1998 flip a tire question=-

[jamesmetairie]

98 lumina,base model eats up front tires around the outter edge.front end parts all good. recent alignment ok.
inflation ok.
probly cornering to severe.
it,s sad to replace the tires with so much tread in the center and inside edge.

question = is it feasible to flip and rebalance the front b f goodrich touring t/a tires. it is non-directional.

[jeffcoslacker]

You could but I seriously doubt it's cornering wear...I throw mine into the corners and curves hard enough to lift the inside rear tire off the road and I don't eat the edges off my front tires.

I run 225/60/16 Kumho KR-21's and get excellent performance AND tread life from them, look into them if you do replace any....they are also quite reasonable, Sears, about $72 each, last time. Been on over three years now and still over 50%, even hard as I punish them.

Equal outside wear is usually slightly toed-in condition....you can flip them and use the other shoulder, it will work...I will say I noticed after years of doing tire work that if they are wearing poorly due to an alignment issue, they will usually self destruct in short order once they are made to roll the other direction on a steering axle...just seems like the belts will delaminate from the reversal of stresses or something I guess...they go outta round, or start poking wires through the shoulder, etc...

If feasible, I'd flip them like you said, then put them on the rear, if the rear are good. Then when the rears you moved up front are wearing the shoulders, move them to the front, by then they will have had enough time rolling the other way in a stress-neutral condition they may last longer once moved back to the front. That'd be my plan, anyway.

But first I'd get independent verification of the alignment. Unfortunately, I know for a fact that at many tire chain-type stores and dealerships, the guy who does alignments is the least experienced person in the shop...they figure doing alignments will get them familiar with all the suspension types and parts so they can move on to repair...but I've personally had them botch alignments on my own stuff, so I don't use those places anymore...

Also they do so many alignments in those places, the chances of the rack being worn or damaged out of spec or adjustment is high, and they might not have the time to calibrate as often as should be done...

I look for an independent shop with good, newer alignment systems (I like Hunter) and some greasy old guy who does the work. They usually know what they're doing.

I lucked out and found a place that is a one-man suspension repair shop, he's been doing it 30+ years and nails it every time. And to top it off, he's cheaper than the tire shops...

[jamesmetairie]

Originally Posted by jeffcoslacker

You could but I seriously doubt it's cornering wear...I throw mine into the corners and curves hard enough to lift the inside rear tire off the road and I don't eat the edges off my front tires.

I run 225/60/16 Kumho KR-21's and get excellent performance AND tread life from them, look into them if you do replace any....they are also quite reasonable, Sears, about $72 each, last time. Been on over three years now and still over 50%, even hard as I punish them.

Equal outside wear is usually slightly toed-in condition....you can flip them and use the other shoulder, it will work...I will say I noticed after years of doing tire work that if they are wearing poorly due to an alignment issue, they will usually self destruct in short order once they are made to roll the other direction on a steering axle...just seems like the belts will delaminate from the reversal of stresses or something I guess...they go outta round, or start poking wires through the shoulder, etc...

If feasible, I'd flip them like you said, then put them on the rear, if the rear are good. Then when the rears you moved up front are wearing the shoulders, move them to the front, by then they will have had enough time rolling the other way in a stress-neutral condition they may last longer once moved back to the front. That'd be my plan, anyway.

But first I'd get independent verification of the alignment. Unfortunately, I know for a fact that at many tire chain-type stores and dealerships, the guy who does alignments is the least experienced person in the shop...they figure doing alignments will get them familiar with all the suspension types and parts so they can move on to repair...but I've personally had them botch alignments on my own stuff, so I don't use those places anymore...

Also they do so many alignments in those places, the chances of the rack being worn or damaged out of spec or adjustment is high, and they might not have the time to calibrate as often as should be done...

I look for an independent shop with good, newer alignment systems (I like Hunter) and some greasy old guy who does the work. They usually know what they're doing.

I lucked out and found a place that is a one-man suspension repair shop, he's been doing it 30+ years and nails it every time. And to top it off, he's cheaper than the tire shops...

thanks Jeffco

btw=-
is it possible to align camber and also toe-in on a base 1998 lumina?

[aleekat]

Ditto on the Hunter machines. I use the local goodyear guy here after years of crap alignments. An old man who has been doing it long time. BTW, that's all I let them do.