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From: dw@rocksvax.UUCP (Don Wegeng)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Abnormal Rear Tire Wear
Message-ID: <756@rocksvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Jan-85 19:06:29 EST
Article-I.D.: rocksvax.756
Posted: Fri Jan 25 19:06:29 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 27-Jan-85 06:48:54 EST
Organization: Xerox
Lines: 40

The Service manager at my Saab dealer recently told me about an
abnormal tire wear problem that they have been seeing on quite a few
cars (including mine).  It seems that the rear tires have been 
experiencing a wear pattern which consists of one or more bands 
which are about one inch wide and run at a 45 degree angle across 
the tire.  The problem is much more pronounced on tired which have
not been rotated (front to back and vice versa).

Saab is not sure about what is causing the problem.  At first
they thought the tires were at fault, but this has been proven
false.  Now they suspect that there may be some kind of resonance
which is causing the problem.  They also think that the amount
of tow-in that these wheels posess may affect the problem.

Saab currently suggests that owners rotate their tires every 7500
miles.  They say that any abmormal wear that a tire experiences
when on the rear will be corrected after it is used on the front
for awhile.  They also suggest that customers who have experienced
this problem should have the tow-in adjusted.

Saab (with the dealers) is compensating customers who have
experienced this problem by discounting the purchase price of 
new tires by the expected remaining miles on the worn tires.  I
was able to purchase two new Pirelli P8's for the price of one,
not bad considering that the car has been out of warrenty for over
a year.

Incidently, my Service Manager says that he has seen this problem
on other front wheel cars (he mentioned Volkswagons, but didn't
specify a model).  Has anyone else heard of this?  (My car is a
1983 900S with 30K miles)

-- 
/Don

"Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire.  Psycho Killer..."

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