Volkswagen Polo Service & Repair Manual: Tire Wear, One Sided

Volkswagen Polo Service & Repair Manual / Whels, Tires, Whel Alignment / Tire Wear / Tire Wear, One Sided

In many causes, this is caused by driving style, but sometimes it is also caused by incorrect axle adjustment.

Increased One-Sided Wear

One-sided wear, in conjunction with scrub marks on tread ribs and finer grooves, always appears when tires roll at an extreme slip angle and consequently »scrub« on the road surface.

Driving quickly around curves leads to increased wear, especially on the outside edge.

A rounded tire shoulder in conjunction with especially high wear on the outer tread bars indicates fast driving around curves. This wear pattern is influenced by the driving style.

The suspension is adjusted to certain toe and camber values to optimize handling. When tires roll under conditions other than those specified, increased and one-sided wear must be expected.

Strong one-sided wear can be caused especially by incorrect toe and camber values. This increases the danger of diagonal wear spots.

Tire Wear, One Sided

Toe-Out or Negative Toe-In

The distance between the fronts of the tires -A- is greater than the distance between the backs of the tires -B- (-C- = direction of travel).

Tire Wear, One Sided

Toe-In or Positive Toe-In

The distance between the fronts of the tires -A- is less than the distance between the backs of the tires -B- (-C- = direction of travel).

To avoid one-sided tire wear, ensure that the wheel alignment remains within the tolerances specified by the vehicle manufacturer. The most common deviation of wheel alignment is caused by external influences, for example hard contact with the curb when parking.

A measurement of the axle geometry can determine whether the wheel alignment is within the specified tolerances or whether a correction of the wheel alignment is necessary.

Changes to the Suspension

If a “lowering-kit” and /or light alloy wheels from accessories which have not been recommended by the vehicle manufacturer are used, wheel alignments which deviate from the alignment specified in design may occur during travel.

Even if the adjustment of the axle geometry measured on a standing vehicle is correct, changes in the body height and positions of the wheels during travel can lead to changes to the paths of travel of the wheel suspension.

For this reason, uneven wear is pre-programmed.

Improper Use of Air Suspension Height Adjustment

The use of off road levels is only recommended when driving off road. The permanent use of off road levels on normal roads can lead to increased tire wear because the changed height changes the wheel alignment relative to the road level.

To Prevent One-Sided Tire Wear, Correct Axle Geometry Adjustment Should Be Ensured On the One Hand, and Intended Use of the Vehicle on the Other Hand.

Good vehicle and tire maintenance helps to prevent tire wear. The following points should especially be observed.

The specified minimum tire pressures must be maintained.

Different wear on front and rear axle cannot be avoided depending on driving style. This can be counteracted by regular tire rotation. This lends itself, for example, to the rotational change from summer to winter tires and back. This change has the positive side effect of all tires wearing evenly so a complete set of new tires can be installed. This prevents use of different tire tread depths on both axles, which can have negative effects on driving behavior.

The formation of heel and toe wear is a normal wear pattern, particularly with a very smooth driving style. Refer to → Chapter „Heel and Toe Wear“. This could result in a louder rolling noise which are generally improved with increased tread depth. If heel and toe wear is light or is still forming, exchanging tires on both sides is generally sufficient. With strong heel and toe wear, tires should be rotated according to so that their direction of travel is reversed. Refer to → Chapter „Heel and Toe Wear“. This does not apply to non-directional tires!

On some tire profiles, the effect of premature wear can be detected visually: If winter tire ribs or profile recesses have been worn off, only compact profile blocks without tread pattern, which gives the impression of a worn tire. In this case, the remaining profile depth in each tread groove must be measured. If it is greater than the legally required minimum tread depth (Germany 1.6 mm; it is recommended to use winter tries with a remaining profile of 4 mm only in summer use [regulation in Austria]), the tires can be reused without restrictions.

Tire Wear, One Sided

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