Front tire wear
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
2007 c230
Front tire wear
I have 3 years old c230 with 26K miles on it.
Front tires (original Michelin Pilot Primacy) look new on the main thread surface, but the outside corners are completely bald. I checked alignment twice within these 3 years, last time - a couple of weeks ago. Everything is within specs.
Is w203 known for uneven front tire wear or something seems to be wrong with my car and/or tires?
Front tires (original Michelin Pilot Primacy) look new on the main thread surface, but the outside corners are completely bald. I checked alignment twice within these 3 years, last time - a couple of weeks ago. Everything is within specs.
Is w203 known for uneven front tire wear or something seems to be wrong with my car and/or tires?
MBworld Guru
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 22,058
Likes: 18
From: Diamond Bar, CA
W206 PHEV AMG
it's caused by the aggressive caster and the tendency to understeer of the W203 and toe-in. nothing you can do there. you can solve it be lowering the car...a lot. more negative camber will help.
Super Moderator
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,295
Likes: 22
From: VA
THE C350
He should be able to rotate since he is on stock tires i assume he has not changed rims or anything. i wish my front would wear more. i forgot to rotate tires and then looked about two mouths ago and my rears are like so close to markers but the fronts look new. lol and i don't do anything stupid like burnouts i just drive hard. i did get 35,000 out of the rears so far but will need new ones before winter.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
2007 c230
I wish I could rotate front/rear, but stock rims/tires are different - 225/45/17 front and 245/40/17 rear.
The car is driven by my wife and she is not aggressive driver at all.
Rears become bald and were replaced at about 15K. So, may be my wife does drive aggressively when I don't see her 
The car is driven by my wife and she is not aggressive driver at all.
Trending Topics
MBworld Guru
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 22,058
Likes: 18
From: Diamond Bar, CA
W206 PHEV AMG
He should be able to rotate since he is on stock tires i assume he has not changed rims or anything. i wish my front would wear more. i forgot to rotate tires and then looked about two mouths ago and my rears are like so close to markers but the fronts look new. lol and i don't do anything stupid like burnouts i just drive hard. i did get 35,000 out of the rears so far but will need new ones before winter.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Super Moderator
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,295
Likes: 22
From: VA
THE C350
well my tires are 225 all around so i could have rotated them. i didn't realize that the c230 had a staggered setup that sucks for tire longevity.
and dam 15k on rears that seems a little extreme because a friend of mine has the stock tires on his 2006 c230 and he has at least 24000 and they don't look that bad.
and dam 15k on rears that seems a little extreme because a friend of mine has the stock tires on his 2006 c230 and he has at least 24000 and they don't look that bad.
Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 249
Likes: 0
From: Cleveland, OH
2004.0 C230 Sedan
It sounds like the tire pressure could be the culprit. I personally use 30 front, 32 rear when they are cold. When tires are warm, you should compensate by about 4psi, so 34 front, and 36 rear. I don't have any uneven wear problems at all with these pressures.
Also, if you have directional tire treads, then you cannot rotate at all. If they are not directional, the only thing you can do is to rotate front left with front right, then rear left with rear right, but you will still have the extreme wear on the outsides of your tires. One solution to this problem is to have the tires unmounted and then remounted on the other side. By doing this, you will be moving the worn part of the tire from the outside of the tire to the inside and should be able to get more life out of the tire.
Also, if you have directional tire treads, then you cannot rotate at all. If they are not directional, the only thing you can do is to rotate front left with front right, then rear left with rear right, but you will still have the extreme wear on the outsides of your tires. One solution to this problem is to have the tires unmounted and then remounted on the other side. By doing this, you will be moving the worn part of the tire from the outside of the tire to the inside and should be able to get more life out of the tire.
Last edited by XenonBenz; Aug 25, 2009 at 11:16 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 651
Likes: 5
From: So. Cal.
'02 C320 Wagon, '78 308 GTS, '06 Highlander Hybrid
Greg, yours still wears like that after you lowered it? I would think that lowering it would give you enough/more negative camber to compensate.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 929
Likes: 3
From: Portland, Oregon
2016 GLE 350
Henry, you are right. Upon further inspection, i am getting pretty even wear across the tire. The design of my tires ( Falkens) is such that they have a very sloped/non-broad shoulder design so it appears the outer/inner edge is more worn than it actually is. Now the rears are a different story.....
Last edited by glocati; Aug 26, 2009 at 05:35 PM. Reason: typos
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 8,384
Likes: 800
2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
Okay my car doesn't suffer this outer tire wear. I have 19,000 miles on the set of Kumho Ecsta ASXs on my C230. Rears are at about 20% life left. Expected the fronts to fare better but alas are only about 40% left.
Tires on mine are wearing nice and even.
Tires on mine are wearing nice and even.
Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: CA
C230 K
I have the same issue with wife's 04.5 c230..BONE stock
mostly local drive and stop and go traffic for 20 miles a day
in the past 5 years, I have went through the following sets of tire:
1. OEM tire Michelin -22k
right front tire edge wore to "BOLD" condition, rears are even wear to wear bar
2. Yokohama es100 - 16k
right front tire edge wore to "BOLD" condition, rears are even wear to wear bar
3. falken f452 - 9k
both front tire edge wore to "BOLD" condition, rears are even wear to wear bar
4. now I just put in yokohama s drive and went to dealer for an alignment for 70 bucks, with 50% off coupon. The work order didn't say anything about the readings and I have to ask for the alignment printout. the service advisor said they don't give the printout for customer but he did show me the print out. The only things are not within spec are toe in front tires and all others are fine. Not sure if this will stop my wife's car chewing tires like it did before.
Jason
mostly local drive and stop and go traffic for 20 miles a day
in the past 5 years, I have went through the following sets of tire:
1. OEM tire Michelin -22k
right front tire edge wore to "BOLD" condition, rears are even wear to wear bar
2. Yokohama es100 - 16k
right front tire edge wore to "BOLD" condition, rears are even wear to wear bar
3. falken f452 - 9k
both front tire edge wore to "BOLD" condition, rears are even wear to wear bar
4. now I just put in yokohama s drive and went to dealer for an alignment for 70 bucks, with 50% off coupon.
The work order didn't say anything about the readings and I have to ask for the alignment printout. the service advisor said they don't give the printout for customer but he did show me the print out. The only things are not within spec are toe in front tires and all others are fine. Not sure if this will stop my wife's car chewing tires like it did before.Jason
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 5,851
Likes: 196
From: Huntington Beach, Ca.
'17 Jaguar XF
Super Moderator
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 19,942
Likes: 192
From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
If your alignment is correct & your castor bushes are not buggered then shoulder wear is due to driving & pressure.
I run 225/50/16 all round & suffer no undue shoulder wear. I run 2.1 bar all round which is 30.45 psi. I rotate corner to corner every 10,000 Km to prevent feathering & noise. With staggered you can only rotate across the same axle if you have non directional tyres. The Pilot Primacy is not Michelin's best effort but they do generally last well. If your rears were bald at 15,000 miles that car is being driven enthusiastically!
Make sure your castor is set 1 degree more positive on the RHS than LHS - typically 10.6 & 9.6
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 557
Likes: 1
From: Laramie, WY
E55 AMG
15,000 on the rears sounds about right to me. I still have the stock Michelins with just under 13,000 miles and the rears are getting close to the wear bands.
As far as the fronts, I have never had problems with the outside wearing. I do have cupping starting to happen on the inside due to lowering the car and not having an alignment though.
I run 33 psi.
As far as the fronts, I have never had problems with the outside wearing. I do have cupping starting to happen on the inside due to lowering the car and not having an alignment though.
I run 33 psi.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 8,384
Likes: 800
2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
As an update to my previous post here about this problem not affecting my C230.. let me withdraw that. My tires are now at 26,000 miles and both fronts have shoulder wear pretty bad. But I do drive back roads a great deal and enthusiastically at that.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 651
Likes: 5
From: So. Cal.
'02 C320 Wagon, '78 308 GTS, '06 Highlander Hybrid
Does anyone know if more caster angle can be adjusted into the the front suspension? I would like to get the steering wheel to self center more as well as get a little better "road feel".
Super Moderator
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 19,942
Likes: 192
From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Yes you can adjust more castor into the suspension. First step is to dial in 1 degree more castor on the RHS than left to make the car track straight. Typically 10.6 deg RHS 9.6 deg LHS as I said below. Going out of spec with castor takes you into unknown territory. You will have to go by trial & error & monitor tyre wear. Remember that changing castor angles pulls camber as well in a turn so you will have to check this. 3 way fluted castor & camber bolts give you some latitude - see sticky & search for diagrams.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 651
Likes: 5
From: So. Cal.
'02 C320 Wagon, '78 308 GTS, '06 Highlander Hybrid
The tire wear that I'm getting is the 1" outer edge. I've already lowered the front about 1.7" (thus inducing more negative camber, or less positive), but it doesn't seem to be making much difference. As Frank W. had mentioned on another thread, once they start to wear a certain way, they will usually continue to wear that way. I know that increasing the caster will also induce more negative camber when turning. I've just tried reducing the toe in a bit and will see how that affects it, but I'm not seeing any "feathering" of the tread.
