[s-cars] tire wear

[CLAG500 at aol.com]

Another thing to keep in mind with an S4: If you add negative camber you also
toe the wheels out a ton due to the location of the tie rod. This is a recipe
for instant inner tire destruction. I added some camber when I changed the
strut inserts.  I noticed a short while later that the insides of my tires
were worn smooth. After many fruitless attempts at adjusting the toe I
finally got it aligned properly. I had my camber at -1.5 with correct toe for
a while and didn't get any significant amount of inner tire wear.  I
currently have -3/4 camber and the tires are wearing evenly. Don't know if
the camber that comes from lowering would have the same effect though because
you aren't moving the tops of the struts closer together but the toe should
definitly be adjusted if the camber changes.

Chad Tobin

<< From: "Bob Rossato" <bob.rossato at att.net>
 To: "James Murray (LMC)" <James.Murray at ericsson.ca>,
    <jimk at spotgraphicsinc.com>, <jmcgee at ecentral.com>
 Cc: <s-car-list at audifans.com>
 Subject: RE: [s-cars] tire wear
 Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 22:04:39 -0400

 I also run the Eibach/Bilsteins (for now) and what I did was to extend the
 slots on the existing camber plate.  As you stand on the side of the car and
 look towards the engine I extended the two outer slots until there was only
 about 0.100" of material left and extended the center slot a similar amount.
 The best this gave me was -1.0=B0 of camber, and that was being limited on =
 one
 side only.  The other side probably could have gotten to -0.8 - 0.9=B0 of
 camber, but -1.0=B0 is where I wanted to be anyway.  After looking at the
 plates again, I don't see any reason I couldn't have removed more material
 if I needed to get less negative camber. And there is still room for the
 plate to move until it starts to hit sheet metal, and even then the plate
 could be trimmed if need be.

 With -1.0=B0 of camber I have very even tire wear.

 James, I'm surprised that with a stock suspension you can't dial out enough
 negative camber.  You may have other issues.  Either you have too much toe
 in, or worn bushings.

 Bob

 > It's a funny thing this suspension setup on the UrS4 & UrS6...some seem to
 > need camber plates because of uneven tire wear and some don't, why I don't
 > know. I assume when I find the time to install my new suspension
 > I will need
 > camber plates because in my current stock setup I can't get the darn it to
 > stop wearing and I'm at the limits according to the alignment shop that's
 > tried twice already.
 >
 > /James '93 S4
 >
 >  -----Original Message-----
 >  From:   jimk at spotgraphicsinc.com [SMTP:jimk at spotgraphicsinc.com]
 >  Sent:   September 17, 2002 6:41 PM
 >  To: jmcgee at ecentral.com
 >  Cc: s-car-list at audifans.com
 >  Subject:    [s-cars] tire wear
 >
 >  Jim,
 >  I have the same suspension setup (Eibach/Bilstein Sport) and have NO
 >  uneven wear on the tires.  It has been at least 20,000 miles since
 > the
 >  suspension install, of those at least 10000 miles were on old 16"
 > tires
 >  that were evenly worn, then 3000 miles on snowtires driven on mostly
 > dry
 >  roads from CA to CO and back with no appreciable wear at all, then
 > new
 >  17" tires for the last 7000 miles.  I looked at the tires last
 > weekend
 >  and they are wearing very smoothly and evenly.  No camber plates.
 > Stock
 >  alignment specs.
 >  Jim K
 >  93S4
 >
 >  Message: 9
 >  From: "Jim McGee" <jmcgee at ecentral.com>
 >  To: "'Marc Weiner'" <marcweiner at attbi.com>
 >  Subject: RE: [s-cars] Fw: Hoppen Stage IV - boost (or lack
 > thereof)issue
 >
 >  Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 06:13:39 -0600
 >
 >  Marc,
 >
 >  I also have Eibachs & Bilsteins and I am getting tremendous wear on
 > the
 >  inside of primarily the front tires.  Is this something you are
 > getting
 >  too?  Can it be solved with the camber plates?  I know that this has
 >  been discussed ad nauseum on the list, but I would like someone to
 >  distill the information.  Are you using stock alignment?
 >
 >  I'd appreciate your help.  Also if you know of an alignment shop
 > with
 >  experience on these cars in the Denver area, that would be great.
 > I'm
 >  buying tires today.
 >
 >  Jim McGee
 >  95 S6
  >>