W211 shocking front tyre wear

[CamThomson]

Hi All,
I've just taken the car in to get 4 wheel alignment and set of new rear michellin cross climates. Indi said I require new front tyres also. I have the MB recommended Pirelli tyres on the front (which I know aren't popular) but they've only done 5k miles and the extreme inner edge of them is almost through to the wire, while the outer edge is still like a new tyre 7mm. I had the tracking checked again with one of the 4D laser tracking devices and apparently its smack on. Indi confirmed suspension, and bushes all looks good to. I have found a thread somewhere that suggests this is quite common but there doesn't seem to be a proper solution on offer. I almost want to ask them to ignore the machine and correct the toe alignment by overcompensating? This may cause other issues though. Have any of you guys had something similar and found the answer? Reluctant to put premium tyres on the front if they're only going to last 6 months! Please help cheers

 

[W1ghty]

What mileage is the car on buddy ?
When you say indi , do you mean MB specialist or Independent general garage ?
When did this problem develop ?
How long did the set of tyres before this set wear ?(or have you just bought the car )

 

[CamThomson]

What mileage is the car on buddy ?
When you say indi , do you mean MB specialist or Independent general garage ?
When did this problem develop ?
How long did the set of tyres before this set wear ?(or have you just bought the car )

Thanks for reply,
Just clocked 100k,
MB indi specialist,
Tyres were on the car when I bought it. They were pretty much new. Had it for 11 months and feels great and fun's without fault. Have receipts for every nut and bolt from MB and MB indi.

 

[markjay]

I don't know what the issue is, but I don't think that having the tyre worn to the wires on one side, and 7mm on the other side, is common (or acceptable) on any car model.....

I suggest 4-wheels full-geometry (including thrust) alignment on a Hunter machine, not just front wheel tracking.

Also, fitting all-weather tyres at the rear and summer(?) tyres at the front isn't illegal, but it's far from optimal.

 

[W1ghty]

Thanks for reply,
Just clocked 100k,
MB indi specialist,
Tyres were on the car when I bought it. They were pretty much new. Had it for 11 months and feels great and fun's without fault. Have receipts for every nut and bolt from MB and MB indi.

Something must be out of alignment or worn but I can’t offer any wisdom there .
Have you been driving over a lot of speed humps ?? If this might affect it .

 

[CamThomson]

I don't know what the issue is, but I don't think that having the tyre worn to the wires on one side, and 7mm on the other side, is common (or acceptable) on any car model.....

I suggest 4-wheels full-geometry (including thrust) alignment on a Hunter machine, not just front wheel tracking.

Also, fitting all-weather tyres at the rear and summer(?) tyres at the front isn't illegal, but it's far from optimal.

Thanks for taking time to respond.
Absolutely agree. I've got it booked in at a wheel genie place near me tomorrow for further investigation.

Point taken. I just put 2 cross climates on the rear because I couldn't afford 4!! I'll wait to see the outcome of tomorrow before biting the bullet and putting another 2 on the front.

Cheers bud

I don't know what the issue is, but I don't think that having the tyre worn to the wires on one side, and 7mm on the other side, is common (or acceptable) on any car model.....

I suggest 4-wheels full-geometry (including thrust) alignment on a Hunter machine, not just front wheel tracking.

Also, fitting all-weather tyres at the rear and summer(?) tyres at the front isn't illegal, but it's far from optimal.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Alfas (certain models like the 159, Brera ) are known for doing just this. After getting a geometry expert (Peter at PCA Dynamics....now unfortunately deceased) to look at it they concluded that the factory setting were putting far to much emphasis on handling at the expense of tyre wear. Way too much toe out from the factory was causing the issues.....but of course most Hunter users wont stray from the factory numbers. Setting the toe to zero (i preferred just a hint of toe out to sharpen the steering) pretty much completely cured the inner edge tyre wear problem. And anyone who knows now gets their ALFA set to PCA setting. Just proves that the factory don't always know best. This might not be the issue in your case or there would be many more people with the same issue......but the eye of an expert might spot the issue.

 

[CamThomson]

Something must be out of alignment or worn but I can’t offer any wisdom there .
Have you been driving over a lot of speed humps ?? If this might affect it .

No humps but I do a fair bit of B road driving in the middle of Scotland

 

[MSG2004]

Hello
How long have you had the car? The reason I ask is that it could have had a knock before you got hold of it
Check the MOT's, may show advisories etc re any tyre, suspension part problems.

Then get the suspension checked inc steering and if all is well, go with wheel alignment company that uses a Hunter machine and read their reviews before you take it there.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

This happens when genuine suspension arms are replaced with cheaper copies , the w211 is it's own worst enemy tbh. The front suspension is over engineered compared to other marques. The number of ball joints and rubber bushes is ridiculous. Anyone failing seems to cause knocking and premature edge wear on tyres , it's also signs of previous crash damage .

 

[CamThomson]

So just an update on the tyre wear. I have replaced the front tyres. The front suspension was inspected again and it's all looking fresh, bushes, shocks, arms, even bearings are all good and from receipts looks like MB have done all the work. The garage that did the tracking have a brand new fancy 4D tracking system and they seemed to be aware of the intricacies and complexity of the W211 front geometry. They dialed it in and printed off the reading for me. Took it for a run and it's a dream. No pulling in either direction, no shudder through the car or vibration at all. Silence!! I'm going to keep an eye on the tyres though. Thanks again for all you're suggestions to this post.

 

[rf065]

and from receipts looks like MB have done all the work.

I had the same problem on my old CLK, 2 front Michelins worn to the canvas/wires on the inside edges with 7mm tread on the rest of the tyre. This was 6 months after Mercedes dealer replaced some of the front suspension ball joints. Would never trust Mercedes to adjust tracking ever again, because after working on the suspension they obviously don't even try.

 

[W1ghty]

So just an update on the tyre wear. I have replaced the front tyres. The front suspension was inspected again and it's all looking fresh, bushes, shocks, arms, even bearings are all good and from receipts looks like MB have done all the work. The garage that did the tracking have a brand new fancy 4D tracking system and they seemed to be aware of the intricacies and complexity of the W211 front geometry. They dialed it in and printed off the reading for me. Took it for a run and it's a dream. No pulling in either direction, no shudder through the car or vibration at all. Silence!! I'm going to keep an eye on the tyres though. Thanks again for all you're suggestions to this post.

What’s the garage name buddy ?
For other Scots members .

 

[kcsun]

Alfas (certain models like the 159, Brera ) are known for doing just this. After getting a geometry expert (Peter at PCA Dynamics....now unfortunately deceased) to look at it they concluded that the factory setting were putting far to much emphasis on handling at the expense of tyre wear. Way too much toe out from the factory was causing the issues.....but of course most Hunter users wont stray from the factory numbers. Setting the toe to zero (i preferred just a hint of toe out to sharpen the steering) pretty much completely cured the inner edge tyre wear problem. And anyone who knows now gets their ALFA set to PCA setting. Just proves that the factory don't always know best. This might not be the issue in your case or there would be many more people with the same issue......but the eye of an expert might spot the issue.

My SL63 had the same issue and I chatted with the tyre fitter as two new fronts were being fitted. According to him and AlfaItalia lots of cars now have this issue all citing better road handling at the expense of tyres. Mine were also "perfectly" aligned according to spec but inside edges down to the wire ggrrr. The majority of people do not wish to drive as if they are on a track all the time at a additional cost of £200 a corner every 5000 miles
kc

 

[CamThomson]

What’s the garage name buddy ?
For other Scots members .

The Garage is Boyds motor engineers. They were finalists for the "Top Garage Awards" last week so not sure how they got on. Believe they are building a nice new unit also near Lanark.

Ford and VAG Car Service, Repairs & MOT in Lanark from Boyd's Motor Engineers - 01555 663601

Call 01555 663601 for Ford and VAG Car Service, Repairs & MOT in Lanark from Boyd's Motor Engineers

boydsmotorengineers.co.uk

What’s the garage name buddy ?
For other Scots members .