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Unusual rear tire inside wear on 2007 prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Mavi, Mar 2, 2016.

  1. Mavi

    Mavi Active Member

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    So on my wives Prius which is an 2007 the rear tires are wearing more greatly on the insides that the outsides and they are wearing evenly on both the rear left and rear right inside. So not one is more worn than the other..

    The tires are heavily worn, with that said the car rides extremely bumpy to the point the entire car is shaking on the freeway at 75 mph or higher. So much so it induces motion sickness which is odd for me. So also besides the alignment question, what else could be causing the insane amount of bumpiness? I balanced and rotated them yesterday but that didn't solve the issue.

    The shocks also were replaced a few months ago on all 4.

    I read that there is no way to align the rears, is this true?

    Also what could I do to fix this? Replace the rear axle? Special alignment? Shims? Any ideas?
    IMG_20160302_085247.jpg IMG_20160302_085225.jpg
     
  2. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    Which is it? If the tires are wearing more on the inside, how can the tires be wearing evenly? A woman can't be a little pregnant now can she?

    Toyota lists the rear alignment as non adjustable. Their only correction is to replace the rear beam. Better alignment shops can apply shims.

    EDIT: Assumption of rear beam not being bent.

    Alignment will only correct uneven tire wear.

    Bumpiness can be due to suspension or tire issue. Assuming you/shop followed correct repair procedures, all wear items were replaced on the front strut: Strut, bearing mount, upper & lower spring insulator, oil seal, bumper (optional). All bolts tightened correctly? Spring not broken?

    Rear shock: the shock, shock absorber cushion, upper coil spring insulator. All bolts tightened correctly? Spring not broken?

    Other suspension components inspected? bushings, tie rods, ball joints, control arms.

    Tires? You say heavily worn. Legal tread limit is 2/32 inch. If below, replace. Since tire is heavily worn, tread itself may have a bump that is protruding, coming into contact with the road, which you feel. You can lift the car and inspect all four tires to see if tread does have a bump. If so, replace immediately for everyone safety.
     
  3. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    It’s really hard to tell from the picture how much more they are on the inside than outside. If inside wears significantly more than outside on both rear tires you probably have rear tow out. Only one tire needs to be wrong since effect will be the same on both (car will just travel a bit sideways). To fix the problem you need to replace the rear axle or use shims.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how many miles on them?
     
  5. Mavi

    Mavi Active Member

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    Prob 60k miles on the tires. Interesting. What I meant was the insided on both tires are worn at the same amount, which isore so than the outside/center.
     
  6. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Unless you live in Utah or some such, I think you meant "my wife's Prius". (Sorry, could not resist. :) )
    To me, those tires look severely over inflated. Do not inflate to more that 39 PSI on the rears. Any more than that will get you insignificant fuel savings. Lower pressure may help with the ride quality, but is not the cause of your tire wear.

    +1 to what Valde3 said, you should listen to him.
     
  7. Toppcat

    Toppcat Member

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    Tires wear tells it all. Looks like Under inflation, negative camber, toe out, worn shocks, excess suspension free play/ wheel/tire runout, Looks like cheap tires too! Take it to a reliable shop for full inspection from a well season mechanic!