If you remember back a ways, I had a problem with a strange noise in the car. Sounded like a marble rolling across a ping pong table!! Never could find out what it was. Tore the roof apart, tore the dash apart...nothing. Fast forward to this last weekend and the weather here in Virginia was warm enough to get out and give her a bath. As usual, I got a little wrapped up in the process and warm weather and the next thing you know the hood is open and I am detailing the engine bay. What do I find? A dang acorn that had fallen in between the hood and windshield and was rolling the entire length of the windshield where I couldn't see it. Pulled it out and no more noise

2nd Probelm....Car ate a set of Pilot Sports waaaaaay too fast. Shelled out $1,400 bones and spent 1/2 hour explaining to the alignment specialist all of the theories and threads on this site about the tire eating phenom....Told him Factory setting might be wrong...camber issues....aftermarket suspension replacement parts available.... yada, yada. He told me let's get it on the lift and take a look. They mount and balance the new tires, put them on the car and hook up the alignment machine. 2 hours later he comes into the office with a po'd look on his face. Says the car ate tires because the back drivers side wheel will NOT align. He said he gets it close and then with 1 little tweak it goes all the way back out of alignment. I have to take the car back and drop it off next week for a day FOC. He will get it right. What bugs me is that I had the car aligned 3 or 4 times during the life of these tires (both at LEXUS dealership and other shop) and it was not right. Mechanic said it was 1 of 2 things, 1. they didn't align all 4 tires, just the fronts or 2. they got it as close as they could which was still off. He promised, he will get it right when I drop it off again.

This is just a heads up in case anyone else is having the same problem.

Also, I'll go look in the classifieds but if anybody knows where there is a stock rim on the cheap, let me know. I had them save the best tire and I am going to use it as a spare.

TOXIC

 

Just a thought, but I don't think a stock wheel and tire will fit in the space set aside for a donut spare in the trunk. I ditched the runflats and had to add a spare. Most seem to prefer either the OEM donut spare or a donut spare from an RX8. I believe the RX8 is smaller and more compact, but still services well as an emergency only spare.

 

Yes, I understand it won't fit in the traditional sense but I will only use it for longer trips and plan on just laying the tire in the trunk. Otherwise, I'll run Nakid!! HA! Got a chance to run the new Michelins in the snow here in VA today (made it a whole 3 days on a clean car!!) and there sure is a difference in the "snow" setting!! It really drops the power to the rear wheels (as it should).

TOXIC

 

What spec was he having trouble with and how did he resolve it? Common issue is bent eccentric rest points on the subframe tabs that make it so the washer is not held when torqued. Since the bushings are staked they impose a torsional force on the mount and the arm as it travels and they work loose quickly.

We can resolve rear tire wear issues with several solutions, it just depends on your use case.post up an alignment sheet if he provided it. Are you lowered?
Mike

 

Thanks Mike. It wasn't a rear tire wear problem, it was an all tire wear problem The fronts were down to chords and the rear driver side was the problem wheel. It had a lot more wear than the the passenger rear. Tires were replaced at 79k car now has 110. I had regular rotation (approx every 5-7k) and alignments done 3 or 4 times during the mileage span. I have the spec sheet they used and I'll try to find it. In any case, I am going to take it in after about a month and every other month thereafter so that if these tires start to wear in an odd manner, the shop can get on it PDQ. Of course you know your suspension and I don't have 1/2 a clue what you are talking about but are you saying that with the "proper" alignment these vehicles don't eat tires?

TOXIC