Uneven wear on inner edges

[Altamar]

I love my 2014 E class which I have owned from new.

89k miles with almost faultless reliability, 40+ mpg around town, with more on a run, £30 a year RFL - what's not to like?

Eh, the wear on the inner edges of the front tyres, that's what.

I have tried everything I can think of including running with the recommended pressures, running at 6 PSI over, getting a MB dealer to do the four wheel tracking last time I changed the front tyres but yet again there is significant wear on the inner edges of both fronts, whilst there is about 5mm left on the middle of the tread.

It's only the inner edges, not both edges, so if anyone can think of anything I haven't tried I would really appreciate it please. So frustrating to have to change the tyres as they will be down to threads way before the tyre has done the mileage it should have

 

[V6Matty]

I love my 2014 E class which I have owned from new.

89k miles with almost faultless reliability, 40+ mpg around town, with more on a run, £30 a year RFL - what's not to like?

Eh, the wear on the inner edges of the front tyres, that's what.

I have tried everything I can think of including running with the recommended pressures, running at 6 PSI over, getting a MB dealer to do the four wheel tracking last time I changed the front tyres but yet again there is significant wear on the inner edges of both fronts, whilst there is about 5mm left on the middle of the tread.

It's only the inner edges, not both edges, so if anyone can think of anything I haven't tried I would really appreciate it please. So frustrating to have to change the tyres as they will be down to threads way before the tyre has done the mileage it should have

Take it to a place that knows the geometry of these cars, and that’s not Mercedes themselves surprisingly.
Someone like wheels in motion will be able to resolve the issue.

Just a side question do you straddle a lot of those speed cushions while driving around town by chance?

 

[Benz17]

+1 for wheels in motion, have taken my last merc and current one there, only place I would take it, as they sure know their stuff.

There must be someone equivalent to them in your neck of woods op.

 

[Ron240]

Just a side question do you straddle a lot of those speed cushions while driving around town by chance?

I have heard this said before, and it has been on my mind because I go over 3 or 4 speed cushions every time I leave my house then the same when returning and I always use the straddle method at no more than 20 mph.
Surely if anything you would expect all 4 tyres to be affected?
Thankfully my tyres have always been fine though.

 

[Larkone]

+ another 1 for WIM

 

[V6Matty]

I have heard this said before, and it has been on my mind because I go over 3 or 4 speed cushions every time I leave my house then the same when returning and I always use the straddle method at no more than 20 mph.
Surely if anything you would expect all 4 tyres to be affected?
Thankfully my tyres have always been fine though.

It would always affect the front more than the rear due to all the other components that also move at the front, every time it puts just a little more strain on those components and they wear/misalign just that little bit more each time, best thing to do it put one wheel over the centre and the other through the gap around 15 mph seems to be the max without hitting things too hard

 

[Ron240]

It would always affect the front more than the rear due to all the other components that also move at the front, every time it puts just a little more strain on those components and they wear/misalign just that little bit more each time, best thing to do it put one wheel over the centre and the other through the gap around 15 mph seems to be the max without hitting things too hard

Yeah I understand what you are saying...just doesn't feel right doing it that way.
It is worse for me because the speed cushions next to my house are on a 30 mph road, which is something I feel strongly should not be allowed.
I would have no problem with the council lowering the limit to 20 mph, because I am effectively reduced to this speed anyway.

 

[Altamar]

Thanks for the replies.

My instinct was that it is wheel alignment but having paid MB the best part of £160 to do the four wheel alignment two years ago when I put new tyres on the front I am disappointed the uneven wear has occurred again. I say "again" because I forgot to say in my original post that this is at least the second, possibly third, set of fronts which have done this. The uneven wear is only ever on the fronts and only on the inner edge.

So either the dealer didn't do the alignment properly or something is causing it to go out again.

I never drive over kerbs etc but yes, we have some speed cushions near us and yes, I do try to straddle them at about 20mph. My logic was that this was kinder to my passengers as going over the cushion with just one side of the car throws them to one side, and similarly I thought it was kinder to the car to have both sides of the suspension, taking equal weight, but perhaps I am wrong on this?

'Wheels in motion' are too far away from me to justify a day trip but I have found an excellent indy in Bridgend and when they do the service next month I will ask them to have a look. Last time both Kwik Fit and ATS said they don't do alignment on Mercedes.

Final thought though - if I am having alignment done again is it better to wait until I am putting new tyres on the front?

 

[Blobcat]

Thanks for the replies.

My instinct was that it is wheel alignment but having paid MB the best part of £160 to do the four wheel alignment two years ago when I put new tyres on the front I am disappointed the uneven wear has occurred again. I say "again" because I forgot to say in my original post that this is at least the second, possibly third, set of fronts which have done this. The uneven wear is only ever on the fronts and only on the inner edge.

So either the dealer didn't do the alignment properly or something is causing it to go out again.

I never drive over kerbs etc but yes, we have some speed cushions near us and yes, I do try to straddle them at about 20mph. My logic was that this was kinder to my passengers as going over the cushion with just one side of the car throws them to one side, and similarly I thought it was kinder to the car to have both sides of the suspension, taking equal weight, but perhaps I am wrong on this?

'Wheels in motion' are too far away from me to justify a day trip but I have found an excellent indy in Bridgend and when they do the service next month I will ask them to have a look. Last time both Kwik Fit and ATS said they don't do alignment on Mercedes.

Final thought though - if I am having alignment done again is it better to wait until I am putting new tyres on the front?

Straddling the cushions is bad for wheels, tyres and suspension. Lots of cracked wheels and damage to inner edge of the tyres. All the weight of the car is on the unsupported inner wheel

 

[V6Matty]

Thanks for the replies.

My instinct was that it is wheel alignment but having paid MB the best part of £160 to do the four wheel alignment two years ago when I put new tyres on the front I am disappointed the uneven wear has occurred again. I say "again" because I forgot to say in my original post that this is at least the second, possibly third, set of fronts which have done this. The uneven wear is only ever on the fronts and only on the inner edge.

So either the dealer didn't do the alignment properly or something is causing it to go out again.

I never drive over kerbs etc but yes, we have some speed cushions near us and yes, I do try to straddle them at about 20mph. My logic was that this was kinder to my passengers as going over the cushion with just one side of the car throws them to one side, and similarly I thought it was kinder to the car to have both sides of the suspension, taking equal weight, but perhaps I am wrong on this?

'Wheels in motion' are too far away from me to justify a day trip but I have found an excellent indy in Bridgend and when they do the service next month I will ask them to have a look. Last time both Kwik Fit and ATS said they don't do alignment on Mercedes.

Final thought though - if I am having alignment done again is it better to wait until I am putting new tyres on the front?

Going over the cushions as you are pushes the wheels out in the way they aren’t designed, slowly pushing it out of alignment.
which Indy are you seeing is it avantguard automotive by any chance?

 

[Altamar]

Going over the cushions as you are pushes the wheels out in the way they aren’t designed, slowly pushing it out of alignment.
which Indy are you seeing is it avantguard automotive by any chance?

Thanks for your reply.

The Indy I've started using in Bridgend is MB Specialists on the Bridgend Industrial Estate. They did the B service for me last year and fitted a new battery and are due to do the A service next month.

https://www.mbspecialists.co.uk/

 

[V6Matty]

Thanks for your reply.

The Indy I've started using in Bridgend is MB Specialists on the Bridgend Industrial Estate. They did the B service for me last year and fitted a new battery and are due to do the A service next month.

https://www.mbspecialists.co.uk/

Okay good to know if another Indy in that area that people recommend, not for me but does really help the forum and keep those indys running.
Avantguard Automotive is just up the road from you there and Steve is a forum sponsor here and a great guy too boot, so if you do ever need another Indy you’ll not go far wrong there

 

[Ron240]

These damn speed cushions...there wouldn't be a problem if it was full width speed bumps, but council's won't use them on bus routes.

 

[Madtutle3]

To answer your question regarding waiting for new tires before getting an alignment, according to the shop I go to there is no need. The tread wear doesn't affect the equipment.

However, I can tell you that once a wear pattern is started on a radial tire it will continue regardless of the alignment.

Have you been rotating your tires frequently? I had a similar problem on my old Audi A3, but with the rear tires. I was advised to rotate the tires every 6 to 10,000 kilometres, which certainly helped.

 

[Ron240]

Have you been rotating your tires frequently? I had a similar problem on my old Audi A3, but with the rear tires. I was advised to rotate the tires every 6 to 10,000 kilometres, which certainly hehelped.

When you say rotate do you mean swap from front to back on same side of the car, because a lot of tyres tend to be directional.
I remember when it used to be recommended to swap front to back diagonally, but not anymore.

 

[Blobcat]

When you say rotate do you mean swap from front to back on same side of the car, because a lot of tyres tend to be directional.
I remember when it used to be recommended to swap front to back diagonally, but not anymore.

Quite a few tyre manufacturers have gone from directional to inside and outside. So you can swop across the axle.
Too many cars have staggered setup (fashion) so you can’t swop front to rear (Although I have seen it done…)

 

[Madtutle3]

When you say rotate do you mean swap from front to back on same side of the car, because a lot of tyres tend to be directional.

Quite a few tyre manufacturers have gone from directional to inside and outside. So you can swap across the axel.
Too many cars have staggered setup (fashion) so you can’t swap front to rear

Front to back if directional, Cross X pattern otherwise. I'd forgotten that many Merc have staggered offset which you obviously don't rotate front to back.

 

[Altamar]

Front to back if directional, Cross X pattern otherwise. I'd forgotten that many Merc have staggered offset which you obviously don't rotate front to back.

Hi, no I haven't been rotating tyres - partly because I thought this was no longer recommended but mostly because if I do that there is a risk I will be ruining the tyres on the rear which are currently wearing normally!

The tyres on this car are the same size on each corner and not directional so I will give some serious thought to putting the tyres with the worn edge on the rear of the car now in the hope of getting a bit more life out of them. As I said originally, there is about 5mm left on most of the tyre.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

If you do a search on the net you will find your local Hunter tracking equipped tyre outlet and they will provide you with a computer printout of your cars current suspension and alignment values (you don’t mention whether MB supplied you with this). MB would not be top of my list of go to places to have this done, my local Hunter equipped place charges <£50 for this service (Leicester) and can’t fault them.

From memory I think Avantgarde Automotive offer Hunter alignment

 

[Blobcat]

If you do a search on the net you will find your local Hunter tracking equipped tyre outlet and they will provide you with a computer printout of your cars current suspension and alignment values (you don’t mention whether MB supplied you with this). MB would not be top of my list of go to places to have this done, my local Hunter equipped place charges <£50 for this service (Leicester) and can’t fault them.

From memory I think Avantgarde Automotive offer Hunter alignment

My local main dealer use a specialist just down the road, they were kind enough to tell me this rather than just apply their markup