The Tyre Wear Thread

[hamgatan]

Ive just taken the rears off the MR2 just now and noticed the wear patterns are different on each. They both have an emphasis to wear on the inner track more than anywhere else, but the passenger side rear tyre is SIGNIFICANTLY more worn than the drivers side one. I would assume that if the fronts wore out that it could be any number of things (harder cornering on one particular side more often.. etc..), but on the rears I wouldn't have thought this to be as significant an issue. However it is definitely more worn on the passenger side and I know that tells me something, the question is what? Wheel bearings playing up on one side?

[Andrew162]

I know someone at the Toyota Nationals (MR1J was it?) in the south aussie Aristo had the exact same problem. his 19's on the rear showed the same signs... driver's side was almost perfect wear pattern, but the left was almost down to belts on the inside. I initially thought it was suspension-related, but it could well be a matter of too much camber or something else wheel-related, only more complex. Definitely raised a lot of eyebrows when he took those rears off to put the drag rims on.

[Cameron_Datto]

Get a 4 Wheel alignment and ask for the readings before and after adjustment .also make sure you have got any worn suspension parts before the W/A .

[Dale]

I think it's more the case that the rear left wheel would be laying most of the power down, or does the mr2 have an e series lsd box in it? I know with front wheel drives the front left tends to wear unevenly due to it being the main drive wheel, so the same principle would apply for an mr2, just on the rear

Alignment and camber will also play a part if they are out, but you wouldn't expect them to be out for JUST one wheel.. I assume you got an alignment done when you put the new suspension gear in which wasn't that long ago? So it shouldn't be the issue

[hamgatan]

worn suspension is not even something id consider to be the problem.

in the last 20,000kms ive put new

shocks
springs
urethane bushings
ball joints
tie rod ends
steering rack

im leaning more to transaxle gearbox / diff issue.. as i know my gear ratios have slipped a lot over the last year (i.e. i used to be able to cane it up to 115-120 in second, now id be lucky to hit 80 in second before the redline)

I think it's more the case that the rear left wheel would be laying most of the power down, or does the mr2 have an e series lsd box in it?

turbo mr2 has E series, ive got S series which is a bit weaker.. but yeah i get where you're going with the logic..

oh and ive also had alignments and balances done three times in the last 3 months.

[IN 05 NT]

passenger side is always worse off than drivers side (most of the time) due to people .....customers kerb hopping/bashing when they park there car into the gutter....

plus with a M/R engine like the mr2, you will wear the inner out more due to a heavier wheigh on the tyres, and squating when taking off,

but either way, go get a couple of new tyres and a wheel allignment

the only trouble i have with tyres is smokimng them all to often

[IN 05 NT]

worn suspension is not even something id consider to be the problem.

in the last 20,000kms ive put new

shocks
springs
urethane bushings
ball joints
tie rod ends
steering rack

im leaning more to transaxle gearbox / diff issue.. as i know my gear ratios have slipped a lot over the last year (i.e. i used to be able to cane it up to 115-120 in second, now id be lucky to hit 80 in second before the redline)



turbo mr2 has E series, ive got S series which is a bit weaker.. but yeah i get where you're going with the logic..

oh and ive also had alignments and balances done three times in the last 3 months.

gear ratiops dont change at all dude,

what you might have done is fit a smaller rolling diametre wheels/tyres combo, thus reducing top end speed, due to the smaller rolling diametre,

???

[Dale]

How is it even physically possible for gear ratios to slip like that? Teeth would have had to go missing or something major, or teeth broke off the speedo drive gear

115 doesn't sound right, 80 in second and hitting redline sounds more like what it should be... you sure the speedo wasn't innacurate and something got changed that would effect it?

[hamgatan]

oops yeah, i think im just loosely using the term gear ratios.. i realise they dont change, but if the box is getting well fubared, it feels like they are.. lol. like i cant cane it anymore coz all i end up doing is burning clutch

How is it even physically possible for gear ratios to slip like that? Teeth would have had to go missing or something major, or teeth broke off the speedo drive gear

115 doesn't sound right, 80 in second and hitting redline sounds more like what it should be... you sure the speedo wasn't innacurate and something got changed that would effect it?

yeah thats what i cant work out. it did used to hit 110-115 just on the redline.. when i first got it anyway the gen 3 3SGE is a wickedly revving engine. speedo was accurate as that was when i had the stock wheels on. then i went up to the 17's and i imagine there might have been some level of change.. but not 30kph worth of change..

[Andrew162]

well I know the Aristo was LSD setup... shouldn't be any uneven wear issues there either.

[Dale]

It might have had a hit at some time causing something to be out of line slightly, or bad alignment..

Anyway just saw your car runs an s54?, so I think that probably answers why the rear passenger wheel is getting worn unevenly.. the power goes to that wheel

[hamgatan]

any way to get that power evenly distributed? hehe (aftermarket lsd?)

[Dale]

Aftermarket lsd or if you managed to find an e153 and driveshafts for an mr2.. pretty certain the e153 was behind the 3sgte sw20s

yeah e153 is what you'd want, it was in the turbo sw20s, ratios are a bit different and have a different final drive, they are also a physically heavier box

edit: got it right finally

[mrshin]

Don't let an idiot do your alignment, and make sure you watch them doing it.

[hamgatan]

ill take a photo of it tonight hey. its significantly worn down. like the drivers side tyre still has like 3-4mm of the centre track of the tyre still going on it.

but the passenger side one is completely bald.. you cant see where the centre track was its that bald.