What is "Normal" Wear For Rear Tyres?

[Froogler]

Ok so first up is great news is Im finally plucking the courage up to move to Non-Run-Flats now as quite frankly the cost of buying new boots in Run Flat version is quite prohibitive to the amount of driving I do (not a lot)

The guys a my local tyre garage where very helpful and Im getting some new boots tomorrow. Upon inspection last week, they took a look as exclaimed that the rears had substantial wear on the inside and this is common for BMWs.

So... Whats "normal" as surely my performance, handling and tyre wear is improved of my wheel is correctly flat to the road, right? :?

As this is my first time as replacing the tyres since owning the car, Im considering some tracking/aligment also if the wear is severe.

Whats your experience with wear on your rears?

 

[BMWZ4MC]

It's normal for the Z4 - this is one of my track day tyres:

and in close up:

My E46 320d wears the rears in a similar pattern too

 

[Bing]

BMWZ4MC, I knew you'd post those pics

Froogler, it's the camber on the wheels. Walk about 10m from the back of your car and skooch down for a look - they angle out lots more than you'd expect, but it is normal/correct.

 

[Stuart Truman]

It's normal for the Z4 - this is one of my track day tyres:

and in close up:

My E46 320d wears the rears in a similar pattern too

They look just like the ones that came off of #69...

 

[BMWZ4MC]

BMWZ4MC, I knew you'd post those pics

Bing, a picture is worth a thousand words - or in your case ten thousand posts

They look just like the ones that came off of #69...

Stuart, I think that I posted them the first time round in response to some photos of number 69's tyres

Froogler, it's the camber on the wheels. Walk about 10m from the back of your car and skooch down for a look - they angle out lots more than you'd expect, but it is normal/correct.

As Bing said, lots of negative camber. It helps to align the loaded rear wheel with the road surface when cornering at speed, reducing the chance of going backwards through the nearest hedge

 

[Bing]

BMWZ4MC, I knew you'd post those pics

Bing, a picture is worth a thousand words - or in your case ten thousand posts

Not yet :wink:

 

[BMWZ4MC]

-20 and counting...

 

[powerontap]

One thing to add about the effect of native negative camber, is whether the car is mostly used in the city or on the highway (or wathever you call it in GB)

In the city, the suspension is obviously asked to travel more, creating an increase in the negative angle of the wheels. This will certainly increase that wear pattern. At higher speeds, since the car's suspension is less active, that wear pattern will still show up, but to a lesser degree.

 

[BMWZ4MC]

Also sqatting under hard acceleration probably increases the negative camber at the rear, hence the pattern of wear on my track day tyres in the photo above