Honda CRV Tire Problem
I purchased a new Honda CR-V in 2008. I rotate the tires every 6000 miles. At about 20,000 miles I noticed excess road noise. Since it was time to rotate again I took it to the dealer. The mechanic told me the rear tires were cupped (inside edge) so bad they recommended that we not do the rotation. I had them check the alinement and was told all four corners were within Honda specs. When I complained about the low mileage tire wear the mechanic told me the factory tires (Continental 4 x 4 Contact 225/65R17) did not offer the best wear and new tires would wear better. Online blogs suggest the excess wear is due to no rear camber adjustment. There are aftermarket camber adjustment kits however the Dealer said that installing the kit would void the warranty. I called a different Dealer and was told that would NOT void the warranty.
My questions are, 1) are you familiar with this issue, 2) would a camber adjustment kit fix the problem, 3) would it void the warranty, and 4) how do I know which tires will offer the best wear? I would be willing to give up some ride quality for tires that would last longer.
Thank you in advance for your help. Jerry
Here is what procarcare.com says:
Cupping
Cups or scalloped dips appearing around the edge of the tread on one side or the other, almost always indicate worn (sometimes bent) suspension parts. Adjustment of wheel alignment alone will seldom cure the problem. Any worn component that connects the wheel to the car (ball joint, wheel bearing, shock absorber, springs, bushings, etc.) can cause this condition. Worn components should be replaced with new ones. The worn tire should be balanced and possibly moved to a different location on the car. Occasionally, wheels that are out of balance will wear like this, but wheel imbalance usually shows up as bald spots between the outside edges and center of the tread.
I would find a real suspension specialist and let him diagnose, particularly if you are out of warranty.
Inside edge cupping on the rear is probably due to misalignment. I think that the tire wear on those size tires will always be a problem, but the next set may do better with the camber kit installed. Good alignment doesn’t void the warranty.
Too bad mechanics don’t come with a warranty, for all that they cost the dealership.
I don’t believe you will find good performing tires in that size. They might do well when dry. Try to go cheap.
A camber kit would help the problem, but a good alignment tech would be even more valuable. You should probably stay away from the dealer for this, as those folks will tend to fall back on Honda’s specs - which are obviously faulty.
No, it will not void your warranty - at least not in the sense you mean it.
Longer lasting tires? - Well, pretty much any tire is going to last longer the OE tires. Those tires were designed to roll easy and give good fuel economy, and Honda got that by specifying low rolling resistance - and that means sacrificing wear. If you want better wear, look for high UTQG treadwear numbers. Just be aware that you’ll be sacrificng fuel economy.
Oh, and ride quality has nothing to do with tire wear.
Was the alignment done with the worn tires still on the car, or had the tires been changed before the alignment was done?
If the alignment was done with the worn tires, then I can lay money that when the tires are replaced, if the alignment is checked again, it will be out of spec.
So, get the tires replaced, and check the alignment again.
Then see if it can be brought into spec with the new tires.
If it can’t, then have the camber kit installed, and check again.
BC.
BC, Thank you for responding to my CR-V tire/alignment issue. The problem came to light at 20,000 miles when I went in for an oil change and tire rotation. I am now at 26,500 miles and still have the OE tires which still have good tread. Cupping on the inside edge of both rear tires produce an uncomfortable hum and slight vibration.
To answer your questions ? I didn?t get the alignment because it was checked and I was told it was within Honda specs. This was done with the OE tires still installed.
My plan is to replace the OE tires in the spring however I want to make sure any alignment issue has been resolved. I don?t want the new tires to cup or wear unevenly. Do you have any advice on the camber adjustment kit? Thanks in advance.
Do you happen to have the print out from the alignment, so that you can provide the rear alignment specs? I know that some companies have lower end car models (Nissan Sentra, for instance) where the camber was too extreme from the factory, and it produced the same type of wear pattern you are complaining about.
These vehicles typically are beam type rear axles, where as your CR-V is a fully independent suspension, I believe.
The one issue I believe we are going to run into is your vehicle is quite tall, and has a decent amount of suspension travel. As you lean through corners, if you are a fairly aggressive driver, the tire on the outside of the curve (left rear for a right curve) is going to transfer more of the weight to the outside of the tire tread, reducing the amount carried on the inside of the tread. The inside tire, on the other hand, is going to transfer more of its load to the inside of the tire, and even less to the outside.
This is what causes the increased inside tire cupping on most vehicles with large amounts of camber.
If we alter the camber settings on a vehicle with long suspension travels when the vehicle is static, we will alter the cars handling when the car is cornering. If you eliminate all the camber, and make the tires flat on the road surface, when you are taking that same corner, then the inside tire is scrubbing less, but the outside tire is having to work harder on its outside edge.
What you might want to ask is if the alignment shop can decrease the rear camber settings half as much as what Honda recommends without the use of the camber kit. If they can, then do that. If they can’t, then you will need to camber kit.
Also, if the vehicle is 4WD, the toe setting becomes important to the equation. It will need to have some toe-in to counteract the acceleration forces produced by the drive-line thrust. If its a FWD vehicle, then rear toe isn’t nearly as important, unless it changes under cornering.
If it were my car, I would start with different tires, that might react differently to cupping and miles put on them. If your biggest complaint is road noise after the tires have worn, different tires might be the better answer.
If its excessive inside wear, then alignment changes are going to need to be taken into consideration, and care will need to be made to the settings to take your driving style, and roads typically traveled, without reducing safety in the vehicle handling characteristics. You should look for the best alignment shop you can find, and discuss your vehicle’s tire wear patterns and your driving conditions to ultimately get the best advice and service for your vehicle.
Honestly, look for a shop that specializes in sports cars, if possible.
Much better than going to your typical Goodyear/Firestone/Pep Boys type of place.
BC.
BC, Thanks for responding. I?m sure I have the alignment printout; I just have to find it. To be honest I didn?t pay close attention to it since the Honda dealer said that it was within specs and there is no camber adjustment in the rear like in the front. I assume you would have to use shims to adjust.
It is 4WD. My main concern is excessive wear and the sound / vibration that cupping produces. I?m used to getting 50k miles on a set of tires. Because new tires are so expensive I would like to solve the alignment issue before I purchase new ones.
There is a shop in my area where alignments are all the only thing they do. I will take the CR-V in and have them check it out. Thanks again ? cheers.