Honda Accord Tourer (2003 - 2008) - Rear tyre matching - critical?

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Fri 8 Aug 2008 16:44
Rear tyre matching - critical? - Statistical outlier
Early last year I had a blow-out on the motorway, and as Honda don't see fit to supply a spare I was picked up by the AA. At 10 at night, and with pressing work reasons to get mobile again, I accepted a new pair of cheapo tyres. One of them got damaged and written off by a knife in the road, and replaced with a Dunlop as once again that was all I could get in time.

My question is this. The cheapo tyre thrums and makes the most appalling racket. It's not good when I'm in the car on my own, and just gets worse as the suspension angle changes if the car is heavily loaded. I would dearly love to change it, but to change both rear tyres just because it's noisy would be prohibitively expensive.

Can I get away with just changing the one tyre? There's still about 5 mm of tread on the Dunlop, but obviously there would be a rolling difference.
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Fri 8 Aug 2008 16:55
Rear tyre matching - critical? - FotheringtonThomas
How much tread is left on the "cheapo" tyre? No real issue with changing the cheapo, though.
Why does the "cheapo" "thrum and makes the most appalling racket"? Is it properly fitted?
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Fri 8 Aug 2008 17:02
Rear tyre matching - critical? - Statistical outlier
It's an Ironman Type Z Extraload. There's about 5 mm left - it's annoyingly hard wearing.

I think the thrumming is coming from the wear pattern on the directional tread. It is wearing completely evenly across the tread, but the pattern of wear on the individual blocks is a bit odd. The leading edge of each major block is noticably higher than the trailing edge of the previous. You can't see it but it's clearly obvious running your hand over the tread. I've come across this once before - I think it was called fluting, but I could be making that up. Certainly it's this effect I'm blaming.

I could be wrong, and I'm going to ask the garage that will be fitting a new pair of front tyres (Michelin Pilot Sport 2 225/45 R17 for £223 delivered from Blackcircles) next Friday to have a look for me. Perhaps re-balancing might help?
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Fri 8 Aug 2008 17:13
Rear tyre matching - critical? - FotheringtonThomas
I think the thrumming is coming from the wear pattern on the directional tread. It
is wearing completely evenly across the tread but the pattern of wear on the individual
blocks is a bit odd. The leading edge of each major block is noticably higher
than the trailing edge of the previous.


Hm. Is all well with the wheel, bearing, brake, I wonder? Sounds as if investigation is warranted. It shouldn't wear like that. Another might do the same.
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Fri 8 Aug 2008 17:06
Rear tyre matching - critical? - davmal
Have you changed the axle/side on which the tyres were fitted? A tyre on a hub which may be out on the tracking can become noisier when moved to a correctly tracked hub. The effect you descibe sounds like tracking is out causing a saw tooth effect, indicative of mis alignment.

Edited by davmal on 08/08/2008 at 17:09

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Fri 8 Aug 2008 17:17
Rear tyre matching - critical? - Statistical outlier
I haven't changed the axle/side, no. Might be interesting to get the tracking checked tho - it hasn't been in 70k miles, mostly because it 'feels' fine and wear is even across the tyre.

I'll get it checked when I'm having the new ones put on, and then take it up with Honda if teh tracking's okay. Cheers for the suggestion.
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Fri 8 Aug 2008 19:20
Rear tyre matching - critical? - Group B
Thrumming of tyre tread can be caused by uneven sawtooth wear as Davmal describes; I've had the same in the past.

Goodyear site here mentions "sawtooth/ feathering" of tread due to misalignment:

snipurl.com/3d0gm [eu_goodyear_com]
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Wed 13 Aug 2008 19:11
Rear tyre matching - critical? - Statistical outlier
Well, I've put my money where your mouth's (sp?) were. I've had a 4-wheel tracking done at the same time as having a new pair of front tyres fitted. I'll let you know what difference it makes as I'm about to head to London.

Edited by Gordon M on 13/08/2008 at 19:12

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