Tracking?

[Chattonmill]

Just got back from the Tyre shop having fitted some Vredestein Extreme to the rears. They pointed out that the fronts although there was 4-5 mm over most of the tyre on the very inside the tread had gone.
Surely if this was the tracking then I would notice the front being extemely light and skittery in the wet?
What else could cause inner wear?
This is on an S211 320cdi

 

[N/B]

Contact with inner arches or suspension/steering components, but not to that degree, surely?

 

[AANDYY]

Cheap option first, get it tracked.
Last year before I bought my first Merc, I had a Mondeo and had the proper 4 wheel goemitry set up £60, well worth it. (not from this lot though)

http://www.kwik-fit.com/changing-tyres.asp

 

[Chattonmill]

There is no contact going on so I am looking at tracking I think.
Does it have to be laser tracked or will the old smoke and mirrors system do?

 

[rf065]

I take it you mean Vredestein Wintrac Extremes? The "cold weather tyre".
Exceptional grip in winter, but you should really use them on the front too.

Russ

 

[Chattonmill]

I only ordered two as I thought the fronts were still good, but I will now order the other two, but dont want to come across the same problem again.

 

[lynall]

Get the tracking checked asap as my fronts were like yours, i went to France came back checked them 3 weeks later and there was a one inch wide band of canvas showing all the way around the insid eof both tyres.

Thats about 1600 miles and from legal to very dangerous.

But after e mailing wheels in motion who says my problem is caster and camber as opposed to just tracking i am going down to see him not that dear either.



Lynall



Lynall

 

[lynall]

See here http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/
I mentioned the mb club in the e-mail not sure if that made a difference on the price but worth a shot



Lynall

 

[AMGeed]

Had the same problem on my E280 front tyres. Plenty of meat apart from the inside inch, down to the canvas. Luckily the wife parked on full lock and I noticed it

Protyre did a full computer generated tracking chart and fix for £29. Not too expensive for getting your tyres ruined within 1500miles.

 

[wheels-inmotion]

"Tracking" is the fast fit terminology for every problem you will have regarding tyre wear or handling.

Tracking in truth is the most inert force/ angle any car has, and unless this is unbelievably wrong will not confine it's damage to such a restricted area on the tyre.

Much greater forces are involved withing the chassis Geometry, namely the camber and castor, both of which won't be mentioned in most fast fit centres due to ignorance or just plain mechanical "line of sight".

For example: Can i belay a nationwide myth fast fit comfortably rests upon, "tracking AKA wheel alignment" cannot make a car pull to one side! The angle is shared between the front wheels albeit right or wrong in it's position and since this angle is symmetrical "however placed" it cannot force the car in any direction.

 

[c240yaz]

Just got back from the Tyre shop having fitted some Vredestein Extreme to the rears. They pointed out that the fronts although there was 4-5 mm over most of the tyre on the very inside the tread had gone.
Surely if this was the tracking then I would notice the front being extemely light and skittery in the wet?
What else could cause inner wear?
This is on an S211 320cdi

Bald on the inside denotes toe out. Which means both wheels, while driving are actually pointing outwards.

If the car has has any track rod ends replaced in the past, or any other steering or suspension joints replaced, it is possible that the rebuild was incorrectly done. Or could the car have hit a nasty pot hole ?

If it were me, I would get get the wheel alignment checked as a first step.