So the console bushes have finally been diagnosed as defective and are to be replaced (at 70,000 miles).

Around 30,000 miles ago, I asked the servicing garage to check the bushes as there was occasional creaking from under the floor and the tyre wear pattern had changed.

My question, would the bushes starting to go have been likely to lead to accelerated tyre wear?

Chris

when my bushes went, (60,000miles) it wore the inside edge of the tyres out more... (quite alot on the very inside edge of the offside tyre....

note: did you manage to get them under warranty? or are you having to pay....

yes , is the simple answer , the softer the rubber goes in the bush with the suspension movement and in some cases the bush splits , this will allow the wheel more movement back and forth , therefore altering the track = increased tyre wear

did you have the Seat Cupra bushes fitted ? these will stop almost all movment back and forth but still allow the twisting movement for the suspension to operate corractly

I expected increased tyre wear but did not know how much. Almost every car that has this layout will suffer from feathering of the tyre due to toe changes under load. I am suffering from both inner and outer edge wear.

The problem started to be a little noticeable around 25,000 miles ago.

The garage reckoned it would be on warranty when they checked it out last week and have not contacted me to say otherwise. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Unfortunately, because they are on warranty, the garage can only fit approved Skoda parts. If they go again I shall get powerflex or similar to replace.

Chris

let us know what happened, they flatly refused to do mine, in exactly the same circumstances..... if the do yours I'd like some details, so I can attack SUK again!

the whole thing caused me to change brands, and specifically ask fiat CS what would happen with a similar warrenty claim before I bought, and they will replace suspension no matter what the miles as long as its under warrenty (they said!)

SUK really sucked with their attitude...

Thinking about it, this is exactly what happened to me. My tyre actually gave way and deformed (see link for pic). I am running eiback springs with standard shocks and bushes. I have only done 17k miles but this could possibly accelerate wear???

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/fabia/vibration-help/82717/

I have just bought new alloys with new tyres so am hoping I can avoid this problem again. The pic is of the near side front tyre with the drivers side also having considerable wear in the inner side of the tyre.

I would guess wear on the inside and outside of the tyre is underinflation??

Could you confirm the seat bush no. and I may well go and get these changed!!

All the best.

let us know what happened, they flatly refused to do mine, in exactly the same circumstances..... if the do yours I'd like some details, so I can attack SUK again!

the whole thing caused me to change brands, and specifically ask fiat CS what would happen with a similar warrenty claim before I bought, and they will replace suspension no matter what the miles as long as its under warrenty (they said!)

SUK really sucked with their attitude...

Will let you know how it goes. In the first instance, the garage just ok'd it with no prompting from me (Hayes at Little Clacton). I wonder if in your case the garage did not ok it and SUK were just backing them up? Possibly SUK keep tabs on per car warranty work and figured the gearbox replacement was already as far as they wanted to go for your car? Wrong I know, but possible. Knowing my luck, I will turn up at the dealers to be told I will be charged for the job.

If it is not done under warranty I would change brands next car as well.

Chris

Thinking about it, this is exactly what happened to me. My tyre actually gave way and deformed (see link for pic). I am running eiback springs with standard shocks and bushes. I have only done 17k miles but this could possibly accelerate wear???

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/fabia/vibration-help/82717/

I have just bought new alloys with new tyres so am hoping I can avoid this problem again. The pic is of the near side front tyre with the drivers side also having considerable wear in the inner side of the tyre.

I doubt the control arm bushes would cause that level of problem on their own, however, combined with incorrect offset wheels, you can get oscillation set up through the front suspension which left unchecked could cause what you see. Also possibly just very cheap and nasty tyres. What were they?

I would guess wear on the inside and outside of the tyre is underinflation??

Instruction car, pressures checked daily.

Could you confirm the seat bush no. and I may well go and get these changed!!

The dealers told me that fitting bushes into the consoles was difficult as the plastic surround can disintegrate as the bush is pressed in. I have read on here that it is a job that can be done with the correct tooling.

Chris

I doubt the control arm bushes would cause that level of problem on their own, however, combined with incorrect offset wheels, you can get oscillation set up through the front suspension which left unchecked could cause what you see. Also possibly just very cheap and nasty tyres. What were they?

Instruction car, pressures checked daily.

The dealers told me that fitting bushes into the consoles was difficult as the plastic surround can disintegrate as the bush is pressed in. I have read on here that it is a job that can be done with the correct tooling.

Chris

I believe they were "Tornados" running on Boss XL 600s.

I'm thinking of taking the old wheel/tyre to a garage with the other front one to show them and see if they can suggest any changes that need to be made to steering etc.

Could you confirm the seat bush no. and I may well go and get these changed!!

All the best.

should ask you to do a search , but hey i'm being generous tonight , P/N 6LL 407 183 , Seat Ibiza Cupra console bush

I believe they were "Tornados" running on Boss XL 600s.

I'm thinking of taking the old wheel/tyre to a garage with the other front one to show them and see if they can suggest any changes that need to be made to steering etc.

If you have that level of distortion to both edges of the tyres, it is not just a geometry error. Too much toe in wears the outer edges, too much toe out the inner edges, but normally evenly around the circumference of the tyre.

That sort of damage may be caused by a completely knackered strut, but the handling and patter would be dire if it were that bad. If the offset of the wheels were a very long way out, you can get a situation where the wheels splay (the centre of the contact patch is too far outside the steering axis) and then as the tyres move past the limit of adhesion, or go over a bump, or the bodyshell / other tyre on the opposite axle unloads / loads, that allows the splay load to release, they spring back, the whole system repeats itself causing vibration or wobble.

It could simply be the tyres were not up to the job. Remember the vRS has a big heavy lump up front requiring a high load index. Tyres that are not rated to a high enough load may simply have given up.

The handling must have been diabolical?

Chris