puzzled about a worn tire....

[bimma360]

The owner before, who also worked at a german mechanic shop, had them fabricate a custom adjustable rear camber on the car. Basically the way it works is that with a turn of a bolt the rear wheels tilt. The car was lowered by him and the camber was adjusted approprietly. Today i noticed that the right rear tire is getting worn on the inside. The left tire is just fine... but the right one is actually gettign worn pretty badly. Anyone have a clue. I'm pretty sure that the rear wheels are adjusted at the same time and not independently. So i am a little puzzled as to how only one tire can be worn. Could somehting like this result from a loos lug bolt or anything? Ok thanks guys, Dave

[Erick]

Seems like is isnt the best mechanic, I'd say you have some serious camber issues.

[bimma360]

Well like i said the shop installed the adjustable camber. As far as them doin the job right or what not, the shop is one of the best german car shops in my area. Also he has owned the car for the past 10 years and has had the mods on it fro a while. If this is a problem that he has had for a while it would have been fixed. Now... any ideas?

[Erick]

cant be a loose lug bolt. You'd DEFINETLY notice it with the vibrations the wheel would give you

[Bill 84 318i]

Doubtful that it's a loose lug bolt, but don't ask about that on a forum. Check them.

I dunno about serious camber problems, but you might have some. Try looking at the car from behind and comparing the tire of the 'good' side to the tire of the 'bad' side. See if one has more camber visually. Or, you could just get it up on an alignment rack and get it done again. It could have fallen out of alignment or something could be bent.

I love negative camber.

[AndrewBird]

ISn't the right side also the drive wheel? Maybe you have been taking off from corners fast and spinning that rear wheel a little.

Andrew

[Bryson]

you could have bumped a curb or somehow bent the trailing arm to get toe out on that one wheel... that would cause extreme inside tire wear

[bmwguru007]

ISn't the right side also the drive wheel? Maybe you have been taking off from corners fast and spinning that rear wheel a little.

Both rear wheels are drive wheels.

[Mystikal]

You're assuming he has an LSD.

[bmwguru007]

You're assuming he has an LSD.

It doesn't matter which he has. Both rear wheels are still receiving power.

[kco325]

One thing to remember is that you can't adjust toe at all in the back of e30's, without aftermarket products. So unless this custom kit allows for toe adjustment, the shop would have just done what they could and left it.
Get the #'s sheet from the alignment shop and look at it.
Also, a (really) worn subframe bushing on one side might cause it, that's pushing it though.

[AndrewBird]

You're assuming he has an LSD.

It doesn't matter which he has. Both rear wheels are still receiving power.

Yes, but without a LSD, the right rear wheel will be more likely to spin in hard acceleration. It is the drive wheel side off the diff. This is how it is on all cars without a LSD. That is the advantage to a LSD is that power will not "un-load" on the driv wheel. IT will be distributed to where ever there is traction.

Andrew

[Ryan Stewart]

Im not certain how such a camber plate could work in the rear sice the trailing arm is all one peice and mounts in two bushings on the subframe. He might have installed one of those rotating buhings.

One problem with those eccentric bushings is they dont really adjust camber much, the way teh subframe is designed they are better at adjusting toe (or rear wheel alignment). The original intent was to fix accident damage.

If those were set incorrectly or were able to move they could change the toe setting making, say, one wheel always be turning a little right. That would kill a tire in no time and be really hard for a layman to spot.

Take it to an alignment shop.

The only tiem I have odd tire wear is the front right. The tracks here are all left turns (oppsite of the southern hemisphere where they all turn right).

[e30Matt]

The only tiem I have odd tire wear is the front right. The tracks here are all left turns (oppsite of the southern hemisphere where they all turn right).

Been racing some NASCAR there, Ryan? lol... I'd love to see an Alpina out there in the middle of a pack of Fords, Chevys, and Pontiacs.

I'd definitely get someone qualified to check the alignment and suspension parts for breaks, wear and tear, etc. That sounds like SERIOUS alignment issues.

[e30evolution]

alignment rack...... air pressure