Quote:
Originally Posted by CapriRacer
If you read my blurb on alignment, you probably figured out that I think anything over 1° of camber results in irregular wear - and that's the srtuation here.
Yes, Kia's specs for the rear can result in over a degree of camber, and that is clearly going to result in tire wear problems. But Kia's warranty doesn't cover tire wear in any way, shape, or form, so don't be surprised if get the cold shoulder for the Kia dealer. To complicate matters, getting an alignment somewhere other than the dealer could be used as evidence that there used to be a problem.
A better bet is to find an alignment shop that will work with you to get the alignment where you want it to be rather than what the book says.
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I agree with everything he said...and let me add just a bit more to this. I have much autocross experience and a lot more experience specifying my own alignment specs over the years. I can sum up that experience in just a few sentences. Anything over .5 degrees of camber at either end of the car will result in uneven tire wear on a conservatively driven street car. If you are an aggressive driver cornering near the limit on a regular basis, you can push that number quite a bit higher and maintain nearly normal tire wear. Most of us dont drive that way so go outside the 1/2 degree window at your own peril. The other major contributor to tire wear is the toe setting. try running zero toe front and rear and as close to zero camber as you can get. By all means balance the camber side to side so that the front tires have the same camber and the rear have the same. more negative camber in the front will help alleviate understeer and on most front engine cars that is what you want. Rear engine cars are another category and they have their own requirements. I think if you follow these general guidelines you will see your tire wear improve dramatically.