E430 Tire cupping
#1
01-28-2008, 12:51 PM
E430 Tire cupping
Hello guys,
Nagging problem that I cannot resolve. 2000 E430. The tire inside edges are cupping/scalloping badly. They are directional Avons with approx. 30k miles. I rotate every 10k miles. This also happened on a previous set of Michelins.
Could this be an alignment thing or just not rotating frequent enough? Do certain tires create a total system spring rate with the suspension that causes the tire to hop and eventually cup?
Common problem on E-class?
Thanks for any suggestions,
Matt
Nagging problem that I cannot resolve. 2000 E430. The tire inside edges are cupping/scalloping badly. They are directional Avons with approx. 30k miles. I rotate every 10k miles. This also happened on a previous set of Michelins.
Could this be an alignment thing or just not rotating frequent enough? Do certain tires create a total system spring rate with the suspension that causes the tire to hop and eventually cup?
Common problem on E-class?
Thanks for any suggestions,
Matt
#2
02-02-2008, 07:51 AM
RE: E430 Tire cupping
Matt:
Is it really cupping or is it more of a 'sawtooth' wear? By that I mean if you lay your fingers on the edge of the tire and move them in one direction, is the wear more pronounced than when you move them in the opposite direction?
Cupping is usually the result of a balance or suspension issue, and is not as common as most people think. That's becasue the situation has to be pretty significant before this typeof wear will occur, and usually the driver will be complaining about a heavy vibration first.
Sawtooth wear is actually quite common on tires with aggressive tread patterns (wide grooves, very distinct tread blocks), even with perfect alignment. If the toe is out or marginal it can certainly exacerbate this wear. The best preventative action is to rotate the tires across the car to change the direction of rotation, which will eventually even out the 'sawtooth'.I know this will inflame a few people who will scream that you can't cross-rotate a radial, only move it from front to rear.Thisparadigm is typically the result of recommendations from the early days of radial tires, and has become somewhat established as automotive lore. It has also caused a number of perfectly good tires to be trashed.Unless specifically prohibited by the manufacturer I would suggest cross or X-rotation (across the car and front to rear). This obviously will not work with directional tires (like your Avons), or where the sizes are different front to rear.
I would recommend that you step up your rotation schedule to every 5-7K miles, and have a four-wheel alignment performed very time you replace tires, at a minimum. Make sure the alignment is performed by someone experienced with MB products, and request a print-out of the before and after specs. You may not understand alignement principles but most print-outs will show the actual values and the acceptable ranges to help you decipher the results. You can also ask the tech to explain what he found.
I hope this helps.
T
Is it really cupping or is it more of a 'sawtooth' wear? By that I mean if you lay your fingers on the edge of the tire and move them in one direction, is the wear more pronounced than when you move them in the opposite direction?
Cupping is usually the result of a balance or suspension issue, and is not as common as most people think. That's becasue the situation has to be pretty significant before this typeof wear will occur, and usually the driver will be complaining about a heavy vibration first.
Sawtooth wear is actually quite common on tires with aggressive tread patterns (wide grooves, very distinct tread blocks), even with perfect alignment. If the toe is out or marginal it can certainly exacerbate this wear. The best preventative action is to rotate the tires across the car to change the direction of rotation, which will eventually even out the 'sawtooth'.I know this will inflame a few people who will scream that you can't cross-rotate a radial, only move it from front to rear.Thisparadigm is typically the result of recommendations from the early days of radial tires, and has become somewhat established as automotive lore. It has also caused a number of perfectly good tires to be trashed.Unless specifically prohibited by the manufacturer I would suggest cross or X-rotation (across the car and front to rear). This obviously will not work with directional tires (like your Avons), or where the sizes are different front to rear.
I would recommend that you step up your rotation schedule to every 5-7K miles, and have a four-wheel alignment performed very time you replace tires, at a minimum. Make sure the alignment is performed by someone experienced with MB products, and request a print-out of the before and after specs. You may not understand alignement principles but most print-outs will show the actual values and the acceptable ranges to help you decipher the results. You can also ask the tech to explain what he found.
I hope this helps.
T
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