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[bogart]

I'm going through front tires extremely fast... I do a few driving events, and drive the car fairly hard daily, but still... seems too quick...

I know the answer is probably to check the alignment or buy tires with better wear life... but I installed new suspension, got new wheels and tires, and got an alignment to get this setup.

Here was my setup from stock:
- KW V2, hard setting
- Vorshlag camber plates, -3.5
- M3 front control arms and sway bar
- Toe-out 1/4-inch
- Running 225/40 Pirelli Pzero System (80% tread life)
- Starting Mileage: 13,750
- Uneven Abnormally Fast Wear Mileage: 17,500 (3,750 miles on the tires)
- HPDE: 2 back-roads
- Took them off to switch to winter tires

I had to switch tires, because the Pirelli's were worn, so I installed the stock RFT 215/40 (60% tread life) and changed the setup slightly:
- Camber -2
- Less toe-out, approx. 1/8-inch to zero
- Starting Mileage: 20,250
- Very even, but abnormally fast wear mileage: 22,500 (2,250 miles on the tires)
- HPDE: 2 back-roads
- Drag race: 5 runs

Any ideas what could be the issue?

[GaryS]

Crazy aggressive alignment is supposed to destroy tires. Your second setup is only very aggressive, but it's still well into extra fast wear territory. And didn't I see you post yesterday or the day before that you routinely drive fast enough on street to make your tires scream? What were you expecting to happen to the tires?

[bogart]

Originally Posted by GaryS

Crazy aggressive alignment is supposed to destroy tires. Your second setup is only very aggressive, but it's still well into extra fast wear territory. And didn't I see you post yesterday or the day before that you routinely drive fast enough on street to make your tires scream? What were you expecting to happen to the tires?

I'm just wondering if that is normal or not... or if something else could be going on. Only getting a few thousand miles seems very fast to me to be going through tires. When people do track events do they typically go through a set of tires?

[BrokenVert]

Dude youre on Pirellis. What did you expect the wear to be like?

[bogart]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

Dude youre on Pirellis. What did you expect the wear to be like?

What does that mean?

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by bogart

What does that mean?

Its a well known fact.

Pirellis are fantastic tires in terms of grip and feedback.
But their treadlife has always left something to be desired. I, personally, had Pirellis on my 135 once. And I killed that set in about 6k miles without trying to.

I know many other people that have had similar experiences with Pirelli.

[bogart]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

Its a well known fact.

Pirellis are fantastic tires in terms of grip and feedback.
But their treadlife has always left something to be desired. I, personally, had Pirellis on my 135 once. And I killed that set in about 6k miles without trying to.

I know many other people that have had similar experiences with Pirelli.

Yeah, I saw on TireRack's charts that the Pirelli Pzero System had a terrible treadlife...

But then tearing through the stock 215/40 RFT's just as fast?

60% of the treadlife in a few thousand miles... it has to be the setup or that my car is faster than what it was stock... Stock I used 40% in about 13,000 miles...

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by bogart

Yeah, I saw on TireRack's charts that the Pirelli Pzero System had a terrible treadlife...

But then tearing through the stock 215/40 RFT's just as fast?

60% of the treadlife in a few thousand miles... it has to be the setup or that my car is faster than what it was stock... Stock I used 40% in about 13,000 miles...

Its all Pirellis that have crap treadlife. Its a good fact to know for the future.

In my experience the stock Bridgestones also wore like crap, but that was four years ago. So it might just be, whats the opposite of rose tinted nostalgia glasses?

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by bogart

I'm just wondering if that is normal or not... or if something else could be going on. Only getting a few thousand miles seems very fast to me to be going through tires. When people do track events do they typically go through a set of tires?

My last set of front tires (Michelin PSS) lasted 8 track days, so about 13 hours of track time.

[DriveHard]

lets see..... whats wrong...Hmmmmmm

your right foot !!!!!! LOL..

Its heavy car, agressive alignment, fun driving, sticky tires... It all adds up

[bogart]

... so this is normal? haha... I can accept that answer.

a couple hundred bucks a few times a year to have fun driving is worth it.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by bogart

fun driving is worth it.

Why aren't you doing track days?

[Eyeman]

I'm having the same issue Bogart but still working on it. I'm on my third set of front tires, second rears. My Porsche used similar tires and one set of fronts would last as long as two sets of rears.

I've had three alignments, corner balancing, etc. My fronts were wearing out on both corners fairly evenly with minor scalloping so we tried taking out a little front toe.

When I got my third set of front tires installed (btw my signature is not updated for these tires, I bought a cheap set of 225/35/19 Nitto's) the new tires left me with a slight pull to the right. We readjusted the toe and funny enough my MPG instantly seemed to go up. Still to early to tell about the tires (3k miles and still seem OK) but hopefully it's all just a matter of getting the toe right after lowering our suspensions.

Good luck (btw I love your hood, I plan the same when I can afford it).

[bogart]

Originally Posted by GaryS

Why aren't you doing track days?

I plan to. The local track, Gateway Motorsports Park was closed for almost 3 years and just re-opened. I've been dragging there, but want to start doing SCCA events and HPDE at their road course. I can't wait.

Originally Posted by Eyeman

I'm having the same issue Bogart but still working on it. I'm on my third set of front tires, second rears. My Porsche used similar tires and one set of fronts would last as long as two sets of rears.

I've had three alignments, corner balancing, etc. My fronts were wearing out on both corners fairly evenly with minor scalloping so we tried taking out a little front toe.

When I got my third set of front tires installed (btw my signature is not updated for these tires, I bought a cheap set of 225/35/19 Nitto's) the new tires left me with a slight pull to the right. We readjusted the toe and funny enough my MPG instantly seemed to go up. Still to early to tell about the tires (3k miles and still seem OK) but hopefully it's all just a matter of getting the toe right after lowering our suspensions.

Good luck (btw I love your hood, I plan the same when I can afford it).

I was talking to some other people I hang out with around here and they seem to think it is the toe, because toe usually doesn't show wear signs like camber and over/under inflation do. So, I'm going to go to Firestone tomorrow to get it checked out. BTW, did you know that Firestone has a deal, $180 lifetime alignments!! You can go whenever and get an alignment however you want.

Thanks! I ended up getting it for $800 w/ the AeroCatch hood pins already installed, used on the forum. Keep your eyes peeled. Also, there are a bunch of carbon fiber foods for sale on ebay for pretty cheap.

[BrokenVert]

one thing to note, check the alignment note really closely. I had a crap alignment once, the car pulled and the steeringwheel tugged.

BMW wanted nothing to do with me because the car was quote "in spec"

It turns out that in spec is a 1 degree range on camber and somethine ridiculous on toe and my car, while in spec had one side of the car at one end of the spectrum and the other side of the car at the other end.

[bogart]

Sooo, old thread, but finally can give an update. The culprit was definitely toe.

Specs Before:
Front Camber: -2*
Total Front Toe: 1.81* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rear Camber: -2*
Total Rear Toe: 0.33*

Specs After:
Front Camber: -2*
Total Front Toe: 0.27*
Rear Camber: -2*
Total Rear Toe: 0.23*