jeffro Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Had a flat tire on the way into work this morning. Happy Friday. Have a few questions as follows. 1. What would cause a tire to wear on the inside like this? [see exhibit A.] I had an alignment done when i got the car and the tires last year. The previous tires i had on it did the same thing and thought the alignment would fix it. Could it have come out of alignment? Both front tires are doing the same thing while the rears are fine. 2. Since my quattro is obviously AWD, would it be a terrible idea to just replace two of the tires? IE both fronts? I have heard from unconfirmed sources that tire tread depths all have to be the same. Four new tires probably aren't going to be financially possible at this time but i need to come up with something asap. I supposed i could go see Steve in the hood. The full size spare i have on right now is pretty wore and wont last long. 3. The spare i have is a tiny bit narrower than the other 3. Its a 235 while the rest are 245s. How much time do i have before the differential blows? [Exhibit A] http://i.imgur.com/vD5uirA.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKilbourne Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 I would take that back to whoever did the alignment....wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeesammy Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 1. Improper alignment. Yes, obviously they come out of alignment or they would never need aligned after the factory. 2. I'd do all four or get a diameter almost identical to where yours are now. 3. That's not really possible to answer. It won't blow up but it will definitely play games with the wear on it. Looking at the pic again it almost looks like someone was drunk doing that alignment. Or left a jam nut loose or had no clue what they are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwohio Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Looks like a combination of a little negative camber and way to much toe one way or the other, where you are essentially 'dragging' the inside of your tire down the road. It's fine just to replace the two tires, just know that you may get more understeer/oversteer when wet/snowing depending on where the two new tires are placed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Is this on your audi and is it lowered? with audi's (or at least my wifes which is lowered) you run to the end of the adjustment pretty quick if the car is lowered and you have to get adjustment plates to really get a good alignment. If it is stock ride height, then I don't know - maybe a bad alignment. It's no wonder that tire failed though, you are past the wear bars on it on the outside and beginning to have a tread separation, see that small patch where the chords are sticking out? That's a tread separation. you are lucky it went flat before you had a full on seperation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffro Posted December 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Is this on your audi and is it lowered? with audi's (or at least my wifes which is lowered) you run to the end of the adjustment pretty quick if the car is lowered and you have to get adjustment plates to really get a good alignment. If it is stock ride height, then I don't know - maybe a bad alignment. It's no wonder that tire failed though, you are past the wear bars on it on the outside and beginning to have a tread separation, see that small patch where the chords are sticking out? That's a tread separation. you are lucky it went flat before you had a full on seperation. As far as i know, the car does not have an after market suspension. However, the struts are shot and don't really do anything anymore causing the car to sit lower. Perhaps this could be the root of my problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwashmycar Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 That happened to me once...ended up burning through a pair of new BFGs on my Foxbody. Thought I could run it lowered for a minute until alignment. Turns out I desperately needed camber plates to get the amount necessary to keep the tires properly aligned Blown struts would be more apt to create uneven wear in a pattern, and they dont hold the car up, the springs do, so even if they are shot, they shouldnt really make the tire wear that way exclusively. Different size tires are not going to blow your diffs. A cars tires spin at different speeds and distances all the time just by turning more one way than the other ect ect. The only downside is safety and different amounts of grip and traction typically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffro Posted December 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 That happened to me once...ended up burning through a pair of new BFGs on my Foxbody. Thought I could run it lowered for a minute until alignment. Turns out I desperately needed camber plates to get the amount necessary to keep the tires properly aligned Blown struts would be more apt to create uneven wear in a pattern, and they dont hold the car up, the springs do, so even if they are shot, they shouldnt really make the tire wear that way exclusively. Different size tires are not going to blow your diffs. A cars tires spin at different speeds and distances all the time just by turning more one way than the other ect ect. The only downside is safety and different amounts of grip and traction typically. Pretty much the same thing i read when researching it this morning. It appears that the quattro diffs wont fuss so long as tires on the same axle are the same. I also read that if youre only going to do two, to put the new ones on the rear because if you dont, the rotational speeds can cause the car to spin out when turning or during icy conditions. Looks like its not time to hunt down 2 tires, then get another alignment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBQdDude Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 On question 2 a lot of places will shave the new two tires to match the tread depth of the remaining two old tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 I now for a fact that different size tires on a Subaru will hurt the drivetrain, supposed to be with 3/32nds iirc. I would expect an AWD german car to be the same. Might want to find a Vag tech and ask him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwashmycar Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 On question 2 a lot of places will shave the new two tires to match the tread depth of the remaining two old tires. Or a big smokey burnout! :fuckyeah: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farkas Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Bad struts, balljoints, tie rods, control arm bushings, misalignment, etc.. Just becauss you had an alignment doesn't mean it'll stay, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Bastard Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Bad struts, balljoints, tie rods, control arm bushings, misalignment, etc.. Just becauss you had an alignment doesn't mean it'll stay, either. This is what I was thinking. How long ago did you have the alignment done and when is the last time you checked everything Farkas mentioned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffro Posted December 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 This is what I was thinking. How long ago did you have the alignment done and when is the last time you checked everything Farkas mentioned? Alignment was done approx july of last year (2013). As for everything else: struts, yes they're bad. Balljoints, seem okay the rest, never Actually, after a second inspection the rear tires have that same uneven Treadware on it. Has to be related to the struts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 The jeffro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstmg8 Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 No way an alignment can be trusted on Columbus roads for a yr+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE-O Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 (edited) Audi alignment specs also probably have some added chamber, this is why you should keep your tires rotated as well. Bmws will wear the same also. And Audi calls for no more Han 4/32nds difference in depth or like Subaru it will cause damage over time. See this often with euro cars, some so bad it will wear the edges of the belt line and cause a very hard edge on the inside about 1/4 inch around the tire where the belt can pierce right through Triple such as this http://www.passatworld.com/forums/anything-auto/339667-inner-tire-tread-worn-out-no-worn-off-pics.html Edited December 20, 2014 by nurkvinny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfunnyryan Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 too many fat chicks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffro Posted December 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 too many fat chicks I only date Kate uptons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurkvinny Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 I only date Kate uptons http://images.thehollywoodgossip.com/iu/t_full/v1364527588/kate-upton-no-makeup.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboRust Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 camber wear cause you own a euro sports sedan that they say ..ehhhh meh german... shift the whole subframe to equalize camber.. no need for individual adjustment. and no I wouldnt mix and match tires. I own a 2wd...awd jeep because previous owners thought it was ok to replace just 2 tires at a time. from tire rack The ability of four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles to divide the engine's horsepower between its four tires is especially useful on loose or slippery surfaces such as sand and dirt, as well as on wet, icy or snow-covered roads. However it's important to remember that in order to transfer this extra power, the four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicle's driveline mechanically connects the tires so they work in unison. Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles are equipped with additional differentials and/or viscous couplings that are designed to allow momentary differences in wheel speeds when the vehicle turns a corner or temporarily spins a tire. However, if the differentials or viscous couplings are forced to operate 100% of the time because of mismatched tires, they will experience excessive heat and unwarranted wear until they fail. This necessitates that four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles use tires that are very closely matched. This is because different diameter tires roll a different number of times each mile as a result of the variations in their circumferences. Tire diameter variations can be caused by accidentally using different sized tires, tires with different tread designs, tires made by different manufacturers, different inflation pressures or even tires worn to different tread depths. As an example of different tire diameters resulting from tires worn to different tread depths, we'll compare two 225/45R17-sized tires, a new tire with its original tread depth of 10/32-inch and a second tire worn to 8/32-inch of remaining tread depth. The new 225/45R17-sized tire has a calculated diameter of 24.97", a circumference of 78.44" and will roll 835 times each mile. The same tire worn to 8/32-inch of remaining tread depth is calculated to be 1/8" shorter with a diameter of 24.84", have a circumference of 78.04" and will roll 839 times per mile. While the difference of 1/8" in overall diameter doesn't seem excessive, the resulting 4 revolutions per mile difference can place a continuous strain on the tires and vehicle's driveline. Obviously, the greater the difference in the tires' circumferences, the greater the resulting strain. This makes maintaining the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire inflation pressures and using "matched" tires on all wheel positions necessary procedures to reduce strain on the vehicle's driveline. Using "matched" tires means all four tires are the same brand, design and tread depth. Mixing tire brands, tread designs and tread depths may cause components in the vehicle's driveline to fail. Mismatched tires or using improper inflation pressures for all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles can also result in immediate drivability problems. Some Control Trac equipped vehicles in 4Auto mode may exhibit a shutter on acceleration and/or a noise from the front driveline and transfer case while driving. Some all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles may exhibit axle windup or binding while driving. Some four-wheel drive vehicles (manual or electronic shift) with a two-wheel drive mode may refuse to shift "on the fly" into 4x4 Auto or 4x4 High at highway speeds. Audi-As published in their vehicle owner's manual, "rolling radius of all 4 tires must remain the same" or within 4/32-inch of each other in remaining tread depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Audi ownership card revoked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGU Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 higher mileage audi? you need all new bushings on the front end. its very common for this to happen and ECS sells a complete front end arm and bushing kit thats pretty cheap to fix this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboRust Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Name: Jeff Occupation: TCP/IP Engineer Vehicles: 4 Door Saloon come on man you gotta maintain you shit like the other dudes in your industry... Name: The Jones Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Out there. Occupation: Network Engineer Vehicles: BRZSLOW Name: Biggu Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Gahanna Occupation: Network Admin Vehicles: 1.5jz SC300, 08 IS-F you're letting down the IT crew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRTurbo04 Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 ^ jeffro should of never sold the mustang... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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