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Newbie questions, 08' 997 rear tyre wear

richtrives

richtrives

New member
Hello all,

I'm brand new to PCGB, so please forgive if these have been covered before! :)

First, my 2008 997 C4S suffered a flat tyre (rear left) and once at the garage it was easy to see why, is this normal? No track days, no crazy driving etc, no massive potholes that I remember...


2DF2C8D01DB34B18A6F2C03471A2D422.JPG

 
Hi Rich,

First of all welcome to the Club and 997 ownership.

Secondly, no that wear is definitely not normal. It looks to me as though something has been rubbing on the tyre and wearing it away since as there is a noticeable channel rubbed through at the edge - the remaining tread looks to be wearing evenly.

You don't say if this is a front or rear, but the first thing to check is if the wheel is free to rotate on full suspension bump and rebound on full lock in both directions (if front). Are the bump stops and shockers in good condition? Are the tyres the correct size for the car? Are there any edges coming into contact in use? Has the car been involved in a collision?

Many of us use Chris Franklyn of Center (sic) Gravity in Atherstone for our suspension work with good results.

Please keep us informed of any solution.

Regards,

Clive.

 
Thank you Clive, and thank you for the swift response.

Oh yes, that's important, it's the rear left tyre.

I have had the car 10 months and 15,000 miles so have ordered four new Michelin Pilot Sport 2's but as you suggest I will get the undercarriage checked before they go on.

Rich

 
Hi Rich

This happened to my rear tyres on my 997 gen1 c2 and I got it checked out at OPC they charged me a lot for checking the wheel alignment but then they said it was fine. Now I have this problem on the front tyres some 2 years later but not on the back. Bear in mind I use my car everyday. Im taking mine for its first ever non OPC service tomorrow so I should find out more. Ill be interested to learn what your investigations find out. Good luck

Chris

 
Hi Chris,

Thanks, that's interesting, would also be glad to hear your update if you manage to find out some more information.

The only thing they hinted at so far was that due to the width of the wheel and the small camber which is part of the normal set up there may be wear like this on the inside of the tyre but it doesn't look/seem normal to me.

They suggested they could remove the camber for more even tyre wear as it's a daily driver and I don't use it for track days etc...

Rich

 
All of my rear tyres would have looked like that after 15K miles! :rolleyes:

I only ever used to get about 10-12K on the rears and then the inside edge was gone just like the image (but not quite that bad!!)

Even with a Geo check at COG the car used to take the inside edge, but granted the Geo did save it a bit but made the handling divine, Chris can dial it out for you but the car can become a bit skittish on the motorway.

But I'd have said normal to the rear tyres at that mileage.

Had it been the fronts- I wouldn't have dared to drive the car- and would have thought something seriously wrong with the setup.

997 are very sensitive to their Geo setup both in terms of tyre wear and handling.

IMHO

 
Thanks Gary,

Ok, makes sense, 15k miles is rather a lot but I've put 10k miles on my SLS in a similar timeframe and the tyres are as new, obviously something to do with the geometry and quite likely the compound I imagine.

On the other hand my very good friend with a 996 Turbo seems to think it's very unusual...

 
I accept what you are saying, Gary but from the photo there's a distinct groove worn into a small section of the inner tread and side wall and some of the cords are cut. The damage is to one tyre only. My money would be on some external projection on car or road that has caused this.

I have never had tyres exhibiting similar traits in any of the four 997's I have owned.

Regards,

Clive.

 
Could it be wheel offsets? Has that wheel been damaged in the past and replaced by a C2S rear wheel by mistake? For C4S they should say 11 51 embossed either side of the valve.

 
Out of interest, did you drive very far with the tyre flat. I remember having to get round the roundabout and down West Hill on the A3 with a flat and it looked like that by the time I got to a safe place to stop [:mad:]

 
Hi Peter, yes, that could also be a contributing factor but it wasn't too far, by chance I was less than a mile away from 911sport, the place where I bought the car a year ago when I noticed the flat...

 
If you drove on it flat for a mile, that would have wrecked the sidewall. Did you look to see if the puncture was caused by a nail or screw and if so where on the rim?

 
997C4STyres.jpg


Hi Rich

Any more clues about your worn tyre or a resolution?

Just so you're not worried by your recent car purchase(!) here are some tyres recently taken off my 997 Targa 4S. They were on the car when I bought it 2 years ago so I don't know their full history but from the mileage shown on the receipt when they were fitted, they've done approximately 12,000 road miles. About a year ago I did a whole track day at Goodwood Motor Circuit with them. And I put them back on this summer to "finish them off" by doing 60 laps of (half of the Top Gear track at) Dunsfold Park. As you can see, they're probably still legal! They're Bridgestone Potenzas BTW. So don't worry - once your car is set up correctly, it won't eat rear tyres! Incidentally, the front set that go with these are worn on the inner edge and probably wouldn't pass the 1.6mm over 75% test.

A lot of people I've spoken to at track days recommend the Michelin PS2 and this is what I'm running at the moment.

I look forward to finding out what caused your damage.

Paul

 
Hello Paul,

Doubt I will find out beyond perhaps the wheel needing to be reshaped a little.

Maybe both happened when I drove the short distance to the shop.

I'll be getting the new MPS2's on Friday afternoon, so will post as soon as/if I know more.

Thanks to all for input.

 
Paul's rears mirror my experience. 11,000 miles including 15 laps of Silverstone, and they looked like his, albeit I had completely worn the tread groove off the inside of both. RE050A also.

Also, gone to PS2 and vast improvement in wet/damp performance (Bridgestones were always OK in bone dry/track/hot).

 
Hi Rich

I echo Clive, Paul and RJK above. I have just worn out MPS2s on my 2005 C2S after about 18,000 miles (!) which have included a fast road and track course at Millbrook, 4 track days, with coaching and an on limit handling course, oh and a number of runs up Prescott Hill Climb. The fronts were down to the markers but the backs were still legal, just, at about 2.0 - 3mm. I have had the car about two and a half years and the chap I bought it from had a new set fitted. A few months after I bought the car I took it to Centre Gravity ([link=http://www.centregravity.co.uk]http://www.centregravity.co.uk[/link]) and had the bump stops on the front and track rod ends changed, which had perished/worn, and the car set up. I cannot recommend Chris Franklin highly enough - I spent a day under the car in his workshop on Saturday watching his forensic approach to suspension work, a number of test drives until we were both happy - best £600 I have spent on this car. The ridiculous mileage I have got out of this set of tyres, I suspect, is down to a good set up by someone who know what they are doing and maybe my smooth 'Jensen Button like' driving style! [:D]

I would be very wary of anyone suggesting they reduce the camber to reduce your tyre wear - my car is set up so it handles beautifully on both road and the odd track day and it does not munch tyres at all. If I ever feel it needs setting up again I will take the 160 mile round trip without hesitation. Out of interest my car had the steering rack changed by the OPC just before I bought it I would have thought the tracking would have been spot on - but it was not.

One other odd thing, I had a rear spring break a year ago and the Porsche specialist who replaced it said occasionally they can damage the tyre, depending where they break. It was obvious on the Porsche that this had happened but I remember my Golf broke a spring and you would not have known any different. Your are having that checked anyway...

Good luck and let us know.

 
Hi Stefan,

Thanks for the info, will be sure to have a look at [link=http://www.centregravity.co.uk]www.centregravity.co.uk[/link]

Interesting what you say about the camber.

 
It could well be worthwhile speaking to Chris, normally during January he has some free clinics on offer.

 
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