weak struts & tire wear

Chicobiker wrote:
> Anybody have any experience with tire wear caused by weak struts?

Hi,

Yes, weak struts can cause excessive wear. A good alignment shop should
be able to look at your tires and tell you what the cause may be (if the
wear's on one side, and even, I'm w/ Carl that it's likely toe, if
cupping or feathering's involved, add shocks/struts to the list of
suspects.) Suggest alignment after any strut replacement--unlike "old
style" shock absorbers that could usually be replaced w/o affecting any
alignment settings, replacement of struts almost always has at least a
bit of an effect on alignment.

I didn't see how many miles you have on the vehicle. If an OEM strut's
got over 50k miles, it's probably due for inspection if not outright
replacement. Be sure to replace as many of the bushings as you can at
that time, too. (It's not unusual that some shops will not.) Some better
quality aftermarket units may go closer to 100k miles under certain
conditions, but don't take that as a general guideline! I find about 75k
is my personal average before shocks/struts start to really show some wear.

Rick
 >> Stay informed about: weak struts & tire wear 

If the wear is only on the inside edges, think alignment and not struts.
Weak struts would appear as flat spots on the surface of the tire
given the car was properly aligned.

Chicobiker wrote:
> Anybody have any experience with tire wear caused by weak struts?
>
> I just had my rear struts replaced on my 2003 OBS. They also swapped
> my winter/summer wheels/tires at the same time. I noticed that both
> my rear summer tires have more wear on the inside edges. Could the
> weak struts be the cause by not holding the tires out at their proper
> position?
>
> I'm gonna take it in for an alignment anyway, but I thought I would
> ask.
>
 >> Stay informed about: weak struts & tire wear 

On Nov 12, 1:23 pm, Rick Courtright <rcourtri....TakeThisOut@dslextreme.com>
wrote:
>
> I didn't see how many miles you have on the vehicle. If an OEM strut's
> got over 50k miles, it's probably due for inspection if not outright

150k kms (90k miles). I've never done an alignment on this vehicle
since day 1, so it's due. I'll be taking it in next oil change and
get all 4 corners done.


> replacement. Be sure to replace as many of the bushings as you can at
> that time, too. (It's not unusual that some shops will not.) Some better

<sigh> Why did I assume that a shop would tell me about such
things ...

Chicobiker
 >> Stay informed about: weak struts & tire wear