Uneven rear tyre wear/warm wheel!

[Graeme]

After 20,000 or so miles I'm seeing uneven rear tyre wear.  The near-side one is noticeably wearing more quickly on the inside edge that the off-side one.  They are both almost worn down to the centre wear indicators, the near-side just a little more than the off-side one.  After a 50 mile or so drive at 70mph the near-side tyre is noticeably warmer to touch than the off-side one but in no way would I describe it as hot!

There is no sign of scraping, filing, feathering usual with mis-aligned tracking.  Tracking checked a couple of years ago and was within BMW spec.

Tyres are Continental Cross Contact runflats (summer tyres), 285 x 45x 19 111v.  . Car is 2007 7 seater with adaptive drive usually used in non-sport mode, and rarely carrying more than 2 people.  Car does about 16,000 miles per year of which caravan towing accounts for about 1500 miles per year.

They'll be coming off in a couple of weeks when the car goes in for service to a specialist indy, and winter tyres and wheels go on then.  Interestingly, they are Vredestein non-run flats, have done about 14,000 miles so far and no sign of uneven wear.

Wheels for summer tyres are M sport with greater offset than ones fitted with winter tyres.

Car seems to sit level on the road both front to back and side to side.  No visible or audible leaks in the air suspension.

Questions in my mind are -
1. has something altered on the near-side rear suspension recently - Continentals on wheels refitted May
2015?
2. Does the drive use the near-side more that the offside so heating the wheel more.

I'd value your comments please...

Graeme

[Nine468]

You say that the "tracking" was within bmw specs,,...
The only thing is that the bmw specs are quite wide, sometimes if the tracking is set towards the wrong end of the specs then it can cause significant wear..
Also the settings were done a few years ago, and it is poss that it couldve altered, ie worn bushes and or curb clipping, knocks, potholes...

[rickyclean]

Cars such as ours with stiff suspension and wide tyres are particularly sensitive and prone to having it's tracking effected. This is exacerbated by the poor condition of our roads, what with potholes, poor quality tarmac and general lack of road maintenance.. Ever since having a my 330i M sport I have always had the tracking checked every 6 months which extended the live cycle off tyres. The X5 is no acceptation and I have had the tracking looked at twice since owning it and each time the car needed adjusting.

You should always check the tyre pressures as the car is extremely heavy. Over or under inflation can have a significant effect as well - I check both my cars once a month.

Hope this helps

RC

[Graeme]

Hi all,  Thanks for your comments.

Having booked it in and talking with the chap who services it (BMW/Range Rover/Land Rover specialist) it's likely to be worn bushes in the rear suspension - car has 120,000 on the clock.  If that's what it is, after fitting them, it will need to be re-tracked and the camber angle re-set.  So more anon...

Graeme

[Nine468]

Have a read of the thread in the link,,,

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/ ... nment.html

I think itl help you when you come to get it adjusted...
It helped me...

[Graeme]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the link. Useful data!  We'll see what it looks like when it's up on the lift and if new bushes are needed...

Best wishes,

Graeme