Shocks in the rear!

[scc]

I changed my shocks to bilsteins with the lowering spring kit last year.

Just had both rear tyres changed and are wearing mega quick compared to the fronts. The wear pattern suggested that the wheels are bouncing (e.g. patchy wear). The garage said that they've seen mismatched shocks/springs create this wear pattern?

Has anyone experienced this problem?

Cheers,
scc

[n13l pm]

I also have bilsteins with the lowering springs, which I fitted last year June. I can confirm my rear tyres wear quicky compared to the fronts, im actually awaiting delivery of some F1s any day now. In my case they seem to wear about twice as fast as the fronts. The wear pattern however are the same on both sides and is even.. so not sure about that.

[g6acb]

I have always found my rears wearing quicker than the fronts (pretty evenly though) with Std suspension..... and that was on my old GLS with 14" and current car with 17"

[I-S]

My old GLS wore the fronts a bit quicker than the rears, but not by a lot. Too early to tell with the GDI. However, I do have a habit of demanding quite a bit of the front tyres on some of the twisties around here...

[Kieran]

Hmmm.... On both my V6 and my VR-4, I've noticed that lowering the suspension has cambered the rears in somewhat, but not excessively. My settings on the Legnum (at the rear) are around 2 degrees and 3 minutes. The suspension guy did say that this is about all you'd want without camber plates and that I should expect to 'front to rear' the tyres more than normal.

However, Like Adrian, my GLS (completely standard) did like to rub out the inner edges of the tyres anyway.

[Rambaud]

I was under the impression that the front tyres normally wear out more quickly on FWD cars?

[Kieran]

I was under the impression that the front tyres normally wear out more quickly on FWD cars?

Yes, that is normally the case - the galant is unusual in this regard.

[ritch_w]

cant say i had this issue on any of the fwd v6 galants i had, it was always the fronts that would wear quickest (especially on falkens)

[Rambaud]

Yes, that is normally the case - the galant is unusual in this regard.

Is there a particular reason(s)?

I note that the normal tyre pressures (for my GDI, at least) give about a 10% higher PSI to the fronts. I had assumed this was, possibly, to reduce the understeer characteristics of most FWD cars?

My previous cars for the past 15 years have all been 4WD - with tyre pressures biased to the rear.

Do VR-4s/Legnums also wear out the rear tyres faster than the fronts?

[I-S]

I always assumed that the tyre pressure bias was because of weight? Most of the Galant's weight is forward, with engine and gearbox sitting over the front axle - thus the front tyres support more weight most of the time.

[Paul Beazer]

The fact that the rears are wearing at a similar rate to the fronts is interesting. It would suggest that the weight balance front and rear is similar and that the rears work just as hard to hold the car to the road.

I am rather surprised at this as the rear wheels in FWD cars tend to be a lot more passive than the fronts, they dont steeer, apply power or brake heavily.

I have heard that lowered cars tend to chew the inner edges of the rear tyres.

[Kieran]

Interesting note you've hit on there Paul - I never thought of it before but the Galant DOES have passive back wheel steering. The bushes are designed to flex slightly, so the tyre toes in a fraction when the suspension loads up.

[Paul Beazer]

Perhaps that explains why my car seems to handle so well when you chuck it into a bend.

[bradc]

In the jap manual for prefacelift Legnums, ie ones with 1.8's, 2.0 v6's, 2.5 v6's and VR-4's, it would appear that the tyre pressure is based on weight only. All of the 2wd's have 0.1 bar less pressure recommended in the rear than 4wd models, and the V6's have 0.1 bar more at the front than the 4 cylinder.

[I-S]

But the V6s aren't significantly heavier than the 4-pots. In fact, the GDI is the heaviest FWD galant - the 4 pot engine blocks are cast iron while the 6s are alu, so they weigh a similar amount. In the UK cars the tyre pressure rec for the 2.0, 2.4 and 2.5 are all the same.

[bradc]

actually you're right, I looked again and the v6 2.0 has the same tyre pressure at the front as the 1.8

[ANTHONY]

i found no difference with the fronts and rears on my sport and it was lowered.

[psbarham]

its down to the suspension geometry being quite well set up for the weight of car so the front and rears do simliar levels of work, unless your welsh of course then alledgedly the suspension on the galant is ten times worse than something hitler dreamed up

[Rambaud]

Interesting note you've hit on there Paul - I never thought of it before but the Galant DOES have passive back wheel steering. The bushes are designed to flex slightly, so the tyre toes in a fraction when the suspension loads up.

Is there a service interval on these bushes?

I assume their degeneration might effect tyre wear and handling?