Symptoms:

I bought this 1995 BMW 318ti two years ago and now the inside of the right rear tire is wearing prematurely. All the tires were just changed about 6 months ago and when the garage did a front-end alignment job, the camber were adjusted to specifications. The suspension components checked out OK and there were no worn bushings. What is the garage missing here? Should I find another garage?

Tire Problem Advisor:

The most common fix for this problem is to check the rubber mounts of the front-end suspension. A lot of times, these rubber mounts become soft and will move on its location. If you try prying these rubber mounts from side to side and see if there are a lot of movements, replace the mounts. If the ends of the components where the rubber mounts sit are also showing signs of wear, make sure to replace that too. (Example is lower control arm and the stabilizer bar).

Take note also that it is really important to rotate your tires every 5000 miles to spread the load of the car to all tires. Depending on how you use this car, if you feel that this car is used more often in stop and go city driving than highway driving, I would rotate it at 3000 miles. This should help minimize this problem and hopefully get more life of your tires.

Notes:

When replacing control arm or bracket, BMW recommends loading the suspension before tightening the mounting bolts. This means letting the car sits on its normal position for at least 30 minutes.

This car’s suspension is the same for the following models: 318i, 318is, 325i, 325iC, 328i, 328iC and 328is. (Most 1995-96 models).

When in doubt, bring your vehicle to authorized BMW dealer shop for a second opinion to avoid repetition of the tire problem.