One tire wearing more than the other 3

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Blackwing, Aug 7, 2019.

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  1. Blackwing

    Blackwing Member

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    2004 Prius - 276,000 miles

    Problem was that I hit a couple deep potholes on the front passenger tire in the past couple years or so.

    One time while driving behind a local plaza, I heard a loud *Bang* from that tire area ( that was about 1-2 years ago).

    Had the front struts replaced in Summer 2017.
    Been driving it misaligned ever since.

    Had all four tires replaced earlier this year (2019).

    I first noticed slight negative camber issue with the front passenger tire last month.

    Checked the tire pressure on Sunday and all other 3 tires were about 40-42 psi while that problem tire was 38 psi.

    All 4 tires have plenty of tread but the problem tire has about 2/32 less tread.

    Question is, what could it be and is it too difficult to tell?
     
    #1 Blackwing, Aug 7, 2019
  2. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    You already know it’s an alignment problem, you just don’t know which part is bent.

    Sometimes that’s not too hard to work out from a thorough undercar inspection.

    Also sounds like you need to rotate tires more often.
     
    #2 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Aug 7, 2019
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  3. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Should of had a suspension check when u bought the new tires. It’s free.
    If u hit a pot hole hard I can almost guarantee you have a bent rim. My wife over the years bent all 4 don’t take much. Tiny little light weight wheel very easy to bend.

    Easiest and best way to check for a bent wheel is put the wheel on the rear axle and spin the tire and watch for run out. Even the slightest run out is easy to see. You can’t spin the fronts.

    So get it on the rack spin the rears then have them swap the tires from front to rear and spin them.

    If rims ok you bent something up front.
     
    #3 edthefox5, Aug 7, 2019
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  4. Blackwing

    Blackwing Member

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    Interesting ok
    Would a bent rim cause the knocking sound at low-to-mid speeds on uneven pavements?
     
    #4 Blackwing, Aug 7, 2019
  5. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Not sure I just mentioned the bent wheel as a byproduct of the pothole malady. Something to check as I know for certain how easily the wheel can be bent. And how easy and definitively it can be checked.

    Take it back to your tire store and ask for an alignment. There $79 around here. They will quickly find the issue as usually it will not fall into alignment if any Parts bent.

    What kind of tires are you running?
     
    #5 edthefox5, Aug 7, 2019
  6. Blackwing

    Blackwing Member

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    Good point, maybe I should just say Hey, I need an alignment. Then if any new problems arise, be like you guys did it lol. Just kidding, but I will mention that there is a slight negative camber (toe-out)

    Earlier this year I bought a set of Pirelli Four Seasons tires from Sam's club when they had their weekend special:

    Pirelli - Sam's Club
     
    #6 Blackwing, Aug 7, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2019
  7. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    BIG mistake. If the alignment is off the tires will not wear evenly. Once they start wearing unevenly they will usually continue to do so even when rotated to another position. Do NOT rotate a good tire onto the bad position and drive on it without fixing the alignment, that will just screw up that tire too. Instead take it to a good alignment ship and have them rotate a good tire onto the bad position, and then at the same time resolve the alignment problem. If something is bent, replace it. They probably cannot set the alignment in that position with the worn tire in that position. In order to get the alignment set properly you may need to replace the one tire which is wearing more rapidly (if it is doing so unevenly, or is significantly more worn than the others) because it may mess up their measurements even if it is on an axle which is otherwise properly aligned.

    I have been down the road you are on now. One car kept pulling to one side and having uneven wear on tires. In that case the car needed a "crash bolt" on the right rear to get the alignment into spec. Only after doing that did it stop pulling and chewing up tires. The moral of the story - tires are a lost cause if the alignment isn't right!
     
    #7 pasadena_commut, Aug 7, 2019
  8. Blackwing

    Blackwing Member

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    Ok so I have an update I took it for an alignment check and my front right LEACREE strut assembly was bent and bulged at the joint to the knuckle area. **(POSTING PHOTO)**
    upload_2019-8-14_10-16-47.png
    I definitely have negative camber on that tire.

    The quote is ~$650 for:
    2 new strut assemblies
    2 new sway bars
    3.5 hours labor

    What should I do about this and the alignment?
     

    Attached Files:

    #8 Blackwing, Aug 14, 2019
  9. Blackwing

    Blackwing Member

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    He also said the space is way off between the rod there and the the back of the housing
    Like 2 inches off
    upload_2019-8-14_10-19-15.png
     
    #9 Blackwing, Aug 14, 2019
  10. Blackwing

    Blackwing Member

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    Hi guys So I have a big update(s).

    1.) I contacted the reseller am-autoparts on eBay regarding my warranty. I told them what happened and they sent in a replacement, to the wrong address. I had them send a second strut to the right address.

    2.) Now finally with two struts and sway bars ready to go, I travel to the mechanic. I drop everything off and I get a call the next day that everything is ready HOWEVER, he only replaced *One* strut because the struts were both for the right passenger side only. The part number is not interchangeable on either side.

    3.) So I have one strut that is a little over two years old still in healthy shape on the driver's side and the passenger side is now with a brand new strut

    4.) Mechanic said he wouldn't do an alignment until I get the other strut

    5.) Contacted eBay seller for the other strut last night and have not heard back yet.

    Results

    + The negative camber tilted tire issue is now fixed. The tire is now straight again.
    + The knocking sound over light bumps/uneven pavement is now gone.
    - The steering wheel however is still misaligned. This time it is misaligned to the left instead of to the right, like it was since I had the struts replaced two years ago.

    What would you do? I am thinking of using a Groupon for a $55 four-wheel alignment at Midas.


    Thanks guys
     
    #10 Blackwing, Aug 22, 2019
  11. Blackwing

    Blackwing Member

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    I heard the Hunter HD Imaging machine would be the best for full 4-wheel alignments.

    Just booked an appointment with Midas for $60.00 4-wheel alignment + free inspection on Groupon.
     
    #11 Blackwing, Aug 22, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2019
  12. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Exactly what brand of strut did you buy on EBay?
     
    #12 Skibob, Aug 22, 2019
  13. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Looks like the car hit a pothole really hard.

    Please be aware its really really easy to also bend a G2 prius wheel. They are super light. My wife was able to bend 3 out of 4 not even trying hard lol.

    The best and easiest way to test for a bent g2 wheel is mount the suspect wheel on the back axle and then spin the wheel and watch for run out. Very easy to see even the smallest bend. You cannot spin the front wheels.
     
    #13 edthefox5, Aug 22, 2019
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  14. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    Lesson learned - avoid the eBay parts sellers. Your local parts store may charge a bit more, but you will generally get the correct parts and can go back for any corrections. Our local O’Reillys can get any part overnight, and most the same day.
     
    #14 jb in NE, Aug 22, 2019
  15. Blackwing

    Blackwing Member

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    They are Leacree. You can see the first half of the logo on the bent strut in the photo.

    Yep that is what did it. It was a real loud bang last summer in 2018. Mustve have been bent for well over a year.

    Yep I am done with these eBay sellers who have no phone number and have strange warranty. Although they do pull through with them as far as shipping.

    UPDATE: I got the alignment today and it finally seems to drive mostly normal. It is not perfect but drives normal. Here is the report and there is something that irks me the wrong way:


    [​IMG]

    So my toe was causing the misalignment, but the Hunter tech at Midas barely touched my Camber. The right rear only went down by .1 just bringing it out of the red.

    Did they give me a half-a** alignment?
     
    #15 Blackwing, Aug 22, 2019
  16. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    May I suggest KYB from Rock Auto or Amazon the next time you need struts?
     
    #16 Skibob, Aug 22, 2019
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  17. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    That depends on your definition. Most of the chain shops go for "in-spec", which means the alignment meets the limits established by the manufacturer. A specialty suspension/alignment shop is more likely to do a more precise job, particularly if you review the before results with them.

    I had a car aligned (while on a trip, due to a suspension repair) at a chain. It was in spec, but I still had a slight pull. I took it to an independent shop at home, the tech spent a good bit of time with it, took it on a lengthy test drive, and got it tracking perfectly straight and to a tighter alignment spec.
     
    #17 jb in NE, Aug 22, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2019
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