While getting my car worked on today, I happened to notice that the rear tires are starting to feather quite a bit on the inside line of the tires.

I am running a stock suspension setup. Would getting an alignment fix this issue? I know I had toe issues with my previous car, but that was due to how low the car was and the fact that it was maxed out with the toe adjustment.

Also, do you think the best place to go to for an alignment would be the dealer? There really aren't any mini shops in the Baltimore/Washington metro area.

Thanks guys and gals.

 

If you're willing to go a little north or northeast, there are some good alternatives to
the dealer. Swedish Motors in Marietta has MINI training and tools and some inventory
as well as Saab, Volvo, VW, Audi, and BMW expertise ( http://www.swedishmotors.com ),
and Helix in Philadelphia (a NAM vendor) specializes in aftermarket work on MINIs ( http://www.helix13.com ).
If you use a local Baltimore alignment shop, it might be a good idea to let them know that the rear
toe is adjustable by shifting the rear trailing arm on its mounting bolts. Otherwise, they might not know
that (or just play possum on the subject) and tell you it's not adjustable.

 

The factory suspension alignment on a MINI has quite a bit of negative camber (1.5 to 2 degrees, if I remember correctly). This is enough that it can start to wear the inside edge of the tires, but it is normally not a fast rate of wear.

If you have an alignment done, it would make sense to ask for the most amount of camber in the front, and the least amount of camber in the rear that is allowed with the factory suspension parts. If all goes well, you should end up with between 1 and 1.5 degrees negative front and rear. This should reduce the amount of tire wear, but will not correct the wear that has already happened.

Have fun,
Mike

 

I know it's not camber wear though. Camber just effects where the tire is worn. The problem is the scrubbing issue that is creating the feathering of the rear tires. Toe in/out is the biggest wear factor on tires. I figured this wouldn't happen with a stock suspension as long as it was in spec. The fronts are wearing fine, it's just the rears.

I'm new to Mini's (only owned my first one for about 9 months) but I've had Tein Full Coilovers on my old Civic and had the same issue. The problem was, that I couldn't correct the toe because I maxed out the adjustment range.

As for the shops a little north, I've been to Helix. I was just trying to avoid driving 2 hrs. for an alignment. I'm guessing the dealer, at this point, would be the best option?

 

tire rotation is your friend

the michelin web site has excellant info on tire rotation ... rotation patterns, when and why to rotate

scott

 

+1

 

That won't fix the problem though.... That's just putting it off.

 

Actually, if you do a modified cross rotation, it will help the wear.....

Move the fronts to the back, same side.

Move the backs to the fronts and cross them.

Only do this is you're NOT running directional tread tires.

Do this every 5K for sure, more often if you have the time and facilities..... don't forget to keep a close eye on pressures too.

I teach automotive courses at college, among them steering and suspension, FWIW.

 

I have directional tires, so the only way to do that would be to dismount and mount them.

That still doesn't fix the issue at hand. I've never seen a stock car with this bad of toe wear. I'm just not sure how much adjustment that these minis have.

 

It's relatively easy to do a quick curb-side check on the rear toe-in (total, not separate).
Get a tape measure and a friend or some sticky tape to hold the end of the tape measure to the tread.
Measure from one area on the tread on one side on the front of one of the rear tires to
another area on the front of the other rear tire. Go up as far as you can while clearing the chassis.
Do the same on the rear going up the same number of inches from the ground as you did on the front
of the rear tire.
This is pretty easy with most tread patterns with a longitudinal band or row of treads,
not so easy with diagonal treads like the old Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D3. etc.
Subtract the front measurement from the rear measurement, and voila, total (sum of) toe-in of both rear tires.
It's surprisingly accurate!

Method two (which gives you individual toe-ins) is also pretty easy.
Ring a string around 4 posts (like jack stands) around the car at mid tire height, get the front
tires pretty close to the string, and the rear tires about 1/2 inch from the string
(because front track is slightly wider than rear track), and subtract the distance from
the front of the tire to string from the distance from the rear of the tire to the string.
This will give toe-in on the rear tires.
Also works for the fronts if you have the steering centered.

If you do this, you'll at least know where you stand and what needs corrected.
Camber is also easy to measure with a level and a steel rule if you have a level surface to park on.
I use a carpenter squares with level like this: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...0125xMPTLSx025
You can also park the car both ways and average if you're parking spot isn't quite level.

 

Has the car ever been aligned? If not then it wouldn't hurt to get it checked. You don't necessarily have to take it to a mini dealer. Any regular alignment shop should be able to do the alignment. Just make sure you mention to them to loosen the rear trailing arm and shift it to change the rear toe.

 

Forgot to mention, when measuring toe-in(out), you also have to multiply the number
you get by the tire diameter divided by the front to back measurement point distance
(which is less than the tire diameter) to get the final correct number.

 

Yes but don't forget the heart-healthy cheese steak--easily worth half the long drive.