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b_ron
12-18-2011, 12:12 PM
I made a thread before on my coilovers shifting in height (tein basics). It would still shift; one side would be lower than the other and each side would keep switching off.

ever since then and after my alignment, i've been getting uneven tirewear on the outsides of my rear tires.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k80/lbkiml/EP3/1218111052.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k80/lbkiml/EP3/1218111053.jpg


would it the height of my rear coilovers be the cause of the uneven tire wear? how can i fix this?

keeping off getting new tires until i figure this problem out first.


Thanks

AttarixEp
12-18-2011, 12:22 PM
Choppy tread or worn down more than the inside?

gamma6
12-18-2011, 02:03 PM
not sure on the fix but ive been told that height changes after an alignment can mess up ur alignment, so if ur car is changing heights then it could possibly mess up ur alignments as well...also do u have a camber kit?

MajorJones
12-18-2011, 03:00 PM
not sure on the fix but ive been told that height changes after an alignment can mess up ur alignment, so if ur car is changing heights then it could possibly mess up ur alignments as well...also do u have a camber kit?

This

b_ron
12-18-2011, 03:56 PM
Choppy tread or worn down more than the inside?

choppy tread wear


not sure on the fix but ive been told that height changes after an alignment can mess up ur alignment, so if ur car is changing heights then it could possibly mess up ur alignments as well...also do u have a camber kit?

ah makes sense.
yeah i have a camber kit.

but still dont know why its changing in height.
so the change in height -> messes up alignment -> causing choppy tread wear?

AttarixEp
12-18-2011, 04:42 PM
I would rule out camber since it appears you have negative camber and should see this on the inside edge. Another cause could be the rear toe is toed in too far and your tires are dragging down the road. The third cause could be the tires. Those tires are run on the focus a lot and have the same issues because they bounce around due to lighter weight in the rear on top of miss alignment. Our cars regardless will always cause tire wear. The specs are set up for handling over comfort.

gamma6
12-18-2011, 05:21 PM
I thought the rear didnt have toe adjustment? Id say its ur changrs in height that messes it up cuz each alignment settings are based on the height its at at the time being done... u change height and it changes the geometery...

AttarixEp
12-18-2011, 05:35 PM
I thought the rear didnt have toe adjustment? Id say its ur changrs in height that messes it up cuz each alignment settings are based on the height its at at the time being done... u change height and it changes the geometery...

Rear LCA's have cams at the end of them right next to the wheel. One of my favorite designed cams too, there's no bushing which means the adjuster rarely gets seized. And yes, as the height changes, camber changes. Going more negative as you lower and positive as you raise. Toe for the most part isn't affected unless you drop or raise a car significantly. A couple inches either way wont hurt it.

PatrickJamesYu
12-18-2011, 06:14 PM
I thought the rear didnt have toe adjustment? Id say its ur changrs in height that messes it up cuz each alignment settings are based on the height its at at the time being done... u change height and it changes the geometery...

Lol
It's all there. It's a single bolt.
You can't adjust camber.

But, choppy wear or feathering is from toe.
Playing with your ride height can easily knock your alignment off

AttarixEp
12-18-2011, 06:23 PM
Lol
It's all there. It's a single bolt.
You can't adjust camber.

But, choppy wear or feathering is from toe.
Playing with your ride height can easily knock your alignment off

Yep! Look at older focuses. They blow through tires on the rear all the time because of toe issues.

b_ron
12-18-2011, 11:22 PM
but how much drop can throw off the toe?

the changes in height is around 1/8" max

which brings back the original problem of why the height keeps shifting :/

PatrickJamesYu
12-19-2011, 12:17 AM
but how much drop can throw off the toe?

the changes in height is around 1/8" max

which brings back the original problem of why the height keeps shifting :/

In theory any change in height will change toe.
Realistically, I believe that theory stays the same.
But your height shouldn't be changing.. that's odd.

b_ron
12-20-2011, 04:37 PM
what are the chances of the shell actually warping or flexing in the back causing the change in height?
just throwing something out there :P

gtolio
12-20-2011, 05:22 PM
but how much drop can throw off the toe?

the changes in height is around 1/8" max

which brings back the original problem of why the height keeps shifting :/

I'm curious how you even noticed such a small change.

mitchlikesbikes
12-20-2011, 05:27 PM
I'm curious how you even noticed such a small change.

me too. did you add or remove any weight or use very much gas in between measurements? a shift that small could be caused by a lot of miniscule things.

PatrickJamesYu
12-20-2011, 10:48 PM
I'm curious how you even noticed such a small change.

Yeah
What about the location of your car
condition of road.
Inclines, dips, all that.

nowhales
12-21-2011, 12:46 AM
wow, i just found out i had the same exact problem today. i kept getting this constant droning noise from the back tires and i didn't come around to inspect it today and the wear on my tires is the same. alignment right after i drop it on some teins!

b_ron
12-21-2011, 10:12 PM
I'm curious how you even noticed such a small change.

everyday when i get to work, i park in the same spot. i'll stick my middle finger between the tire and fender.
when its too low my middle knuckle of the finger wont go through. when its higher or normal (or whatever) it'll slip through no problem

AttarixEp
12-21-2011, 10:15 PM
everyday when i get to work, i park in the same spot. i'll stick my middle finger between the tire and fender.
when its too low my middle knuckle of the finger wont go through. when its higher or normal (or whatever) it'll slip through no problem

I've never dealt with tein's. I've run into problems where the springs rotate and shift on the bottom mounts on other combos. I could see how if this is possible on your tein's, it could cause the height shift.

gtolio
12-21-2011, 10:16 PM
everyday when i get to work, i park in the same spot. i'll stick my middle finger between the tire and fender.
when its too low my middle knuckle of the finger wont go through. when its higher or normal (or whatever) it'll slip through no problem

That doesn't sound like enough to make a noticeable difference in your alignment just by itself, unless the alignment is changing and that's what you're seeing.

AttarixEp
12-21-2011, 10:22 PM
That's not enough to make a noticeable difference in your alignment just by itself.

Exactly. Consider the following. Lowered, probably out of spec camber(tolerance is .5* +- of -1.50*, which is pretty decent negative camber from factory) upgraded suspension, and low pro tires. When I lowered mine, my rear camber specs were -2.50* on the right, and -2.90* on the left. I chewed up my tires. Even with a camber kit set to spec, my brand new tires were showing wear. It's a balance between ride comfort and performance. Your specs will not be the same as a luxury cadillac.

b_ron
12-23-2011, 12:23 PM
it shouldn't massively chew up my tires right? i drive 60 miles everyday for work. as long as it doesnt have a big downside, i'm okay with it for now.


Rear Left alignment:
Before: -0.8 camber (specified range -1.6 to -0.1), 0.34 toe (specified range 0.04 to 0.16)
After: -0.7 camber, 0.07 toe

Rear Right alignment:
Before: -1.7 camber, 0.42 toe
After: -1.6 camber, 0.11 toe

they did make it within the range of the factory specs i guess, but still not as close as i thought they would make it. not sure if this would cause the tread wear.
now that i think about it, i think the choppy tread wear was there before i took it to alignment

AttarixEp
12-23-2011, 01:02 PM
I used to do about 50 a day. And over 100 miles 2-3 times a week on top of normal driving. After about 6 months the rears started showing choppy wear. After they got bad I rotated tires to the other side to wear the other edge.