Rear Tire Wear Problem...
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 342
Likes: 2
Rear Tire Wear Problem...
Man, it's been a while since I've posted here. I've got problem with the rear tire wear in the CLK. I just put brand new 275/35/18 Nitto NT555 on my car and I am getting more wear on the inside of the tire tread pattern (not the sidewall). I have posted this problem in the other forum and one gentleman suggested to me that it is too much spring and not enough shock. Before I put these tires on I had 255/35/18 on, and they had worn on the inside really bad as well. I constantly have a speaker box in the back that weighs 60 or so pounds and these tires have about 300 miles on them. My car is NOT lowered either. Here are some pics...
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 386
Likes: 2
From: Cali
2000 CLK 320
i have the same problem with my 19's after i lowered it. you need a camber kit if u want to fix it. im choosing to leave it as is. after about 10k miles, the inside of my tires gets pretty worn so i just take my ride to tire shop and rotate the tires. i get another 10k miles the other side. so 20k mi. for a tire is pretty good.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 342
Likes: 2
Thanks for the reply, but I don't have my car lowered. How can the camber go negative without my car being lowered? Could the weight of the box in the back be the problem. My ride does feel a bit softer in the back since I bought it back in October. But my tech at the indy shop said my shocks were fine about 3 months ago. Could my springs be bad too?
Last edited by falls profet; Sep 8, 2007 at 04:56 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 566
Likes: 0
From: OC, CA
1999 CLK430 (sold) 03 CL55
i have the same problem with my 19's after i lowered it. you need a camber kit if u want to fix it. im choosing to leave it as is. after about 10k miles, the inside of my tires gets pretty worn so i just take my ride to tire shop and rotate the tires. i get another 10k miles the other side. so 20k mi. for a tire is pretty good.
Originally Posted by falls profet
Thanks for the reply, but I don't have my car lowered. How can the camber go negative without my car being lowered? Could the weight of the box in the back be the problem. My ride does feel a bit softer in the back since I bought it back in October. But my tech at the indy shop said my shocks were fine about 3 months ago. Could my springs be bad too?
Springs don't go bad, they have long life spans, when your car goes soft it could be of 2 things, Shocks or the Struts.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 386
Likes: 2
From: Cali
2000 CLK 320
[QUOTE=John 99CLK430;2403086]How do you rotate staggered rims? the whole "switch the tire on the other side" method doesn't work, it's the same thing.
\QUOTE]
no its not the same thing. i rotate by switching my rear passenger tire and putting that one on driver side. that way the worn side is on the outside and the practically new side is on the inside.
\QUOTE]
no its not the same thing. i rotate by switching my rear passenger tire and putting that one on driver side. that way the worn side is on the outside and the practically new side is on the inside.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Huntsville, Alabama
CLK430
How can the camber go negative without my car being lowered?
The negative camber helps with handling but hurts with tire wear. Adding to the tire wear problem caused by negative camber is the fact that most tires sized to fit the CLK are sportier with soft tread compunds. They wear out faster and come with no treadwear warranties. Another problem affecting tire wear is the CLK's staggered wheel sizes prevent tire rotation.
The too much spring and not enough shock problem can cause abnormal tire wear (cupping) which also leads to noise. So, bad shocks along with the CLK's natural tendencies (soft tires, neg. camber, and no rotation) to wear out tires fast anyway can tires to wear out really fast. Throw in bad toe alignment on top of all that
and you'll be lucky to get 12,000 miles out of a set of tires on a CLK.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 342
Likes: 2
Thanks a lot for the posts, gentlemen. Very helpful. I think I'm going to
build a new box for my sub and see what happens. I took it out earlier today
and I think it might be somewhere between 70-80 lbs. now. I really think this
is the main culprit and adding to the already present slight camber; but I
definitely knew about the negative camber on CLKs before I got mine. Being
that these cars ride so soft and the shocks are designed to ride so, the extra
constant compression may be the affect. I think the added weight
is "dropping" my car in the back almost a half inch. If nothing improves I'll
get the KMAC and be done with it. I reply at a later date on the
improvement just in case anyone else has questions about something like this
in the future.
build a new box for my sub and see what happens. I took it out earlier today
and I think it might be somewhere between 70-80 lbs. now. I really think this
is the main culprit and adding to the already present slight camber; but I
definitely knew about the negative camber on CLKs before I got mine. Being
that these cars ride so soft and the shocks are designed to ride so, the extra
constant compression may be the affect. I think the added weight
is "dropping" my car in the back almost a half inch. If nothing improves I'll
get the KMAC and be done with it. I reply at a later date on the
improvement just in case anyone else has questions about something like this
in the future.
Trending Topics
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,745
Likes: 2
From: NJ
w208
Man, it's been a while since I've posted here. I've got problem with the rear tire wear in the CLK. I just put brand new 275/35/18 Nitto NT555 on my car and I am getting more wear on the inside of the tire tread pattern (not the sidewall). I have posted this problem in the other forum and one gentleman suggested to me that it is too much spring and not enough shock. Before I put these tires on I had 255/35/18 on, and they had worn on the inside really bad as well. I constantly have a speaker box in the back that weighs 60 or so pounds and these tires have about 300 miles on them. My car is NOT lowered either. Here are some pics...
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
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 342
Likes: 2
About 300 mi., deyainrdy4ds.
So I built a new sub box for my car that is about 22 lbs. lighter than my previous box. I can notice a slight increase in ride height, and tire wear seems to be a little bit better as far as using the length of the tread; the extra compression does seem to have an effect somewhat.
However that wasn't the most interesting part. I know people have heard or experienced the infamous "Mercedes Right Hand Pull" even when the alignment is on. I was experiencing this drastically when I had my previous, heavier speaker box and my alignment was fine. Now that I have this new, lighter box, it doesn't pull anything like it did, and the steering wheel is perfectly straight rather than having it cocked to the left to keep it straight.
I thought this might be interesting for some of you, or anyone else that may have this pulling problem with the Merc's. It could be because of what you carry in the trunk or your springs or shocks that is causing the extreme pull and not the alignment. Adding to the already present slight negative camber can, I guess, affect your driving performance in a straight line.
So I built a new sub box for my car that is about 22 lbs. lighter than my previous box. I can notice a slight increase in ride height, and tire wear seems to be a little bit better as far as using the length of the tread; the extra compression does seem to have an effect somewhat.
However that wasn't the most interesting part. I know people have heard or experienced the infamous "Mercedes Right Hand Pull" even when the alignment is on. I was experiencing this drastically when I had my previous, heavier speaker box and my alignment was fine. Now that I have this new, lighter box, it doesn't pull anything like it did, and the steering wheel is perfectly straight rather than having it cocked to the left to keep it straight.
I thought this might be interesting for some of you, or anyone else that may have this pulling problem with the Merc's. It could be because of what you carry in the trunk or your springs or shocks that is causing the extreme pull and not the alignment. Adding to the already present slight negative camber can, I guess, affect your driving performance in a straight line.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 527
Likes: 5
From: TN
2002 c240
You can build a box until your fingers bleed and it isn't going to help you a bit. Your tire wear comes under squat when you are accelerating..... which happens nearly the entire time you are in your car pushing forward momentum. Let your foot off the gas next time you are going down the road... slight dip forward. Foot on the gas, slight dip backwards.
My 430 is bone stock and wears as bad if not worse on the rears. The weight of a golf bag, basically, is not going to ruin your tires any more than the other CLk owners on this board.
My 430 is bone stock and wears as bad if not worse on the rears. The weight of a golf bag, basically, is not going to ruin your tires any more than the other CLk owners on this board.
Last edited by The Jury; Sep 17, 2007 at 10:43 PM.
