback readings. Most alignment machines will spit this out without any additional work for the tech. Ask the guy to do a SAI reading-he shouldn't object to this. Ask them to give an explanation of anything they find that's out of order. Your tire problems are not because of some unknown crash-just simple toe-in in all likelyhood.