C5 Pased the MOT

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THELABMAN
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C5 Pased the MOT

Post by THELABMAN »

Hi Folks,

Just thought I'd share my good news that my C5 passed the MOT today with flying colours, she's a 52 plate and done 90,247 miles.

I've one small question to ask though, I removed the N/S/F front wheel and replaced it with the spare as the tyre was getting seriously dodgy with only a visble pattern on the outside edge and the tread depth going from 1.8mm to 3.8mm across to the inner edge. The O/S/F front tyre is the same make, both are Maxxis MA-P1 195/65/15 H, yet it has an even 4.2mm of tread all across the tyre. Both tyres where fitted on the 28.04.2010 at 75,320 miles.

Can anyone shed any light as to why one should wear so badly compared to the other, tyre pressures are checked regularly at least once a week in the good weather and maybe fortnightly in the winter and run at 33 psi, tyre has never been run above 34 psi or below 32 psi and I never run them with more than 1psi of a difference between sides.....

Peter
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Post by KennyW »

Peter,

Have you checked the tyre is balanced correctly and progress from there, Tracking etc. It is usually the most simple problem that has caused the wear.

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Post by THELABMAN »

Hi Kenny,

Yes the wheels where balanced, not by the garage I got the tyres from admittedly as only after fitting them did they discover they where centerless and they didn't have the facility to balance them, by Copper Brothers in Newmains who have a good reputation for doing a decent job on centrelss wheels and there has been no wobble or vibration at all since they where done. I had the wheel alingment checked at a garage in Glasgow when I started to spot the uneven wear and they said it was spot on.
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Post by Citroenmad »

So the tyre is worn from the inside outwards, feathered? As if the tracking is toeing out?

In my experience C5s always do the opposite, the outside shoulders are always gone before the tyre is done. As the tyres scrub quite badly on full lock and cornering, it being a heavy car wears the tyres on the outer edges.

If its worn more on the inside its likely to be a tracking or camber issue. Though you have had the tracking checked, was this on a 4 wheel laser alignment with camber check too?

Or it could well be a defective tyre, ive had to replace tyres in the past due to them distorting, even if they looked fine the started to wear oddly and make the car pull to one side.

Did you not have the car pulling to one side?

If that is all fine then id be looking at tyre pressures, how often do you check? Could the tyre have been ran over or under inflated for a period?

Also were the tyres identical, even the same brand tyres can be made in different countries and therefore compound might differ slightly, resulting in different wear rates. Are the dates and country of manufacture the same on each tyre?

Do you know how the car wore its previous set of front tyres?
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Post by THELABMAN »

Hi Citroenmad,

No the tyre was worn from the outside edge to the inside.

The wheel alingment wasn't a laser set up just a basic check in a place I'd used bedore with my Xantia's and had always done a good job. I know a few places who do laser alingment but I've never known any do a camber check as on most cars it can't be adjusted.

Tyre pressures where checked weekly during the summer months and every two weeks over winter and was never allowed to drop below 32 psi and the max would be 34 psi.

I've never had a problem with the car pulling to one side during driving or on braking and the steering wheel is bang on dead centre when driving.

The only thing I noticed was the 1st time I checked the tyre tread depth this N/S tyre was already slightly shallower than the O/S not by much about 0.2/0.3 mm and this has got slightly worse as at the best area across the centre and inner area just now it's 3.8 mm whilst the O/S is 4.2 mm across the majority of the tyre.

Unfortunately I can't check codes for manufaturing etc as I replaced the tyre today so no longer have it but as far as I'm aware Maxxis tyres are all manufactured in the one factory but I'm prepared to be corrected on that....

I'm not a hard driver, rarely driving above 70 mph and more like a constant 60 mph as I'm trying to watch the old fuel consumption and the majority of my milage is completed with only myself in the vehicle going to and from work and of my 44 mile return journey to work about 36 off that is on the motorway.

I might try one of the local tyre places who do a 4 wheel laser alingment and see if that throws anything up but I'm not sure if any do a camber check..

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Post by Citroenmad »

Hi Peter,

My local tyre place does laser checking, this also checks the camber and caster angles too. I can't think if the camber would be adjustable on the C5, possibly not actually, though it might be worth getting it checked again to make sure your tracking is spot on.

It is normal for the NSF to wear faster than the OSF, as often people corner faster to the right (left corners around towns etc are often tighter and require a slower speed) and of course roundabouts are all right handers too. Though the odd wear across the tyre itself is unusual.
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Post by myglaren »

Although it isn't adjustable the camber check would show up any damage to the suspension geometry as the result of severe kerbing, making an acquaintance with a deep pothole or a collision.

Repairing it would be a fairly major undertaking but useful to know if there is a problem in that area that could affect the safe handling of the car.
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Post by 411514 »

Kwik fit at the moment are doing a free alignment and tracking check, might be worth checking to see if anything is out although im not sure id trust it to them to correct it
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Post by THELABMAN »

Hi Folks,

I had the wheel alingment checked at National Tyres this morning and they said the tracking was out and can't understand why even without a laser setup anyone else would miss it, the guy admitted it's not by much but enough to scrub the tyre.

Anyway got the job done for 1/2 price at £14.90 thanks to some vouchers I'd got through the post after buying my back tyres last November so fingers crossed the problem is cured..... just means another garage I thought I could trust is added to the so-so list as I've not kerbed the wheel or hit any pot holes since they checked it so can't blame it on that.

Thanks once again to everyone for their invalubale help and willingness to input suggestions.

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Post by citronut »

if the traking was/is out it will wear both tyres exactly the same,

tow in will wear both tyres on the outter edge's, and tow out will wear both on the inside edge's


when you get only none tyre wearing on either edge this is caused by a suspension or lower swivle joint has play in it,

which allows that wheel only to go out of track/caster camber,


if it were tyre presure to high it will wear just the centre and to low it will wear both edges only,

the MOT does not always pick up on slight joint/bush wear, but this can cause tyre wear,


regards malcolm
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Post by dnsey »

It's very easy to check and adjust C5 tracking yourself, as 0 degrees (wheels parallel) is within spec.
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Post by citronut »

for some reason your last post had not turned up as i was typeing my last post,


anyway as i say above there is no way tracking out either way you will wear only one tyre,

tracking out definetly will/does wear both tyres ecatly the same,

obviously National Tyres dont know what they are talking about if they told you that,


regards malcolm
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Post by daviemck2006 »

My c5 has abnormal tyre wear as well. Tyres were vredestien all on at same time. front tyres, offside worn evenly, 3ml left, nearside, 4ml outside edge, feathered to 2ml near inside, but rounded on inside edge with tread barely visible. rears, already replaced, were both feathered from 3ml inside to 1.5 outside. Mot due end of month so 2 new tyres needed on front, going to get alignment at same time. Nearside drop link was worn, both replaced recently, probably explains offside front tyre wear. Not really too worried about wear cos all tyres had done 25000 miles which I feel is more than acceptable for a big heavy car that tows trailers quite regularly. The last tyres that were on it when I bought it wore in extly the same manner I did 20000 on them and have no idea how long they had been on before that.
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Post by THELABMAN »

Hi Folks,

I appreciate that tracking will wear both tyres as I've experienced this problem on several cars over the years as tyres wore either on the inner or outer edge more rapdidly than the rest of the tyre but the the guy at National tyres certainly found it was out, where the previous place said it was fine, and I watched from the office as he heated up the locking nuts and adjust the tracking... time will tell over the next few few months if there has been any improvement to the wear pattern on this nearside tyre.

I'm no mechanic but when I had the car jacked up to put the spare on I could find absoloutely no sign of any freeplay anyhwere neither does the car dispaly any unwanted handling characteristics or strange noises, there are no knocks, bumps or rattles.

Robert the MOT inspector is one of those guys who does a thorough job and will point out anything he thinks requires attention even if it's not directly related to the MOT and in my experience usualy checks more thoroughly than the MOT requires if there had been something amiss I'm sure he would have spotted it. Yes the garage does repair work but I can honestly say in the 26 years I've used them I've never had a car fail just to generate repair work and only once has he recomended work when he suggested replacing front discs on one of my Xantia's but when he asked his brother to confirm he said they would be fine for at least another year .

Peter
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Post by citronut »

all im saying is tracking always will wear both tyres exactly the same,

and wear just on just one tyre is defenatly not tracking out,

im 110% sure in the near future something like a suspension arm bush or a lower swivle will show its self,,

it is not always possible to phisicly feel play by hand if the joint/bush has only just strated to deteriorate,

it is also possible/likely laser tracking will find more than the old style tracking gauges, as they are far more acurate,


it is also possible National tyres will delibratly seyt your tracking slightly out,


regards malcolm
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