Tread wear and alignment
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 432
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As a reference, I have the same tires on my ap2. I've got about 4000 miles on them with about 500 miles being on the dragon. Not certain how close the dragon is to a track day in terms of tire wear. Regardless, I'm about 40% through the tire's life.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,296
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From: Vermont
So you figure you will get around 10K? Are you seeing the same level of wear on the rear and the front? I have read threads on other forums where a lot of folks report getting about twice the miles on the front than the rear on their ap1s. Unless this alignment makes a major difference, it looks like I'm on track for that result as well.
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 432
Likes: 35
So you figure you will get around 10K? Are you seeing the same level of wear on the rear and the front? I have read threads on other forums where a lot of folks report getting about twice the miles on the front than the rear on their ap1s. Unless this alignment makes a major difference, it looks like I'm on track for that result as well.
I am pretty hard on tires, plus I live in East Tennessee. My commute involves more corners that a lot of other folks would see in a week. I think there our bad alignment put some real stress on the tires, but it is not the end of the world.
I also agree, I am somewhat envious of the people who got 20,000 miles out of the rears on their factory tires.
Last edited by Nerd-Vol; Nov 2, 2016 at 04:50 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2010
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I've ran through the rears in 3k, with running -3.2 camber. Some tires compounds are just softer and wear a hell of a lot more than others. It all depends on your tires and your camber setting, personally i'll stay -3.2, car rotates so easily into corners and accelerating is stable still up to +120mph. I've ran -6 before and acceleration is batshit crazy, if you pull your hands off the wheel going 40mph and floor it you'll be in a curb lol. For the fronts I'm about -1.6 or -1.8 and they last me +30k miles. Currently my rears will only give me about 10-15k miles with my camber setting but I'm running a real hard compound that still grips fairly well.
Name brand tires to me are kinda crappy, The performance is great but like I said they go out in 3k. I really liked the continental extremecontacts for driving in summer and even winter but the price point of how long they last is ridiculous. Right now I'm running iron man tires or some bs and they work great lolol. 50 bucks a tire new and grip pretty hard, there like nankang tires but cheaper and my tire shop flips the tires for me for 15 bucks for the rear so I go every oil change (3k) and get them flipped so I dont have camber wear ****ing one side of the tire.
And wear is all about how you drive too. Hard on the brakes, fronts wear faster, hard on the accelerator, rears wear out faster.
Name brand tires to me are kinda crappy, The performance is great but like I said they go out in 3k. I really liked the continental extremecontacts for driving in summer and even winter but the price point of how long they last is ridiculous. Right now I'm running iron man tires or some bs and they work great lolol. 50 bucks a tire new and grip pretty hard, there like nankang tires but cheaper and my tire shop flips the tires for me for 15 bucks for the rear so I go every oil change (3k) and get them flipped so I dont have camber wear ****ing one side of the tire.
And wear is all about how you drive too. Hard on the brakes, fronts wear faster, hard on the accelerator, rears wear out faster.
Community Organizer
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,418
Likes: 155
From: Eastern Ontario
Age is more important than tread. I will not use a tyre on the S after it is 5 years old. They just lose too much grip in the wet or cold.
As for wheel alignment, it is so critical to the handling & enjoyment of your S it is worth doing often. Last year A truck I was following straddled a dead animal on the road. It was about the size of a moderate dog. I could not avoid it & hit it with the left front & back wheels. It was a fairly hard hit. The steering immediately became rather "snatchy", responding too sharply to inputs. The steering wheel was only slightly off straight.
At home, on my ramps I could find no damage, but a trip into the city I had to do before I could book a good aligner was unpleasant.
On the aligner the technicians told me it was only slightly out, at the front & vary little at the rear. However driving home, including a run on a nice quick, twisty back road, it was a totally different car. I had my car back.
If your S2000 is not really nice to drive, get the alignment checked, it doesn't have to be much out with our sharp suspensions, to spoil the car dramatically. What would be unnoticeable on one of my Triumphs is awful on the S.
As for wheel alignment, it is so critical to the handling & enjoyment of your S it is worth doing often. Last year A truck I was following straddled a dead animal on the road. It was about the size of a moderate dog. I could not avoid it & hit it with the left front & back wheels. It was a fairly hard hit. The steering immediately became rather "snatchy", responding too sharply to inputs. The steering wheel was only slightly off straight.
At home, on my ramps I could find no damage, but a trip into the city I had to do before I could book a good aligner was unpleasant.
On the aligner the technicians told me it was only slightly out, at the front & vary little at the rear. However driving home, including a run on a nice quick, twisty back road, it was a totally different car. I had my car back.
If your S2000 is not really nice to drive, get the alignment checked, it doesn't have to be much out with our sharp suspensions, to spoil the car dramatically. What would be unnoticeable on one of my Triumphs is awful on the S.
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 8,841
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From: Illnoise. WAY downtown, jerky.
So you figure you will get around 10K? Are you seeing the same level of wear on the rear and the front? I have read threads on other forums where a lot of folks report getting about twice the miles on the front than the rear on their ap1s. Unless this alignment makes a major difference, it looks like I'm on track for that result as well.
tyre wear typically slows down considerably after use due to reductions in tread squirm.
A hypothetical new tyre may show a wear rate of 1/32" per 3K miles. The same tyre's wear rate at half life may slow to 1/32" per 5K miles.
Some tyres will display this more than others. A Bridgestone 71R wears insanely fast til half life...then it slows way down. A Michelin PSS will show fairly consistent wear rates for the life of the tyre.
If your alignment was out considerably and you still got 10k out of the tyres, then it would stand to reason that with the same use and a good alignment, the tread wear would be much slower overall.
Additionally, I would suggest an alignment check/touchup at least every year. If you find that this is too often, then back off on the interval.
I have bought "lifetime" alignments for my car(s).
Last edited by B serious; Nov 2, 2016 at 07:21 AM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,296
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From: Vermont
I put new Bridgestone S-04s on the rear today and stayed with the 8K S-04s on the front (they have a lot of tread left) and I have to say the car is driving really good now. I think the alignment made a difference - or maybe just the new rear tires - or maybe both.
These S-04 tires are not directional. Do those of you who use non directional tires rotate them side to side?
These S-04 tires are not directional. Do those of you who use non directional tires rotate them side to side?
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,370
Likes: 138
From: Cali
Just curious...what intervals should you check or get an alignment done? (assuming you haven't ran anything over you weren't supposed to..like road debris, big potholes, curbs, dirt runoffs, etc.)
Every 6 months, every year, every other year, every time you get new tires, etc.?
Every 6 months, every year, every other year, every time you get new tires, etc.?
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,863
Likes: 125
From: Pawtucket, RI
Two things:
1. Factory alignment specs are not specific, but a VERY broad range. If you ask for a generic alignment, if the specs are all "in the green" they do nothing and charge you for it. More often they'll do a "toe and go" and only adjust front toe to say they actually did something.
2. Toe is a much bigger factor than camber as far as tire wear rate is concerned.
Factory AP1 rear toe alignment spec is 1/8" to 1/4" (3mm to 6mm), or 0.3 to 0.6 degrees total toe-in. The high end of this range gives poorer handling responsiveness (IMO) and kills rear tires twice as fast. I wouldn't run any more than the small end of this range for rear toe. In fact, I run less than that, in the 0.15 - 0.2 degree range (1/16" to ~3/32") total rear toe in.
Make it worth your time/money when you get an alignment, you should know and specify what you want and not just get it to "factory spec", which again is a very broad range and will generally give you way too much rear toe on an AP1.
1. Factory alignment specs are not specific, but a VERY broad range. If you ask for a generic alignment, if the specs are all "in the green" they do nothing and charge you for it. More often they'll do a "toe and go" and only adjust front toe to say they actually did something.
2. Toe is a much bigger factor than camber as far as tire wear rate is concerned.
Factory AP1 rear toe alignment spec is 1/8" to 1/4" (3mm to 6mm), or 0.3 to 0.6 degrees total toe-in. The high end of this range gives poorer handling responsiveness (IMO) and kills rear tires twice as fast. I wouldn't run any more than the small end of this range for rear toe. In fact, I run less than that, in the 0.15 - 0.2 degree range (1/16" to ~3/32") total rear toe in.
Make it worth your time/money when you get an alignment, you should know and specify what you want and not just get it to "factory spec", which again is a very broad range and will generally give you way too much rear toe on an AP1.