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Another Tire Question/Problem

H

HapaHaole

Experienced Member
Joined
14 September 2000
Messages
296
Location
folsom CA
Last night as I was working on my other car I noticed something werid about the tires on my NSX.

Both passenger side tires are being affected by TOE and the front Inner tire is bald and the rear is getting there. BUT the drivers side has no indication of Toe Wear at all.. can anyone figure out why? I havent taken the car in for an alignment if that is the case can anyone recommend a good shop here in sacramento ?

Now with that.. I need to get new tires..



------------------
'92 Sebring Silver NSX #181
 
As you already suspect, alignment would be the first thing to check.

I havent taken the car in for an alignment if that is the case can anyone recommend a good shop here in sacramento ?

Well, Niello is the NSX expert in town. I would bet they have the latest Hunter alignment equipment too...

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 11 November 2001).]
 
should I ask them to align it for a '94 and higher configuration?

First of all, keep in mind that Acura's recommended alignment is the same for all years. They originally had a more aggressive alignment for the '91-92, but changed their recommendation when they started giving out tire certificates for rapid tire wear.

The original and revised alignments are written up in the FAQ, along with some alternative alignment specs. It's up to you, and how you use your car, to decide which alignment spec is right for you. Do you want to optimize the car for the track? If so, use the original '91-92 spec. Do you want to optimize for lower tire wear, with somewhat less precise cornering? If so, consider one of the alternative specs. Do you want something in between, with pretty good handling and pretty good tire wear, but not necessarily maximizing one or the other? If so, use the Acura-recommended spec.

Niello sees enough NSX's that they should be able to discuss the various specs with you and help you decide what's best for you. Feel free to look through the alignment section of the FAQ as well; it's very good.

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 11 November 2001).]
 
Thanks, I dont track the car much so I will go with the longer tire wear.

Now the question is do I need to buy a new set of tires or just the 2 bad ones??? the rear drivers side has only seen 4K miles and shows no wear and the front has some rubbing marks but still has 90% of the tread left.

------------------
'92 Sebring Silver NSX #181
 
The problem is not toe, but rather camber. For some reason, inside tire wear on the NSX is often attributed to the toe settings. But toe is the measure of how much the tires point left or right relative to straight ahead. The NSX uses toe out, meaning that the right wheel is turned slightly right and the left slightly left when you are driving straight ahead. Although it contributes to overall rate of wear, I don't think toe alone should cause dramatically uneven tire wear inside vs outside. Combined with the built in scrub (inwards for the fronts) of OEM tires, I would expect very even wear from proper toe, but perhaps that same scrub would produce uneven wear if the front was incorrectly set to zero or toe in. But, that should be the same for both sides because toe is really a combined value of the relationship between the sides.

Camber, measured in degrees, is the amount that a tire/wheel tilts or leans top to bottom. The NSX runs negative camber which means that the top of the wheels are tilted in at the top and out at the bottom. As you can imagine, that loads the inside of the tire more heavily and the outer most part of the tread almost not at all when driving straight. This is the primary reason that they wear the inside so much faster than the outside. And, this is corner specific so one tire may wear much faster than another if the alignment is different.

So in your case, the first guess would be that one side has camber set very near zero and therefore the wear is even. The other side probably has significant negative camber so the inside wears faster. The one may or may not have too much negative, but it is likely that the side with even wear is well out of spec.


Or, perhaps you just spend way too much time turning left!
smile.gif
 
Above I left out the fact that toe is the opposite in back. It is designed to have toe in with the tires designed with scrub in the opposite direction. And in the back, left and right toe are more independent so you could have one side wear faster than the other due to toe, but I would still expect that to be reasonably even inside vs outside (again, based on toe and scrub alone.) But the camber is negative in back and even more so than the front, so again it sounds like one side is well negative and the other near zero.
 
<<I havent taken the car in for an alignment if that is the case can anyone recommend a good shop here in sacramento ?

Now with that.. I need to get new tires..>>

Fritz, Big-O-Tires on 5701 Folsom Blvd (near UCDavis Medical center) has $49 standing special offer for all 4 wheels to all NSXCA members. Ask for James Dunn the manager if he is still there. Both Tom Kohrs and I have taken our cars there. I have referred other clients and they have done good work. Tom has bought tires as well. I have been very happy with their alignment work, and treadwear has been perfect on the fronts of my NSX ....

Niello occasionally has specials, and given your visits there, they may make a special offer as well but expect about $125 for all 4.

This is most likely related to the earlier post you had a week ago, and perhaps they are all related to the favorite El Dorado exit ....

Hrant
 
Ok I have aftermarket rims with tire.

They are 235/40/17 fronts and 265/35/18 in the rears.

I have been noticing that the car does veer left when you let go of the wheel. The wear is werid since it is all in the inner side and just the first 1/8 of the tire. I will take some pics of it this week and show you since I have some other rims I can put on it for the time being.


and BTW I turn Right more than left
smile.gif



Hey Hrant that is using the Hunter Equipment? Also do they do a first come first serve basis?


------------------
'92 Sebring Silver NSX #181

[This message has been edited by HapaHaole (edited 11 November 2001).]
 
Big-O-Tires on 5701 Folsom Blvd (near UCDavis Medical center) has $49 standing special offer for all 4 wheels to all NSXCA members.

Is this for mounting/balancing or for alignment?

A four-wheel alignment on an NSX by a place that knows what they're doing should take roughly an hour and a half...
confused.gif
 
Hey Hrant that is using the Hunter Equipment? Also do they do a first come first serve basis?

Yes it is Hunter. Yes it is first come first served, but do call to make sure james is there so there are no confusions; they should also have a copy of the sequence by which you do the alignment per an e-mail Kent Shepley sent a while ago (I faxed it to them). And yes Ken, it does take about an hour plus, they also test drive it ....

Hrant
 
Originally posted by Hrant:
Yes it is Hunter. Yes it is first come first served, but do call to make sure james is there so there are no confusions; they should also have a copy of the sequence by which you do the alignment per an e-mail Kent Shepley sent a while ago (I faxed it to them)plus, they also test drive it ....
Hrant
Click to expand...

OK I will call him on my day off on tuesday. and BTW they TEST drive it NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
smile.gif




------------------
'92 Sebring Silver NSX #181
 
Originally posted by HapaHaole:
...
I have been noticing that the car does veer left when you let go of the wheel. ...
Click to expand...

That could be a byproduct of the uneven wear, or it could be an indication of the cause of the wear. I'd guess the latter. If it is that bad then you should examine the suspension for damage such as bent tie rods or even bent control arms. Also look for conspicuous slipping at the adjustment points for camber and caster in case the came loose and move as you load them around corners, and for any bushings that may be shot.

An significant change in alignment is either a slipping adjustment point, a disintegrating bushing, or an impact causing something to be bent. Either way, it is important to determine the cause, not just set it to specs.
 
Originally posted by nsxtasy:
Now if only they gave free loaners .....

Niello doesn't give free loaners? The dealers around here do...
Click to expand...

Fritz, Niello offers limo service and now the new RSX if you call in advance
smile.gif
In the past when I needed a loaner they have given me an Integra (soory not the typr R
frown.gif
and occasionally use the rental comapny e

And yes, i recommend that you have Niello check the suspension .......

Hrant
 
Niello doesn't do my alignment because my car is too low and they cant get it on the machine, so they outsource it to some place on Auburn Blvd. Cant remember the name, but if you want me to find out I will. I took it there personally and was very happy.

Not sure if Niello will give you a car if your car is out of warranty. Last time I was there they gave me a cl type s that was a pretty nice car. The time before that an RL.
 
When I bought some AVS Sports a few months ago, the best deal I could find was Discount Tire using the NSXCA discount. Tire Rack is usually pretty competitive as well, in fact the AVS Sports were the first tires I'd bought in quite a while that were cheaper at Discount Tire with the club discount than at Tire Rack without it, but I always check both.
 
Originally posted by justin hall:
Niello doesn't do my alignment because my car is too low and they cant get it on the machine, so they outsource it to some place on Auburn Blvd.

Take your car to Les Swabb (sp) across the street from where you work. Ask for Todd the Mgr. I worked a $45.00 (or something like that) deal with him for Sacramento NSX Chapter Memebers a while back.

The store is months new and has the latest Hunter equipment. The allignment rack is a "drive-on" design with a bay below (no raising the car). That is to say the allignment rails are perfectly flat and accept any car regardless of ground clearence.

Check it out. While doing the allignment you can check for any suspension issues.

Good luck!

97-T
Click to expand...
 
Take your car to Les Swabb (sp) across the street from where you work. Ask for Todd the Mgr. I worked a $45.00 (or something like that) deal with him for Sacramento NSX Chapter Memebers a while back.

The store is months new and has the latest Hunter equipment. The allignment rack is a "drive-on" design with a bay below (no raising the car). That is to say the allignment rails are perfectly flat and accept any car regardless of ground clearence.

Check it out. While doing the allignment you can check for any suspension issues.

Good luck!

97-T

[/B][/QUOTE]


Todd should inform others in the shop of this arrangement. Last year, on their grand open house day, I referred a friend in Folsom to the same store and they had no clue, Todd may or may not have been there at the time ..... the friend left and did the service at Big O Five on Folsom Blvd. where they too have a flat ramp.

Just my $0.02
 
wow that is a great deal, and the equipment sounds perfect. I had this same store mount my so2's on the wheels, but I took the wheels off and drove another car to schwab so I didn't even notice their equipment. I will go there next time.
 

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