[Buffy]

I was washing Miss Daisy the other day and spent a little more than normal time on the tires and wheels. Well, when I got down on the ground to get a better view, was I surprised! - Both front tires were worn BALD on inside. I mean BALD! And you could not see the damage from looking at the SSR from the side.

No indication of pulling left or right, no trouble braking, no indication at all!

Two new tires and an alignment later, everything is great again. It steers so much easier now. (I guess it happened so slowly that I got used to the "old" steering.)

As most of you know, this is my daily driver, so I have about 23,000 miles on her, but the rear tires still look new! (In fact, the middle and outer sections of the front tires look new too!)

My lesson learned? - Every now and then, get down on the ground and take a close look at the front tires to find the problem before it gets worse. (Read that as EXPENSIVE!)

Happy motoring!

 

[wildcat66]

Good advice Buffy, I don't understand how people take their tires for granted, they are the one thing that you absoulutely need in great shape to drive safely! I look at other peoples tires as I am driving around too, if their tires look low I will not stay behind or beside them!

 

[subman576]

Same thing happened to me at 22k. When I had the alignment done it was only slightly out so I have been watching them closely. So far no more uneven wear. :cool :cool

 

[41chevcoe]

Hi Buffy

Was it you that hit a pot hole and popped a front tire about a year ago? Just wondering if the SSR had an alignment after that.
George

 

[WOW_FCTR]

Good advice Buffy, I don't understand how people take their tires for granted, they are the one thing that you absoulutely need in great shape to drive safely! I look at other peoples tires as I am driving around too, if their tires look low I will not stay behind or beside them!

If I see other people with low tires, I tell them :jester
Most are thankful.....one or two seemed annoyed.

One year I was driving the NJ turnpike and a brand new Camaro passed me (sticker still in the window). I saw his right front tire was low. I sped up to catch him and let him know. He was doing about 90, so it took a little while to catch him. right when I got next to him, the tire blew. He didn't lose control. In fact he was driving like he didn't have a flat at all. He was able to pull of the side of the road safely. But that is probably the last time I speed up to tell someone that their tire is going flat.:eek

 

[hdflstf]

Tire Wear

While your alignment may have been off, the wear you experienced is not totally unexpected. The alignment specs are a trade between tire wear, handling, and stability. Simply put if you want it to handle great, the tires will wear out faster and it won't want to go straight down the road. Maximize tire wear and it won't handle so good.
The SSR has a negatie 1/2 degree camber in the front (handles better) which tilts the top of the tire inboard so the inside tread of the tire where it contacts the road takes more load and wear when driving in a straight line. Out it into a corner and the load and wear gets pretty close to even across the tire. Really push it and you 'll start to wear more on the outside edge of the tire.
What does all this mean? The current alignment specs are a good balance between handling and tire wear. To optimize the tire wear the camber should be about zero - just don't try to go around corners like you used to (not recommended). If you are autocrossing or on the track you would likely want at least negative 1 degree camber for the best handling - just be ready to eat up some tires..
Bottom line is to keep the factory spec unless you know what you are doing and why.

Also, another point this bring up is that little bit of rubber on the road is all you have between life and death. Go look at you tires - tread, sidewall, inside sidewall. Check the pressures and adjust as needed. Do this on all your cars. Repeat this every time you get gas or wash it. Teach you tennagers to do this, girls too. The life you save may be your own.

 

[SMKN04SSR]

While your alignment may have been off, the wear you experienced is not totally unexpected. The alignment specs are a trade between tire wear, handling, and stability. Simply put if you want it to handle great, the tires will wear out faster and it won't want to go straight down the road. Maximize tire wear and it won't handle so good.
The SSR has a negatie 1/2 degree camber in the front (handles better) which tilts the top of the tire inboard so the inside tread of the tire where it contacts the road takes more load and wear when driving in a straight line. Out it into a corner and the load and wear gets pretty close to even across the tire. Really push it and you 'll start to wear more on the outside edge of the tire.
What does all this mean? The current alignment specs are a good balance between handling and tire wear. To optimize the tire wear the camber should be about zero - just don't try to go around corners like you used to (not recommended). If you are autocrossing or on the track you would likely want at least negative 1 degree camber for the best handling - just be ready to eat up some tires..
Bottom line is to keep the factory spec unless you know what you are doing and why.

Also, another point this bring up is that little bit of rubber on the road is all you have between life and death. Go look at you tires - tread, sidewall, inside sidewall. Check the pressures and adjust as needed. Do this on all your cars. Repeat this every time you get gas or wash it. Teach you tennagers to do this, girls too. The life you save may be your own.

:agree GREAT ADVISE, Especialy for the young ones, teach them young to pay attention to these type of things...:agree

 

[Scott Doran]

Mine too !!!!!

Hey Buffy

Mine was in the same shape.:cry
Maybe when we visited the two girls got together and messed up their aligment.:eek
I have 55,000 km and have ordered new rubber.
My inside edges of the fronts were worn past the outside skins into the carcass,
yet the outside was certifiable.
As you know I have dropped the truck with Ground Force and that was aligned at 22,000 km.
Further as noted in past threads my rears were worn in the center and I will be dropping the psi to 28 from 32 psi and monitoring the net result over time
Thanks for the update and Susan and I will be leaving for Florida on the 22nd of March :cool Maybe we will drop in for lunch and some live theater
Scott Doran #201

 

[JeffDBFl]

Scott give us a call if you are coming this way or if you need a place to stay. All my information is on the pin map, if you do not have it from last year. Hope to see you soon.

 

[wildcat66]

I have tried to let people know they have a low tire, They just don't get it sometimes Women are the worst (The girls on the forum rock).

 

[mcvett2]

Front tire wear

Just had mine alinment done this morning. Had the local Chevy dealer:reddevil do a alinment after I lowered :ssr 3/2 with Bell Teck kit. Only had driven about 600 miles when I pulled the wheels off to get rims chromed, front two tires starting to wear bad on in side. Tire Store said toe in was so far off they couldn't even get a reading!:cry. Going to CHEVY Dealer was a BIG mistake:banghead :banghead going to keep a real close eye on the front end now.

 

[Buffy]

Hi Buffy

Was it you that hit a pot hole and popped a front tire about a year ago? Just wondering if the SSR had an alignment after that.
George

Nope, that wasn't me. I would have STILL been in shock!:banghead

 

[wildcat66]

I think that was Beer100!!!

 

[41chevcoe]

Sorry, wrong popper!!!:eek

 

[Subdriver]

While your alignment may have been off, the wear you experienced is not totally unexpected. The alignment specs are a trade between tire wear, handling, and stability. Simply put if you want it to handle great, the tires will wear out faster and it won't want to go straight down the road. Maximize tire wear and it won't handle so good.
The SSR has a negatie 1/2 degree camber in the front (handles better) which tilts the top of the tire inboard so the inside tread of the tire where it contacts the road takes more load and wear when driving in a straight line. Out it into a corner and the load and wear gets pretty close to even across the tire. Really push it and you 'll start to wear more on the outside edge of the tire.
What does all this mean? The current alignment specs are a good balance between handling and tire wear. To optimize the tire wear the camber should be about zero - just don't try to go around corners like you used to (not recommended). If you are autocrossing or on the track you would likely want at least negative 1 degree camber for the best handling - just be ready to eat up some tires..
Bottom line is to keep the factory spec unless you know what you are doing and why.

Also, another point this bring up is that little bit of rubber on the road is all you have between life and death. Go look at you tires - tread, sidewall, inside sidewall. Check the pressures and adjust as needed. Do this on all your cars. Repeat this every time you get gas or wash it. Teach you tennagers to do this, girls too. The life you save may be your own.

:agree

Good discusion and advice. The Vette tires wear out for the same reason. Stock C5 Z06 alignment is -0.7 degrees of camber up front. I wore out my stock Z06 tires on the inside edge in 3,000 miles.

Now that I race the car, I use over -2.0 degrees of camber, but I spend so much time at the limit of cornering, that the wear on my DOT track tires is pretty even inside to outside.

 

[woohoo]

18,430miles, All four tires are worn in the middle. Not due to overinflation or peeling rubber (much)!!:banghead

 

[houtex]

Weird - my two REAR tires were bald down the center, while the front ones look fine. Took a forum member's advice and bought Toyo's for the rear - kinda handles goofy now - guess I'll have to buy the same for the front.