S40 (New) Wheels/Tyres : Front tyre wear, only on the very inside 40mm

[Elfed]

Hi Guys,

I've just had my MY05 S40 SE Sport serviced today at my local Volvo dealership and was horrified to find out that the inner 40mm of both front tyres was bald, but the rest had 3mm tread depth?

I had two new Falken Ziex ZE-912 tyres fitted in May, 13,000 miles ago and had the four wheel alignment tracking done at the same time, all at the Volvo dealership. They pricematched Blackcircles, so no, I haven't got money to burn, lol.

I'm guessing this is tracking, but can it be something else, and if the tracking was adjusted correctly why would the tyre wear be so uneven?

I've looked at Blackcircles and the Falken Ziex ZE-912 in the 215/45/r18" size are £132.53, and the same tyre in 225/40/r18" are £93.55. That's £38.98 difference! Granted I'd have to change all four to the new size at the same time which would be more expensive, but in the longer run I'd be saving a lot of money.

Is this to be expected with these big tyres or is there some other problem other than tracking?

Thanks guys

[t5_monkey]

13,000 miles is a fairly reasonable lifespan for the fronts!

I'm not sure anythings wrong, it's a car that likes front tyres.

[spandelly]

Cant give you a difinitive answer but I think they stiffen the suspension and put a bit more camber on the front wheels of the sport to improve the handling so its probably normal.

[Daim]

I think that is nothing for front tyres. My first Pirellis had (with 215/45 R18 and a rather negative camber) a life span of 80.000 km (about 50k mi). Then I changed them for Hankook. They are alive still. The rears are now well past the 100.000 km (Pirelli).

Did you rotate them? I.e. every 5-7.500 miles?

[Elfed]

Thanks for the replies guys, no I didn't rotate them, definitely will next time though.

I guess one reason is that because the car handles so well I tend to go round corners quicker, although not sure if that equates to inner tyre wear.

My old car had 15" wheels and could get Michelin Energy Savers for £70, if only....

Thanks guys

[Daim]

Rotate... That is how you can extend tire life a lot, as the fronts and rears do tend to wear off differently.

[t5_monkey]

Originally Posted by Elfed

Thanks for the replies guys, no I didn't rotate them, definitely will next time though.

I guess one reason is that because the car handles so well I tend to go round corners quicker, although not sure if that equates to inner tyre wear.

My old car had 15" wheels and could get Michelin Energy Savers for £70, if only....

Thanks guys

Conti Contact Sport 3's are really good - got em on mine.

[Elfed]

Don't you run 17" wheels? Massive difference in price as the 215/45s are horrendously expensive.

My ideal tyre would be Michelin Pilots, but they're over £200 each!!

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Elfed

Hi Guys,

I've just had my MY05 S40 SE Sport serviced today at my local Volvo dealership and was horrified to find out that the inner 40mm of both front tyres was bald, but the rest had 3mm tread depth?

I had two new Falken Ziex ZE-912 tyres fitted in May, 13,000 miles ago and had the four wheel alignment tracking done at the same time, all at the Volvo dealership. They pricematched Blackcircles, so no, I haven't got money to burn, lol.

I'm guessing this is tracking, but can it be something else, and if the tracking was adjusted correctly why would the tyre wear be so uneven?

I've looked at Blackcircles and the Falken Ziex ZE-912 in the 215/45/r18" size are £132.53, and the same tyre in 225/40/r18" are £93.55. That's £38.98 difference! Granted I'd have to change all four to the new size at the same time which would be more expensive, but in the longer run I'd be saving a lot of money.

Is this to be expected with these big tyres or is there some other problem other than tracking?

Thanks guys

Yes i have seen a lot like this and over the years i have come to the conclusion it is tyre pressures , Most with this problem never check their pressures and they are often less than 30 psi when in this state ,try 36 - 38 psi in the fronts ( as per Driv e models ) , see how you get on ...

[Bendolfc]

Fitted my winter wheels on Sunday so had a chance to have a good look at my Kumhos as I took em off, wear is even across the tyres and they have done about 10K. Always have them @ 37 psi so you could be onto something there r.e. pressures.