tire wear - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vahe · #1 05-11-2004, 07:27 PM

Since 1977 I have owned five MB sedans, two gassers and three diesels. One thing that I have noticed about MB is unusually rapid tire wear, a typical 60K mile tire usually lasts a little under 30K miles with these cars, that is with perfect front end and wheel alighment.
Is this me, or have some of you have noticed the same situation?

Vahe

whunter · #2 05-12-2004, 06:21 AM

Something is wrong with your setup.

#1. Set tire pressure at 35 PSI.
#2. Check tire pressure every 14 days and adjust.
#3. What do you carry in your trunk?
#4. Get a print out of every alignment.
#5. Compare every print out to factory spec.
#6. Check curb height = ride height.

Please describe your wear pattern.
Front?
Rear?
All four tires?
tire center?
Tire edge?
Tire cupping?
Tire cross chopp?
Tire side wall?

leathermang · #3 05-12-2004, 07:22 AM

Set tire pressure first thing in the morning before driving the car.

#4 05-12-2004, 08:42 AM

Yes, describe the tire wear pattern as described by whunter.

Have a great day,

RockinWagin · #5 05-12-2004, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by whunter

#1. Set tire pressure at 35 PSI.

Uh, I have been setting at owner manual specs. Is 35 psi the consensus?

#6 05-12-2004, 11:34 AM

Personally, I would not run the rear tires less than 35PSI. The fronts can run slightly less. When I have run any less in the rear tires, they wear down the middle.

Good luck,

leathermang · #7 05-12-2004, 11:40 AM

I worked a summer in a front end shop during college... and have been mechanicing for about 35 years....
When I saw the wear on my wagon tires I was sure I needed a bunch of stuff fixed.... then I looked at the Factory Shop manual... the chassis manual for the 123.... Mercedes Normal tire wear is very different from what old American Cars look like... so before anybody panics.... check out what MB says about the tire wear pattern....
I run my tires at 35 lbs also...
Tires, like oil , are very different from what the owners manual had to deal with 25 years ago.....

MBwD · #8 05-12-2004, 04:27 PM

I think it may depend on the type of tires being used? I'm not too educated in this regard, but I believe there are some tires that are more "round" somehow with squishier sidewalls and some tires that are more "flat" in that they have more solid sidewalls. I believe our old MB's need the latter type, and for European cars in general. I don't know much more, but I imagine that there could be more tire wear with the former type, plus your handling would not be as good, especially around curves.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

vahe · #9 05-12-2004, 08:00 PM

"Please describe your wear pattern."

The wear pattern is even on all four wheels, there is absolutely nothing abnormal about the wear to indicate a potential front or rear end problem.
A little background; on my 1977 240D, the wheels are not original, I have light allow MB old style wheels that came from a 500 SEC, tires are Michelin 205/70R14 (6.5" rims)with 37# pressure front and back, and I am the only person driving this car, it is always empty with no extra weight anywhere.
I buy my tires either from Sears or NTB of Houston, and have always been able to get them to prorate the cost of new Michelins factoring the rapid wear and mfg's claim of higher mileage. The fact that dealers have agreed to do this indicates that there is nothing wrong with the wheels, and as expected they do examine the wheels VERY carefully hoping find an excuse, so far they have not been able to succeed.

Thanks,
Vahe

#10 05-12-2004, 09:58 PM

Is most of your driving in town or on the highway? Driving style can have a HUGE effect on tire wear.

Have a great day,

Grdenko · #11 05-13-2004, 03:30 PM

my tires do seen to wear faster than normal. i usually dont get more than 30k miles out of a set of 40k michelins. the tires in the front wear on the outside edge and the back wears evenly across the bottom. i usually keep my tires at 38 psi. i do drive pretty fast so the wear rate seems reasonable. does it necessarily mean anything if the fron ttires are wearing at the outside edge? i always figured they did that because i take turns a little too fast usually.

whunter · #12 05-13-2004, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Grdenko
my tires do seen to wear faster than normal. i usually dont get more than 30k miles out of a set of 40k michelins. the tires in the front wear on the outside edge and the back wears evenly across the bottom. i usually keep my tires at 38 psi. i do drive pretty fast so the wear rate seems reasonable. does it necessarily mean anything if the fron ttires are wearing at the outside edge? i always figured they did that because i take turns a little too fast usually.

Bad TOE setting = front end alignment needed.

The following picture shows tire wear pattern from excess toe out and toe in.

Brian Carlton · #13 05-14-2004, 12:08 AM

I had a set of Michelin X on a 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88 many years ago. Got nearly 100K out of them.

The SD has a set of Michelin MX4's on it. They accumulated about 40K on the 123 before I sold it and have accumulated another 30K on the SD. At 70K the tread is down to about .130 or so. I expect to get almost 100K from this set as well.

Now, most of these miles are highway miles and I maintain the pressure at 35K. But, I will tell you the big secret to long tire life:

Both the Oldsmobile and the SD run tires that are TWO sizes larger than stock. In the case of the Oldsmobile, the stock size was, if I remember correctly: FR78-15. I ran HR78-15's on it.

The stock size for the SD is 195-70-14. I run 215-70-14.

I am very confident that the decreased loading created by the larger tires results in significantly greater tire life.

whunter · #14 05-16-2004, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian Carlton
I had a set of Michelin X on a 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88 many years ago. Got nearly 100K out of them.
Both the Oldsmobile and the SD run tires that are TWO sizes larger than stock. In the case of the Oldsmobile, the stock size was, if I remember correctly: FR78-15. I ran HR78-15's on it.
The stock size for the SD is 195-70-15. I run 215-70-15.

False mileage and speed reading with tires that are TWO sizes larger than stock.
Depending on how accurate your Speedo was, you could have been off by 7% - 38% on speed and 9% - 50% on Mileage.
I tried to explain this to many young people, they understand when the police officer tickets them.
Have a great day.

Brian Carlton · #15 05-16-2004, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by whunter
False mileage and speed reading with tires that are TWO sizes larger than stock.
Depending on how accurate your Speedo was, you could have been off by 7% - 38% on speed and 9% - 50% on Mileage.

Sorry, but you are wrong. The 195-70-14 tire rolls 780 revs per mile. The 215-70-14 tire rolls 815 revs per mile. Difference: 4.5%.

When speedometer reads 65 mph, vehicle is going 68 mph. Hardly the difference between a ticket or not. You are off 4.5% from whatever you started with. The accuracy of the speedo is another variable altogether.