MICHELIN
®
RV Tires 9
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 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 and wheel assembly imbalance may
cause steering difficulties, a bumpy ride, and worn spots
on your tires. It is recommended that tire and 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
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.
Tire Rotation
If correct 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
®
RV tires; however,
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. If using
directional tires, ensure tires are mounted to rotate in
proper direction as it may contribute to premature wear.
Toe Wear
Toe Wear
Camber Wear
Camber Wear
To Next Page
Loading...