Front tires going bald on the outsides, help please
#1
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Location: Orland Park, IL, USA
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Car: 88 IROC-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Front tires going bald on the outsides, help please
Why is it that all 3rd gens and even some 4th gens have a tendency to wear the crap out of the outside edges of the front tires?? i have had 3 alignments and had the ball joints replaced and it still wears the outside edge. especially on my passenger side tire. what isgoing on? Ill be the first to admit that i like to take corners fast, really fast, and i definitly brake as late as possible, im a spirited driver. but taking hard turns shouldnt cause the kind of wear that i am experianceing. the tires have been on the car for less then a year and i have to go get a new one today for the passenger side front. Please help with any alignment/front suspension tips that you have to correct this problem.
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1988 IROC-Z L98
License Plate: STG KLR 1
Engine Mods:
Edlebrock TES Headers, Hypertech Chip, Flowmaster Muffler, Intake Airfoil, Removed MAF Screens, MSD-6A, MSD Blaster 2 GM Coil, bored .030 over.
Nitrous System:
NOS Plate Kit, 100hp shot.
Suspension Mods:
Lakewood Traction Action Lift Bars, Hal Rear Shocks
Trans Mods:
2,500 stall converter, Redline clutches,Heavy Duty Steels, Trans-Go reprograming kit , Heavy Duty 2-4 band, Corvette Servo, B&M Mega Shifter
ET: 13.833@99.30 N/A
"If you can put it on your car, its fair" Quote By Guido
Foundering Member of the Illinois Overkill Crew (IOC)
www.mfba.org
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1988 IROC-Z L98
License Plate: STG KLR 1
Engine Mods:
Edlebrock TES Headers, Hypertech Chip, Flowmaster Muffler, Intake Airfoil, Removed MAF Screens, MSD-6A, MSD Blaster 2 GM Coil, bored .030 over.
Nitrous System:
NOS Plate Kit, 100hp shot.
Suspension Mods:
Lakewood Traction Action Lift Bars, Hal Rear Shocks
Trans Mods:
2,500 stall converter, Redline clutches,Heavy Duty Steels, Trans-Go reprograming kit , Heavy Duty 2-4 band, Corvette Servo, B&M Mega Shifter
ET: 13.833@99.30 N/A
"If you can put it on your car, its fair" Quote By Guido
Foundering Member of the Illinois Overkill Crew (IOC)
www.mfba.org
#2
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Location: Indianapolis IN
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Align it at a different shop. Also check the balance. The other thing it could be is that the strut mount might be moving, I know these cars a prone to rust right there. Make sure tire pressure is high enough, because it might be rolling over. Also check the sidewall for wear, because that will tell if the tire is flexing. The other thing you can do is replace the bushings in the front of the car. Now that I think of it, that is probably your problem. The suspension and roll bar could be flexing enough that the tire won't stay where it's supposed to. Also make sure that the steering linkage is tight. That's all that I got.
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'89 Red Formula 350- 350 .060 over forged pistons 232* @ .020 cam Performer RPM Holley 750 DP Vortec 1.94 1.50 Accel Coil and dist. Hedman shorty headers Dual Exhaust w/ cutouts 1LE WS6 suspension, wheels, and brakes, 9 Bolt 3.27 Posi Edelbrock LCA's & Track bar subframe connectors 700R4 Harwood snorkel scoop Eclipse Head Unit Delco Bose Speakers 2 12" Pioneer subs w/ 400 watt/chanel amp
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'89 Red Formula 350- 350 .060 over forged pistons 232* @ .020 cam Performer RPM Holley 750 DP Vortec 1.94 1.50 Accel Coil and dist. Hedman shorty headers Dual Exhaust w/ cutouts 1LE WS6 suspension, wheels, and brakes, 9 Bolt 3.27 Posi Edelbrock LCA's & Track bar subframe connectors 700R4 Harwood snorkel scoop Eclipse Head Unit Delco Bose Speakers 2 12" Pioneer subs w/ 400 watt/chanel amp
#3
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Car: 83WS6TA
Engine: ZZ4
Transmission: TH350C
Axle/Gears: 3:23
Maybe you've already looked but, for what it's worth, I think I've seen some posts in the archives which give none stock alignment specs that are supposed to help prevent this problem. I have to look them up myself as the same thing keeps happening to my tyres as well.
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I was going faster than I'd ever gone before but then I fell off.
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I was going faster than I'd ever gone before but then I fell off.
#4
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Location: Warrenton, VA U.S.A.
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Tgere have been a lot of posts about this problem in the last few months. Do a search here. Try using "tire wear".
I too had this problem, and from what I understand, it is very common with agressive driving. Even the tire company (tirerack.com) said the same thing. I had my camber adjusted to stock specifications (0.30° ±0.50°), and that was the main problem. From what I learned here, I re-adjusted my camber to -0.4°. This sets the wheel tilting in more at the top than stock.
From everything that was posted, the following is what I currently have and so far it's working okay.
CAMBER: -0.5°
CASTER: +4.5° (struts will be almost all the way rearward)
TOE: 0° to -1/16
If you are very aggressive, I'd start out with -0.5°, and if you less aggressive, try -0.2 to -0.4. With this much camber, keep an eye for excessive wear on the insides of the tires now. It's also important that toe is correctly adjusted. Stock is also 0.0°, but mine was off just a little, and that contributed to the problem too.
I too had this problem, and from what I understand, it is very common with agressive driving. Even the tire company (tirerack.com) said the same thing. I had my camber adjusted to stock specifications (0.30° ±0.50°), and that was the main problem. From what I learned here, I re-adjusted my camber to -0.4°. This sets the wheel tilting in more at the top than stock.
From everything that was posted, the following is what I currently have and so far it's working okay.
CAMBER: -0.5°
CASTER: +4.5° (struts will be almost all the way rearward)
TOE: 0° to -1/16
If you are very aggressive, I'd start out with -0.5°, and if you less aggressive, try -0.2 to -0.4. With this much camber, keep an eye for excessive wear on the insides of the tires now. It's also important that toe is correctly adjusted. Stock is also 0.0°, but mine was off just a little, and that contributed to the problem too.
#5
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Car: 82 camaro SC
Engine: 350
Transmission: 700r4
What he said 100%. Stock alignment specs are terrible for an agressive driver.
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350 with stealth intake, holley carb, 470 lift cam. 700r4 with .5 boost valve, vette servo, tci lock-up kit, B&M megashifter. Richmond 3.73 gears, powertrax locker, timkin bearings, synthetic lube. Custom 3 inch single into 2 2.5 pipes. 1 1/2 drop springs, 1 5/16 solid front sway bar, 1 inch rear bar, custom subframe connectors, custom LCA relocation brackets. Kobel ground FX, current red metallic paint. Lots of other stuff...
82camaro
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350 with stealth intake, holley carb, 470 lift cam. 700r4 with .5 boost valve, vette servo, tci lock-up kit, B&M megashifter. Richmond 3.73 gears, powertrax locker, timkin bearings, synthetic lube. Custom 3 inch single into 2 2.5 pipes. 1 1/2 drop springs, 1 5/16 solid front sway bar, 1 inch rear bar, custom subframe connectors, custom LCA relocation brackets. Kobel ground FX, current red metallic paint. Lots of other stuff...
82camaro
#6
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Car: 88 IROC-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: 3.45
thanks a ton for the info guys, now to find a shop that will do non-factory spec alignments
#7
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Location: NE
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Car: 82 camaro SC
Engine: 350
Transmission: 700r4
Most shops around here will do it--talk to the tech, not the person at the counter. The people at the counter get confused.
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350 with stealth intake, holley carb, 470 lift cam. 700r4 with .5 boost valve, vette servo, tci lock-up kit, B&M megashifter. Richmond 3.73 gears, powertrax locker, timkin bearings, synthetic lube. Custom 3 inch single into 2 2.5 pipes. 1 1/2 drop springs, 1 5/16 solid front sway bar, 1 inch rear bar, custom subframe connectors, custom LCA relocation brackets. Kobel ground FX, current red metallic paint. Lots of other stuff...
82camaro
------------------
350 with stealth intake, holley carb, 470 lift cam. 700r4 with .5 boost valve, vette servo, tci lock-up kit, B&M megashifter. Richmond 3.73 gears, powertrax locker, timkin bearings, synthetic lube. Custom 3 inch single into 2 2.5 pipes. 1 1/2 drop springs, 1 5/16 solid front sway bar, 1 inch rear bar, custom subframe connectors, custom LCA relocation brackets. Kobel ground FX, current red metallic paint. Lots of other stuff...
82camaro
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#8
I wear mine out too. To compensate for aggresive driving style I run about 1 degree negative camber and it wears the inside and outside edges pretty even. I don't get more than a year out of a set of tires, Z rated or not. The Z rated tires don't have as much tread to begin with and are a harder compound. The last set I bought were H rated and they are lasting a little bit longer and i like the softer compound more than the stiff sidewalls.
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