Obscure tyre wear

[Nathanio]

Car has been in for its MOT today and had an advisory for inner tyre wear. I was expecting the usual across the shoulder but this seems a bit odd to me. 

 

Both are the same, inner shoulder but a very tight bit of it is worn. It almost looks like rubbing but can't see on what. Wear is even across the entire tread otherwise. 

 

14,000 miles old and under a year old. 

[Jeeves]

Do you straddle speed bumps regularly?  Better to get tyres one one side to go over the middle if traffic permits. It's less comfortable but less wearing on the tyres, particularly the inside shoulders. 

[Nathanio]

8 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Do you straddle speed bumps regularly?  Better to get tyres one one side to go over the middle if traffic permits. It's less comfortable but less wearing on the tyres, particularly the inside shoulders. 

 

 

Nope. Only speed bumps are at work and they are full width. 

 

I do have 21 (or maybe 23) roundabouts on my journey to work. I was wondering last night of the tyre is folding under cornering load and allowing that inner edge to scrub. I know these have a soft tyrewall so maybe it isn't quite enough pressure. But then wouldn't you expect the outer shoulder to look the same too?

[Bud]

Looks like inner edge scrub from the roundabouts. Once killed a set of fronts on a Mondeo diesel, very heavy front, in about 10K miles whilst living around Telford many  roundabouts and front end pushing caused the wear.

 

 

[KenONeill]

@Nathanio @Bud - I've seen heavy LHF edge wear from "enthusiastically taken roundabouts" before too, but my experience has always been that it's the outside edge of the tyre that wears.

 

There weren't any advisories for front suspension bushes or ball joints being worn?

[Nathanio]

Thanks all. I've upped the front PSI to 36 (rears are at 36PSI and not got this wear characteristic). Was at 31.5/32PSI (left and right) so a little low. The F1A3 is known for soft sidewalls and so wondering if folding under load. Not sure why the outer edges wouldn't have corresponding wear. 

 

Will contact GY direct on advise of their Facebook peeps. 

[petrolbloke]

When did you last get the alignment checked? Toe out would cause the inside edges to wear like that.

[octyal]

50 minutes ago, vrsTom said:

When did you last get the alignment checked? Toe out would cause the inside edges to wear like that.

 

That was my first thought, except to wear to that degree, I doubt they would have lasted 14k miles

[petrolbloke]

9 minutes ago, octyal said:

 

That was my first thought, except to wear to that degree, I doubt they would have lasted 14k miles

 

Depends how much it was out by as well.

 

My last pair of front tyres were both worn on the inside edges which I put down to the tracking being out. Not sure how long it was out for but they lasted 15k+ miles in total.

 

The other possibility is worn suspension bushes which could cause the front wheels to toe out under braking, but the tracking is where I'd be looking at first.

[Nathanio]

Thanks to all for more input. Here are a few more pictures of the tyres in perspective of the tyre on the ground. As you can see the wear is not in normal contact with the road

 

 

This is why I think the tyre must be folding over during cornering rather than tracking being out. Otherwise I would have expected more wear from the shoulder to the first channel (from right to left). 

 

 

As a side note - must degrass the drive!

[Gaz]

On 8/9/2017 at 11:45, vrsTom said:

When did you last get the alignment checked? Toe out would cause the inside edges to wear like that.

 

That, and with the slight under inflation on a known to be soft tyre wall would be my guess too.

 

Gaz

[camelspyyder]

In my experience a heavy diesel motor = limited front tyre life.

 

I had this with another brand of car from new.  All new suspension, correctly aligned -  but about 12-15000 miles per tyre set and the inside shoulders were looking like yours. never cured it in 100000+ miles. After 3 years old it became more of an issue at MOT's, but everything from Michelins to "DITCHFINDERS" did the same.

 

GYF1A3 is a Max Performance summer tyre though.  Maybe something different from a Premium Touring range would better suit your diesel estate car?

 

Writers on tyrereviews.co.uk often express concern about the wear rate on this tyre too.

 

 

 

 

Edited 13 August, 2017 by camelspyyder

[petrolbloke]

On 8/11/2017 at 10:42, Nathanio said:

Thanks to all for more input. Here are a few more pictures of the tyres in perspective of the tyre on the ground. As you can see the wear is not in normal contact with the road.

 

It looks like your steering is turned for those photos. The kingpin angle might make it look like the inside edge of the tyre isn't in contact with the ground, but it would be different with the wheels pointed straight ahead.

 

On 8/12/2017 at 11:07, V6TDI said:

 

That, and with the slight under inflation on a known to be soft tyre wall would be my guess too.

 

Gaz

 

I don't think sidewall stiffness will have anything to do with it. If it was under inflation you'd expect the outside edge to be worn excessively as well.