Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/34501
TIRE WEAR, BALANCE, AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT All tires mounted on RVs should wear in a smooth, even wear pattern when the tires are maintained with the correct air pressure for the load on the tire. If tires begin to show an irregular wear pattern, and the vehicle alignment is correct, sometimes just rotating the tires to change direction of rotation and wheel position will allow the tires to wear evenly. Significant tire/wheel assembly imbalance may cause steering difficulties, a bumpy ride, and worn spots on your tires. It is recommended that tire/wheel assemblies be inspected and balanced if one of these conditions exists. Check with the motorhome chassis manufacturer for the correct alignment specifications. Michelin recommends, for optimized radial tire life and performance, that the “toe-in” setting should be as close as is practical to zero, within the motorhome manufacturer’s specifications. The caster should be set to the maximum positive or minimum negative setting within the tolerances specified by the manufacturer. Toe Wear A feathered wear pattern on the front tires typically indicates misalignment (toe-in or toe-out). Sometimes a radial tire will not have this wear pattern unless the toe condition is severe. Instead of the feathered edge wear, the tire will be worn on the inside or outside shoulder, which could be confused with camber wear. On a three-axle RV, a skewed rear axle and tag could cause feathered edge wear on one shoulder of one front tire and feathered edge on the opposite shoulder of the other front tire. In order to correctly diagnose a tire wear condition, the motorhome should have the alignment checked on all wheel positions. Camber Wear Camber Wear Also known as edge wear, camber wear shows up on the inside or outside shoulders of the tread. Wear on the inside edge of both tires may be due to negative camber or toe-out, a misalignment. If only one tire shows edge wear, check for worn kingpin bushings, bent or worn steering components, or excessive positive camber. For solid beam axles, excessive camber can result from axle over-load. Camber Wear Toe Wear Tire Rotation If correct air pressure and proper alignment are both continually maintained, tire rotation may never be needed. However, in other cases, tire rotation may be needed to help even out wear patterns caused by alignment, underinflation, or free-rolling wear problems. Follow the motorhome manufacturer’s rotation service recommendations. There are no restrictions as to the method of rotation with the MICHELIN ® Michelin recommends including the spare tire in the rotation pattern and changing the direction of rotation. Tires can be rotated front to rear and side to side. Toe Wear 80 Section Five: MICHELIN RV Tires ® RV tires; however,