ADVICE SOUGHT 1)Uneven tyre wear 2) Removing wing liners

[mikeonb4c]

Did the front disc pads on el Bongo yesterday. I noticed:

1) On both front tyres, but mainly on the drivers side, the inside half of the tyre tread was more worn than the outside. This is relatively gentle wear as they are winter tyres and have been on for 2 years/ 10k miles, but its still wrong. Anyone able to advise on likely cause/remedy? I tend to run the tyres at 38psi.

2) The lip of one of the front wings needs a bit of rust bubbling sorting, which I think means getting at the inner face so as to make sure paint/anti corrosion treatment gets tackled at source. But the front wings have a plastic inner lining helod on it seems by Phillips headed plastic screw like things, the mudflaps likewise. I tried turning one with a screwdriver but it just seemed to turn freely without undoing (or tightening when I went the other way). Anyone able to advise how to get the liners off/remove these screws/scrivits?

Thanks as ever

[cmm303]

Mine wore on the inside. Had tracking checked and it was miles out. Need to do a few more '000 miles to see if that was the only problem.

[Simon Jones]

The wheelarch liners are held in place with things called scrivets. If your are careful they can be re-used but if the screw part just spins then they can usually be drilled out with 5mm drill. If you want some more, I bought about 500 a few years back and still have plenty left over. They're 25p each plus 60p for P+P.

[Northern Bongolow]

put a small blade screwdriver under the threaded insert and lever up/out, then at the same time screw out as normal with the other hand/screwdriver.

[mikeonb4c]

Brilliant everybody and thanks. Tracking to be checked then I think and I may buy a few scrivets when the time comes Simon. Anybody got any free time they are able to sell me. Oh and a bag or two of youth powder would be handy also. If only | was retired it would be great to have Bongo fettling as a hobby but right now with work overload and ageing body (me and the Bongo) its a struggle to keep up.

[mikeonb4c]

Spoke with Adrtian at JapanDirect about the tracking issue and he recommends 4 wheel alignmnent test as he doesn't do that stuff. Would this be done by a standard local tyre place (Kwikfit etc?). And are there figures I'd need to give them for tracking etc (couldn't spot anything on toe-in etc in the factsheets though I probably was looking in the wrong place).

[cmm303]

Members fact sheet on tyre wear says:
Inner-edge tyre wear
Assuming it is not caused by low pressure, inner-edge tyre wear is most likely to be caused by one of the following:
• too much give in the inner wing strut mountings
• problem with tension rod bushes which may need replacing.
• front camber needs re-aligning.
The only way to check for sure is to have a computer alignment geometry test (see above).

Wheel Data fact sheet gives the angles etc.
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/member ... eldata.pdf

[mikeonb4c]

Members fact sheet on tyre wear says:
Inner-edge tyre wear
Assuming it is not caused by low pressure, inner-edge tyre wear is most likely to be caused by one of the following:
• too much give in the inner wing strut mountings
• problem with tension rod bushes which may need replacing.
• front camber needs re-aligning.
The only way to check for sure is to have a computer alignment geometry test (see above).

Wheel Data fact sheet gives the angles etc.
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/member ... eldata.pdf

Fab Chris - I'd seen the tyre one but missed the wheeldata one.

[cmm303]

No worries, 30 mins ago I was in the tyre place frantically thumbing through fact sheets for the same data.

For what it's worth, my free tracking recheck showed it to be miles out, again. So either the earlier correction was rubbish (they didn't get the steering wheel straight, so maybe messed up with the road wheels) or I have some underlying suspension probs. I really want to look after my brand new tyres!!

[g8dhe]

We had similar about a year or so after getting the Bongo, noticed significant wear when we went to change the tyres the first time and had it fully aligned it made a heck of a difference to wear, and driving itself. I can quite believe as well with the state of the roads over the last few winters that the alignment might start to change again, so its well worth the cost of the process.

[mikexgough]

Mike.... use the motorsport string method.... and yes it does work....

[rita]

The wheelarch liners are held in place with things called scrivets. If your are careful they can be re-used but if the screw part just spins then they can usually be drilled out with 5mm drill. If you want some more, I bought about 500 a few years back and still have plenty left over. They're 25p each plus 60p for P+P.

Wow £125.0 +P&P is a lot to pay for Scrivets you must have intended to be busy.