I have a '96 OBW, 2.2L, 5 sp manual transmission. I recently put on my snow tires for the winter and found my right rear tire had excessive wear on the inside edge. The wear was uneven, and on only about 1/3 of the circumference of the tire. The wear was so bad the ply's are showing.

 

I have been reading the threads on the viscous coupling and am worried this may be the cause. I should also mention I am not noticing binding when in tight turns. Note: The car is new to me, I do not know if all 4 tires were within 1/4" in circumference.

 

1. How can I functionally check the viscous coupling?

 

2. If the VC is bad can I drive it for a couple of weeks without ruining my snow tires?

 

3. Any other ideas on what to look for?

I have a '96 OBW, 2.2L, 5 sp manual transmission. I recently put on my snow tires for the winter and found my right rear tire had excessive wear on the inside edge. The wear was uneven, and on only about 1/3 of the circumference of the tire. The wear was so bad the ply's are showing.

 

I have been reading the threads on the viscous coupling and am worried this may be the cause. I should also mention I am not noticing binding when in tight turns. Note: The car is new to me, I do not know if all 4 tires were within 1/4" in circumference.

 

1. How can I functionally check the viscous coupling?

 

2. If the VC is bad can I drive it for a couple of weeks without ruining my snow tires?

 

3. Any other ideas on what to look for?

 

I think scalloped wear is most commonly associated with out-of-balance wheels and/or weak strut issues. I'd try to confirm the wheel hasn't thrown a weight and is true and balanced. The car is old enough it seems to possibly have a bad strut as well, so see if that corner seems 'bouncy' or has other problems.

Yea, second vote for the strut.

Check the balance and then the strut. My wife's 93 chewed through set of tires because the struts were bad. If it's the strut...try and replace all 4 at the same time and get an alignment too.

i vote for a bad strut, bad wheel alignmnet, or bad bushing in the rear.

 

Do a search on torque bind, if you had it you would know it.

 

 

nipper

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.

Nipper,

 

When you refer to a bushing for the rear strut are you talking about the bushing in the strut mount?

 

Thanks.

Sure could be the strut, but the fact that its not all the way around the tire makes me think its an unbalanced or bent wheel. Could also just be a bum tire, I've had tires damaged from an impact that didn't blow at the time, but failed just as you described months later.

 

Gary

I have a '96 OBW, 2.2L, 5 sp manual transmission. I recently put on my snow tires for the winter and found my right rear tire had excessive wear on the inside edge. The wear was uneven, and on only about 1/3 of the circumference of the tire. The wear was so bad the ply's are showing.

 

I have been reading the threads on the viscous coupling and am worried this may be the cause. I should also mention I am not noticing binding when in tight turns. Note: The car is new to me, I do not know if all 4 tires were within 1/4" in circumference.

 

1. How can I functionally check the viscous coupling?

 

2. If the VC is bad can I drive it for a couple of weeks without ruining my snow tires?

 

3. Any other ideas on what to look for?

 

yeah, i'm sure it's not that big a deal.

 

get some new rubbers, keep then balanced, get an alignment, and keep them rotated

Nipper,

 

When you refer to a bushing for the rear strut are you talking about the bushing in the strut mount?

 

Thanks.

 

could be a bushing not in the strut, but on one of the control arms .. just something else to look at, as i like to list all the possabilities.

 

nipper