Tires: Problem

[StarsFan4Life]

This time last year I purchased my wife a brand new set of Goodyear tires. She told me (the two times I asked her to take her car in) to have her tires rotated and balanced, she said she did. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't...maybe the tire shop didn't properly do their part....we now have two tires that have an over inflation wear pattern on them like the ones here:

http://www.procarcare.com/incl...25/25readtirewear.html

Now, our tires are NOT this bad, but the road noise is absolutely HORRID! Are we screwed on these tires now and have to purchase new ones, or can I properly inflate/set these tires to wear back to normal? These tires don't have but 10-12k miles on them.

 

[Vette73]

Show a real pic of your tire, without that everybody will be guessing.


But in general the front tires should have about 2-4psi more then the rear. And if the majority of your driving is done at highspeeds for long periods then you need to reduce all tire pressure a little as the tires will get hot and the pressure will increase.

 

[brblx]

overinflation wears out the center of the tire treads. it's generally more common with low profile and/or wide tires, more common sizes on commuter cars aren't quite as sensitive. if you found the pressure to be far too high, setting them back to factory spec might help wear the edges.

that kind of wear shouldn't cause noise, though, besides the tires getting a little louder as the tread wears off (normal). if the tires are roaring, i would bet you have some of what that page calls feathering or cupping. run your hand over the tire (especially at the inside edge) and see if it feels smooth. you'll likely feel some unevenness between the tread blocks. this is caused by alignment issues and/or a lack of rotation. certain cars seem to be prone to wearing tires this way, especially on the rear, despite the alignment being within spec (ford focuses come to mind). if this is the case, there's really nothing you can do but replace them.

is this all four tires? got a camera?

 

[StarsFan4Life]

I am at work but will try to get some pics tonight. This is a 2006 Honda Civic 4 door.

 

[StarsFan4Life]

On a wheel alignment for a 2006 Honda Civic, do I need to do all four wheels or just the back two/front two?

 

[brblx]

four wheel. front and rear toe is adjustable, rear camber may be, as well. front camber is probably adjustable at the strut, but most places want you to buy a kit for that (strut bolts with an eccentric).

again, though, it may not be an issue at all. depends on exactly the type of wear you have and if the tires have been rotated. if the same tires have been on the front for 10k, i'd expect them to be around half tread (5-7/32nds, maybe) and the rears significantly less worn.

 

[StarsFan4Life]

I am picking up a 2 ton jack on my way home and will take them all off tonight and check them out. Pictures will be up....and again, I appreciate your help!

 

[brblx]

there's really no need to take the wheels off. just look at (and feel- often more important) the tires.

 

[StarsFan4Life]

If you guys want pics I need to.

 

[thomsbrain]

Make sure the tires are inflated to the car's specs on the sticker in the driver's side door jam, not to the "max" listed on the tire sidewall.

 

[yelo333]

You sure it's not inner edge tire wear? There's a TSB about it (they replace the control arms & realign):

The TSB is number a08-001, and can be found in the "All TSBs ... ZIP file" from this page

Here is a thread about it, lots of misinformation, though: 8thcivic.com - TSB for Rear Camber Problem: 08-001

Road noise is one of the symptoms...

 

[Kntx]

Not to hijack, but how often should you get your wheels balanced? The last set of tires I had on for two years and never balanced the wheels in that time. I want to rotate the wheels before winter, should I balance at the same time? Tires have been on about a year.

 

[StarsFan4Life]

Originally posted by: yelo333
You sure it's not inner edge tire wear? There's a TSB about it (they replace the control arms & realign):

The TSB is number a08-001, and can be found in the "All TSBs ... ZIP file" from this page

Here is a thread about it, lots of misinformation, though: 8thcivic.com - TSB for Rear Camber Problem: 08-001

Road noise is one of the symptoms...

You are AWESOME. I will check into this. Now, the car has 66k miles on it, we just bought it from the dealership after our lease was up (she was 18k miles over) and we never really had anything repaired under warranty. We did have the rear bearing problem looked at, but that was it. Will Honda dealerships still fix this issue for free? Can I take it to any Honda dealership or only to the dealership we bought it from?

 

[yelo333]

Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life

Originally posted by: yelo333
You sure it's not inner edge tire wear? There's a TSB about it (they replace the control arms & realign):

The TSB is number a08-001, and can be found in the "All TSBs ... ZIP file" from this page

Here is a thread about it, lots of misinformation, though: 8thcivic.com - TSB for Rear Camber Problem: 08-001

Road noise is one of the symptoms...

You are AWESOME. I will check into this. Now, the car has 66k miles on it, we just bought it from the dealership after our lease was up (she was 18k miles over) and we never really had anything repaired under warranty. We did have the rear bearing problem looked at, but that was it. Will Honda dealerships still fix this issue for free? Can I take it to any Honda dealership or only to the dealership we bought it from?

Someone else with more experience will have to chime in on this, but I think the answer is they _might_. A TSB is not a safety issue, just instructions so the dealer knows what to do when they see the problem, so they don't have to fix it for you. I would imagine there have been cases where it has been done.

Personally, I would take it to all the dealerships around until you find one that will do it. (Mention your symptoms, especially the ones listed in the TSB and see if they know about it. If not, mention the TSB number to them.) Failing that, you can try calling Honda America (I think it's 1-800-999-1009) and open a ticket with them. They may be willing to do it as a good will gesture, or whatever they call it...Just make some noise until they tell you OK.

 

[StarsFan4Life]

If the car is still under warranty, then they should fix it for free. The question is, am I still under warranty....I can't remember that info!

 

[StarsFan4Life]

Tires are fine.....just a bit of a feathering wear pattern, not the over inflation wear pattern. Should fix itself in a month or two of driving, correct? All tread looks good and deep.