A Painful Reminder To Check Those Wheels/tyres!

[Eli]

So after @BognorMotors fitted my beautiful BBS wheels, they did a 4 wheel alignment, really thorough job which included taking off my ABT snow plough to ensure the alignment was 100% spot on. I'd covered about 8,000 miles when the new wheels were fitted.

I took the van in for a service about 3,000 miles later and the tyres were showing 8mm front l+r and 8.5 rear l+r. So a perfectly set-up alignment, the van drove like a dream with the correct alignment and B14's with H&R arb's and I was very happy indeed.

Fast forward to today, I've now got 20,000 miles on the bus, still driving like a dream, no pulling, no under-steer etc. I was driving through town when I felt the front end feel a little soft, but the tpms didn't suggest anything was wrong (I'll need to get that checked out), but something was definitely wrong so I pulled over and could hear the tyre hissing and assumed I'd run over a nail etc.

I called out Protyre because it was too wet to change the wheel myself (yes, lazy), but also because I spend about £1000 a month with them on tyres for my fleet so it's the least they can do for a good customer. I was on a busy road and needed to bump my van up on the kerb, but with a set of B14's, a low ABT splitter and a flat tyre I managed to prang my nose on the kerb, that's 3 times in 6 months

Protyre turn up, whip off my wheel and it became painfully clear why the tyre was going flat...

The only possible reason for my tracking to go so far off is all these bloody potholes, I hit a huge one last week, maybe that's what caused the issue, but either way in future I'll be checking my inner tyre tread depths a lot more carefully.View attachment 62224 View attachment 62225

You've not VB Air fitted by A & E Leisure have you

 

[Insert Coin]

You've not VB Air fitted by A & E Leisure have you

No dude, just a set of coil-overs, nothing sexy like bags, but very tempted I must say.

I won't be using A&E Leisure by the sounds of it

 

[Shredder]

I think the wheels were just towing out badly for some reason as it wasn't like this last time I had it checked over.

Interesting mate .... so you think the pots holes and road conditions you referred to earlier were ultimately responsible for throwing out if it was right before??

 

[Insert Coin]

Interesting mate .... so you think the pots holes and road conditions you referred to earlier were ultimately responsible for throwing out if it was right before??

I honestly don’t know, both wheels were toe out, they never left Bognor like that, but somewhere along the line they’ve gone way out.

I think I’ll just get it checked every 3 or 4 months in future.

 

[BognorMotors]

With the state of our roads, and running big wheels, and lowered suspension, regular tyre and alignment checks are essential.
The roads aren’t getting any better anytime soon - I just seem to zig zag up the road avoiding potholes.

 

[Insert Coin]

Interesting mate .... so you think the pots holes and road conditions you referred to earlier were ultimately responsible for throwing out if it was right before??

Yeah almost certainly, that wear is so severe that it could only have been like that for a few weeks or the tyres would have popped ages ago.

 

[The Bear78]

Different vehicle but I used to own a Ford Focus ST170. She had about 10000 miles on when I went to the Nurburgring with my wife, did a couple of laps then drove home.
The next week I parked at work and just by chance left the steering on full lock and was quite shocked to see exactly the same wear as that. Both front tyres were worn nice and even across the width of tyre with nothing to hint at what was going on on the inside edge....
Quite scary considering where we had been and luckily didn't go far enough to lose pressure.

 

[DaveD]

With the state of our roads, and running big wheels, and lowered suspension, regular tyre and alignment checks are essential.
The roads aren’t getting any better anytime soon - I just seem to zig zag up the road avoiding potholes.

It's something to think about before going down the path of low profile wide tyres on big rims, and lowered suspension, this sort of damage seems to be more common. Of course Oli is right, the state of the roads isn't going to improve any time soon, but the inconvenience / downtime and cost of regular alignment checks on top of normal servicing isn't something I could put up with. It's not always possible to avoid potholes. Best I stick with 55 profiles and OE suspension!

 

[Shredder]

Yeah almost certainly, that wear is so severe that it could only have been like that for a few weeks or the tyres would have popped ages ago.

Good post dude ... pics definitely drive the point home ! I'll go get mine done / checked again for sure, even though all feels good.

 

[coullstar]

This looks like a toe issue to be honest. I've had this before and that's exactly what it was too much toe out IIRC.

 

[andythom188]

I had the same issue had a tyre go on me it was inside wear just like in the picture.
Thought it might be because of the air suspension but since had it hunter aligned no uneven tyre wear since last june

 

[carlg]

I had a very similar problem on my T5. 1, if its on the passenger side it might of been rubbing on the gear box mount on full lock. I never heard it rubbing.
Vw pointed it out to me when van went in for some work, they refused to test drive it.
Turned out to be wide profile on the kuhmo tyres 275/40

 

[catfood12]

Yeah almost certainly, that wear is so severe that it could only have been like that for a few weeks or the tyres would have popped ages ago.

There are currently some horrific pot holes coming home on the Avenue and outbound on Archway Road past Penn Hill. I have to slalom round them on almost every trip out.

 

[Insert Coin]

There are currently some horrific pot holes coming home on the Avenue and outbound on Archway Road past Penn Hill. I have to slalom round them on almost every trip out.

Agree, Westcliff Road also had two big ones last week that actually got patched within a few days which made a pleasant change.

I'll get mine tracked every 3 or 4 months now, Protyre at Charminster have a Hunter and can now get lowered vans on their ramps.

 

[Lukavell]

The only way is up, with chunky tyres!

Glad you got it sorted and a good one to keep an eye on for these who go low.

Incidentally, apparently there's a bloke been going round Manchester spray painting the shape of a cock around potholes, council seem to be sorting them out quick time!