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Rear tyre wear, outside edge both sides

5K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  The Nun 
#1 ·
Good morning all,

my girlfriends 06 mini cooper convertible has worn the outside edge of her back tyres in probably less than 2000 miles since they were last changed.

The wear is not even, in that the passengers side is a narrower strip and the drivers side is a much wider strip but both incidences are on the outside.

She bought it last June, and a few months later we noticed the issue but assumed the tyres had been close to bald when she bought it (not the sort of thing she would have looked for) so we put some new back tryres on, but in what seems like no time at all and not that many miles the same thing has happened again.

My question is, is this likley to be a simple alignment issue, or a more serious suspension issue?

Looking at the rear wheels, they are noticeably angled so the top of the wheel is further out than the bottom, which i would have thought should be the other way round for the rear of a car?
 
#2 ·
You need the geometry setup correctly before you can make any decisions. This is usually beyond your local tyre fitters, they may say they do but they usually can't to any accuracy.

My Volvo would eat rear tyres, outer edges were destroyed in a few months. Had local garage that specialises in 4 wheel alignment, corner weighting, etc set it up correctly. Cost £70 and it's appetite for tyres has gone.
 
#3 ·
Good morning all,

my girlfriends 06 mini cooper convertible has worn the outside edge of her back tyres in probably less than 2000 miles since they were last changed.

The wear is not even, in that the passengers side is a narrower strip and the drivers side is a much wider strip but both incidences are on the outside.

She bought it last June, and a few months later we noticed the issue but assumed the tyres had been close to bald when she bought it (not the sort of thing she would have looked for) so we put some new back tryres on, but in what seems like no time at all and not that many miles the same thing has happened again.

My question is, is this likley to be a simple alignment issue, or a more serious suspension issue?

Looking at the rear wheels, they are noticeably angled so the top of the wheel is further out than the bottom, which i would have thought should be the other way round for the rear of a car?
You are describing positive camber which will wear out the outer edges (stock is about 1.5 negative camber).
Even so, they shouldn't wear out in 2000 miles unless toe-out or toe-in is also excessive.
If you have aftermarket adjustable control arms on the back, they are not adjusted properly,
if you don't, something is very likely bent in the rear suspension on both sides.
Sounds like toe-in also needs to be adjusted, but no point in doing that until after the camber is correct.
 
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