Hey all

I've been running Eibach 30mm springs for quite some time now on 225/40/R18 alloy wheels, and since the springs went on.

Its only ever done 8-10k on a set of front tyres before its worn the inside shoulders off.

Given now im doing quite a bit of motorway mileage, it seems to be eating them alive.

I've got a new pair of front shocks being fitted on monday as there getting a little tired, but im not expecting it to rectify the problem.

Has anyone else suffered the same problem at all?

Edited 11 December, 201015 yr by Browny_37

You've lowered the car on stiffer springs without re-adjusting the geometry. As a result the car is now running mostly on the inside shoulder and it'll wear out much faster.

You've lowered the car on stiffer springs without re-adjusting the geometry. As a result the car is now running mostly on the inside shoulder and it'll wear out much faster.

Correct, i've had a 4 wheel Geometry setup. I do understand the pricipals of camber adjustment, ackerman, toe in/out, bump steer, caster etc etc

Problem being i dont believe the front camber is adjustable, and I've not heard of anyone else have such problems with lowering the car by 30mm, i could understand a 40-60mm drop would understand it would obliterate the tyres.

I had some new tyres fitted a few months since, and all i've done is drive up and down the M1 a few times a week and across town to get to work.

When over on the Astra Forums, people were lowering there cars 30mm and having no "excessive" front tyre wear on a range of different tyres and wheel sizes.

The only issue they had was that the rear torsion beam needed the hubs packing out with special discs to counter the camber adjustment.

The car has 155k on the clocks now, and i've started to wonder if the shocks are sagging. Like the rears did about 20k since and let the rear of the car drop considerably.

Would be good to hear someones experiences on a 1.9TDI with Eibach 30mm Lowering Springs though.

Edited 11 December, 201015 yr by Browny_37

I have the Eibachs fitted with OE dampers and have covered about 14,000 miles with my Falken FK452s. They still have 4mm left and are wearing evenly with no increased inside wear. My rears tyre are also wearing evenly with no saw toothing.

Many thanks for the input 56OctyVRS

Dont the Eibachs lower the VRS by around 10-15mm or is it 20-25mm?

I would imagine the VRS will be better suited to the lowering springs down to its lower stance already?

I was thinking about it and the thought came to me. Have you checked your front console bushes? If they are worn you would experience excessive tyre wear.

When you say console bushes, i imagine your talking about the ones that support the front and rear of the wishbone?

If so, they were new on at the beginning of last year and i've been experiencing this since i put the springs on sadly, which was before the front arms were replaced with new bushes although not genuine items.

Hopefully the garage will notice something on Monday, as its having the timing belt, front shocks and top mounts changed. Although im hoping the extra gas in the fresh shocks will help hold the front end up a little more.

It seamt to do so when i changed the rear shocks for bilsteins.

I hope, I can get top side of all of the problems im having with it. As i've had one of those rubbish years you have, and in turn neglected the car a little.

I've got a feeling this could get expensive, but I cant afford the car I want.

Which would be one of the newer Mazda 6 Sports.

140bhp 2.0 Diesel and only group 9 compared to the Skuds Basicness and measly 105bhp for a group 8 car, speed isn't what im after. Its not the speed im after anymore, its more the ease of driving and confidence to move out into a busy lane on the M1 and not hold everyone up.

I have the same wear of the inside of front tyres on my rs with eibach and fsd combo... I recently changed the sub frame because it was a crack and I pushed inside the wishbones because there is a little play on the fixing holes but I dont think this will fix the problem, the camber angle is not adjustable on the front ... I am thinking to change the wishbone bushes with superpro ant lift kit and the caster angle will be different after ...maybe will solve the problem...

Mine's a much bigger drop than yours browny and I've had no wear problems at all.

Mine's a much bigger drop than yours browny and I've had no wear problems at all.

What suspension setup do you have Nick?

APs. I reckon they're great value.

I would imagine coilovers allow for front end camber adjustment though?

The new tyres were fitted at the very beginning of November, and are really worn on the insides.

There is probably 2mm left on the insides, im now starting to think that there maybe something seriously wrong with the front suspension. Its going in for work done in the morning, so hopefully they will find the cause.

Edited 13 December, 201015 yr by Browny_37

Has you suspension problem been solved yet?

I would imagine coilovers allow for front end camber adjustment though?

only if you have adjustable top mounts. I jhad coilovers on mine dropped alot lower than the eibachs just as NickP has, I also had aggressive geometry settings but my tyre wear was still fine.

If your car is tearing up its tyres it is nothing to do with the lowering springs, its to do with the alignment.

As you lower the car you will find the camber will increase(but only minimal, not even close enough to make a notable difference in wear) also the toe will change. if for instance your lowered it and the car now toes out more you will tear into your tyres alot quicker than normal.

If you think you are having issues id recommend going to a chassis specialist like centergravity or wheels in motion these are more expensive than your usual run of the mill billy basic 4 wheel alignment. But thats due to the top end chassis alignment equipment they use. Id be pretty confident these will be able to solve your issues

Edited 23 December, 201015 yr by janner_Sy

I have the Eibachs fitted with OE dampers and have covered about 14,000 miles with my Falken FK452s. They still have 4mm left and are wearing evenly with no increased inside wear. My rears tyre are also wearing evenly with no saw toothing.

My vRS is dropped -30mm on Pi Springs, and I have FK452'a all round and have only covered approx 7k, the fronts just scrapped through the MOT 2 weeks ago ! :(

Has you suspension problem been solved yet?

Alot of the banging and knocking has stopped, i think i still need a new drop link for the offside front. Although both were replaced last xmas for genuine parts!

I've had some Enduro 916+ tyres put on the front and im going to monitor the tyre wear now.

I couldn't justify fitting Vredsteins at £120+ each for the possibility they'd get chewed up again, although im quite suprised how well the Enduro's do work, even in these cold icy conditions.

First impressions though, after the new shocks/top mounts and new tyres and the tracking sorted.

It drives very well, long distance driving is alot easier and requires less concentration in the slow lane. Where the car use to dance about between the grooves the trucks have worn into it.

And the ride is a little more suptle, although hit a big enough pot hole or uneven surface and it can leave your teeth clattering.

only if you have adjustable top mounts. I jhad coilovers on mine dropped alot lower than the eibachs just as NickP has, I also had aggressive geometry settings but my tyre wear was still fine.

If your car is tearing up its tyres it is nothing to do with the lowering springs, its to do with the alignment.

As you lower the car you will find the camber will increase(but only minimal, not even close enough to make a notable difference in wear) also the toe will change. if for instance your lowered it and the car now toes out more you will tear into your tyres alot quicker than normal.

If you think you are having issues id recommend going to a chassis specialist like centergravity or wheels in motion these are more expensive than your usual run of the mill billy basic 4 wheel alignment. But thats due to the top end chassis alignment equipment they use. Id be pretty confident these will be able to solve your issues

I've still got the 17" wheels from when i had the normal springs on, and looking at those tyres, theres a uneven wear pattern, but no where as excessive as ive experience on the eibachs.

There on the wear markers on the inside and the outsides may have 2mm to 3mm on them.

I've had the car setup at a local 4 wheel geometry centre, which was a waste of time. As the rear of the car dropped a little after fitting the springs.

Which i thought was the springs settling in, when really it was the shocks that had some how run out of gas and wasn't rebounding. Which left my rear tyres like 50p's in approx 6-8k.

I did have to cut the old eccentric bushes/bolts out as they'd seized and replace the upper and lower rear arms and fasteners for new ones.

The only thing i've noticed is that the rear left wheel sticks out a little further than the right wheel, it doesn't catch on the arch though.

I then had the car set up at Awesome GTI, which was set with 1.8 degrees of negative camber on the rear? Although the tyres aren't wearing perfectly, it does feel locked down and there wearing quite well compared to the set before them. The front end was set at the same time.

But since i've put the springs on its been 4 wheel geo'd at the two facilities, and tracked at a couple of tyre places.

Unfortunately they've still worn every set of front tyres the same even though the car hasn't pulled to either side after getting it back.

This is where i've been a little confused as to what the problem is, unless the track rods and steering arms have got play in them?

Although I did ask the garage to give the car a good going over, whilst it was in for the front shocks/top mounts and timing belt replacing.

They only found excessive play in the nearside drop link. Which was replaced with a genuine item.

Most local tyre dealers will do a 4 wheel alignment & set up based upon the factory figures for the std car. Yours is no longer std .

I always use Powerstation in Cheltenham to sert up my cars, Started using them in my Impreza days & they have since done my lowered & modded Octavia & the lowered 350 zed. http://www.powerstation.org.uk/alignment.asp

They set up a lot of track & race cars so do all their setting from first principles only using manufacturesrs figures as a starting off point. It may pay you to find a similar specialist or make the drive to Cheltenham. I travel up from Hampshire, a bit of a hack but its worth it. On my Mk 1 Octy (KW3's lowered, rebushed, bespoke ARB's etc) they set the c ar up a few times & always tailored to what I wanted, great results & even tyre wear.

Most local tyre dealers will do a 4 wheel alignment & set up based upon the factory figures for the std car. Yours is no longer std .

I always use Powerstation in Cheltenham to sert up my cars, Started using them in my Impreza days & they have since done my lowered & modded Octavia & the lowered 350 zed. http://www.powerstation.org.uk/alignment.asp

They set up a lot of track & race cars so do all their setting from first principles only using manufacturesrs figures as a starting off point. It may pay you to find a similar specialist or make the drive to Cheltenham. I travel up from Hampshire, a bit of a hack but its worth it. On my Mk 1 Octy (KW3's lowered, rebushed, bespoke ARB's etc) they set the c ar up a few times & always tailored to what I wanted, great results & even tyre wear.

I did this by going to Awesome GTI, the car was supposedly set to there sports supsension profile.

Here's a picture of the last Geometry Setup.

mine was running around 1.6 degrees negative camber on the front iirc. although i was lowered more. Your neg camber is 100% fine as are your toe figures. although it was in feb. alot could change in that time.

so i would be leaning towards worn bushes etc

mine was running around 1.6 degrees negative camber on the front iirc. although i was lowered more. Your neg camber is 100% fine as are your toe figures. although it was in feb. alot could change in that time.

so i would be leaning towards worn bushes etc

The front wishbones haven't been on all that long to be honest, the only front suspension components i haven't changed yet is the front ARB bushes, the knuckles, and the track and steering arm rods.

I'm wondering if this doesn't cure it. It could be the arms are worn coming to the knuckles, and have slop in them?

I have noticed that they need heating up everytime i have the tracking done to be able to adjust them though.

Edited 28 December, 201015 yr by Browny_37