Rear Tire Wear

[DSarge]

Hello, nutter noob here.

Im trying to set up the garage for a winter project, prepping the BN2 for shakedown and fluid replacement. While replacing broken exhaust mounts I notice both REAR tires had worn horribly on each outer edge. I have searched your forum as well as others before posting but cannot find a suitable topic. Evverything points to cambers for the front end but nothing for the rear end. Can anyone give me a diagnosis?

 

[elrey]

Did you rotate your tires? Do you corner like a fiend?

 

[HealeyRick]

Pretty strange to have the rear outer edge wearing unless you've been doing some autocrossing. If it's both inner and outer edge, it's underinflation. Unless someone swapped a Jag IRS in there, you've got no camber or toe adjustment. Car ever been in an accident? Any frame damage?

 

[Randy Forbes]

I'm in the "tires were swapped from the front" camp too.

Once a tire starts getting too much of an irregular wear pattern, it's difficult, if not impossible to correct. That's why, if you're rotating tires about the car, they should be done in 3000 - 5000 mile intervals.

If those tires did wear like that from only being on the rear axle, your first winter project should be to check the condition of the axle housing. You could use a plumb-bob to check if the hub flanges (wire wheel adapters removed) are parrallel to each other/perpendicular to the ground (horizontal plane of the axle). You might have a bent housing...

 

[DSarge]

No frame damage. Tires have never been rotated since full restoration, about 5K ago (one of the To Do items on my winter list).

The wear is fairly serious. The tread is down to the indicator on the outer edge. Could the rims need adjusting to true?

 

[HealeyRick]

I'm thinking Randy has the right idea to check the axle housing. While you're under there check your spring mounts, axle hub extensions, etc to be sure everything is snugged up tight.

 

[Randy Forbes]

No frame damage. Tires have never been rotated since full restoration, about 5K ago (one of the To Do items on my winter list).

The wear is fairly serious. The tread is down to the indicator on the outer edge. Could the rims need adjusting to true?

Almost anything loose would sag, and the wear would be on the inner edges of the tires, but not likely on both sides without some very unstable driving!

Can you post up some pictures? Overall shot from the back (low angle, including both tires) and some closer shots of each tire.

I'm still going with my original diagnosis, at least until there's more to go on. Where did this axle come from, and what was the situation prior to restoration?

Edit: before removing the wheels, can you get a camber reading (both sides) and total toe? This certainly justifies a trip to the alignment shop if you don't have the means to check it at home.

 

[Keoke]

Interesting-never heard of that problem before.Check your wheel for distortion

 

[EV2239]

I have if the axle is bent enough to wear the tyres oddly but not enough to stop. Some tyres, once they start wearing unevenly, carry on getting worse.

Ash

 

[DSarge]

She is already up on jacks. If someone can show me the proper link to post a jpeg, I will post them, although I have no idea what you guys are looking for.

 

[DSarge]

Let see if this works...

 

[DSarge]

Ha! Did it!! Does this graduate me from "Noob" status?

 

[Randy Forbes]

All I see is a small box with a red X in it...

... Noob! :wink:

 

[DSarge]

Well, crap.

put her on stands, cant uncover the issue with the rear tires and just as I am writing down parts and develping a game plan, my garage floods with a broken water heater.

Did Lucas produce hot water heaters by chance??