Jump to content

Tyres, tracking, tread


Recommended Posts

Continuing from one of my older posts, I've finally saved the cash for a set of four tyres. I assumed the old ones would fail the MOT as the front left outer edge is way more worn than any of the others though it just passed with that tyre being just legal. Anyway the intention is to do the tracking immediately after balanced new tryes have been fitted. Is there anything else likely to cause such significant wear to just this tyre?

I was going to replace like for like - BFG AT 235/85/R16 but was tempted with the 265/75/R16 equivalents.....any opinions between them?

Also I've read elsewhere that the BFG Mud Terains of the same size aren't really that noticeable on road/motorway driving either with massively increased wear and noise. The vast majority of my driving is on roads but on the farm throughout winter the fields get really muddy and our SIII with mud tyres on is epic at tackling the wet field. How long would Mut Terraiins last even if driven mainly on the road or is this just stupid and stick with the ATs given that I'm 95% on roads?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1st the wear on 1 tyre left outer edge , this is unlikely down to tracking (ie toe in) as you would expect that both outer edges would wear(to much toe in )

2nd BFG the old MT had very good wear on road , slightly less wet grip than AT but then it handles deep standing water better than AT It is noisier at speed eg over 60 noticeable in a V8 petrol cant say if you would hear it that early in a dismal ? But you can drive quite happily on road with them (I do) as its a small price to pay for much better grip off road . The newer pattern are supposed to be quieter , I have just put a set on my 90 but not had a trip with them yet .

the 235/85 r 16 are slightly taller than the 265/75 which are obviously slightly wider . So it depends what you want ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting!

  • Regarding particular wear on the front left outer tread - from above incorrect drag link adjustment just affect the one wheel? I also figured tracking would affect both sides but it is definitely my front left that has noticeably worn more. Could this just be balancing on an old tyre/wheel. Obviously I dont want my new tyres to wear unevenly.
  • Regarding ATs vs MTs, I hadn't considered that the MTs are more slippy on wet roads and as I said most of my driving is on roads so thinking I'll stick with ATs as these have been great to date.
  • Regarding size/profile - By my calcs I figured they're pretty much the same overall diameter (235/85s being very very slightly taller by less than 0.1inch) which is why I was tempted to go for the wider profile thus giving more overall grip. That said, the 265/75s don't seem that much wider - presumably my turn stops/overall turning circle wont be affected by the 265/75s.... or are they significantly wider enough to alter these?

Cheers again

Link to comment
Share on other sites

which tyre wears due to roundabouts ?I think its the nearside isn't it ? Tracking error will cause wear on either outer or inner edges depending on either toe out or toe in

I was going to say the same thing, roundabouts cause wear on the front left tyre, it'd be the same for any car

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Surely you'd have to spend a lot of time going round roundabouts to see any serious wear because of them?!

Some have that extra grip stuff on them, also enthusiastic use of a roundabout will load the tyre quite a lot.......

I'm suffering the same wear on my 110... I need to do some swapping about me thinks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm most 265s I see are on 16x7 rims.....whats the ideal rim for a 265?

265s should be fitted to rims between 7 and 8 inches wide. They will physically fit on slightly narrower rims BUT they would be fitted against the tyre manufacturers recommendations, which could cause 'issues' with the insurance etc if the worst should happen.

Regards, Diff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks....I'll settle for my current rims and stick with 235s.

Regarding front left tyre wear - I had never considered the roundabout issue which makes sense. It really is only my front left which is so worn. However I also ponder what mmgemini said:

Before you check your tracking. Make sure the drag link is the correct length. Not to within a mm but spot on.

As the drag link arm only goes to the front left this also sounds sensible - if the trcaking was spot on but the drag link was out would this cause wear on the one tyre???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But you would turn to keep it going straight wouldn't you? If the track rod is set correctly, the wheels will be parallel (ignoring any toe in/out you may want), so if the box self centres you're going to turn so you would keep it going straight by turning the steering wheel. Not going to cause any excess wear on the tyre as far as I can see?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've run AT2s for a couple of years now and am quite disappointed by them to be honest, their grip in the wet was never very good. I also have quite bad wear on my nearside front, but after measuring drag link (is it 924mm?), I'm going to attempt the tracking with the string method as shown on here somewhere. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But you would turn to keep it going straight wouldn't you? If the track rod is set correctly, the wheels will be parallel (ignoring any toe in/out you may want), so if the box self centres you're going to turn so you would keep it going straight by turning the steering wheel. Not going to cause any excess wear on the tyre as far as I can see?

The drag link affects the left front wheel. Even if the tracking is spot on and the drag link isn't then the left front wheel runs out.The steering box self centers and you have the left wheel wrong.

Thought while I was out... its not the steering box that does the self centering, its the Castor angle of the front axle. So with the track rod set correctly, the drag link is going to have no affect on tire wear. only on the position of the steering wheel in relation to the direction of the truck and it may effect the amount of steering lock one way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thought while I was out... its not the steering box that does the self centering, its the Castor angle of the front axle. So with the track rod set correctly, the drag link is going to have no affect on tire wear. only on the position of the steering wheel in relation to the direction of the truck and it may effect the amount of steering lock one way.

Its an interesting debate.Surely if the tracking is set such that the wheels are perfectly aligned then they are both in unison. Therfore the drag link should have no effect - it rotates the wheels as a unison pair. However if you imagine two perfectly aligned wheels set by the tracking rod (stationary) and way overadjusted the drag link then the front left wheel is going to try to start steering whereas in this situationj the drag link should be free of any external forcing- the only external forcing on the drag link should occur during turning i.e. steering).

Ralph thanks for the measurements - I wonder if they are "from the factory spec". Either way they're a good starting point - we adjust all from there. Given that wheel alignment (tracking) is so precisely done using laser tracking equipment I would start there and then adjust the drag lin such that there is the same play either side of "centre". I'm not quite sure even what centralisation is!?? A steering wheel is a wheel surely.....the only diffenrence would be the angle of the Landrover logo stuck on the wheel relative to the horizontal)....ie if the steering wheel was a simple circle attached by 3 equidistant (60 degree) spokes there is no top or bottom (or centre)......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the front left wheel is going to do nothing... You will only loose steering lock in one direction! and the steering wheel will not be pointing straight ahead. The drag link only imparts a force on the left wheel when the steering wheel is turned. With the wheels correctly aligned the drag link is doing nothing when not turning (ignoring hitting potholes :P).

I adjusted mine after the new sumo bar using a bit of 4x2 across each hub and using a tape measure measure infront and behind the axle :). got it to within a mm doing that and its been fine :) no noticable wear or bad feel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. By using our website you agree to our Cookie Policy