W211: E320 cdi - what causes rear tires to go bald in the center

[anyweb]

took my winter tires off today to replace them with dubbed tires (tires with spikes) and was irritated to see the rear tires had a one to two inch almost bald strip in the center, the edges were just fine with good grip

so does that mean the tires were over-inflated or under-inflated or something else ?

cheers
niall

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
If the tyres have gone bald through the centre it normally indicates over inflation.
What sort of pressure have you had in them?

 

[anyweb]

guilty as charged, no idea what pressure was in them, i just installed them and did nothing else

how can I know what pressure SHOULD be in the tires in fit to the car ?

 

[whitenemesis]

Tire pressures should be listed on the fuel filler flap

 

[anyweb]

so the tire pressure on the filler cap applies to all sorts of tires irregardless of their dimensions ? ok cool thanks Peter

 

[anyweb]

p./s. I like your new car, really nice, when did you get that ?

 

[whitenemesis]

It would normally say if there are exceptions. Double check in the handbook.

 

[whitenemesis]

p./s. I like your new car, really nice, when did you get that ?

Couple of months back It's a bit of a beast compared to the 270CDI

Loving every minute Even the 18mpg :neutral:

 

[Myros]

Niall

you won't be far wrong if you put and keep 2bar +/- 10% in all round and maintain that with the change of the seasons. Probably a tad higher at the back, a tad lower at the front is the norm.
Rotate your wheels front to back ( not side to side or diagonally) every 3-6,000 miles, and look for uneven wear.
rears can wear the centres, fronts can wear the edges/shoulders, even if correctly inflated.
As said, the pressures should be on the fuel flap. If not, they are on a table by car makes at the air pumps at petrol stations.
You can even contact the manufacturer for their own info on the correct pressure for your tyre and car. If it varies a great deal from MB's own, I'd be astounded.
Remember to increase for load and speed as rated on the flap.
Like the book says, check before every long journey and at least every 14 days.