Tyre Question

My Freelander has got through 2 rear tyres in about 4 months - maybe 5,000 miles. They were down to canvas to my horror, and were ridged in the wear pattern ie- bald at one point then quite a lot of tread then bald again, then quite a lot of tread again all the way round the tyre - and mainly on the outside - almost like a corrugated tyre!

Anybody experience this?

Also the guy at the tyre centre said he saw it quite a lot on frreelanders and said that the uneven wear pattern was down to the propshaft and the intricacies of the engagement of the 4 wheel drive system - he said that if i took off the rear part of the prop altogether, i would get more mph, more mpg, a quieter ride and less tyre wear - although I would obviously lose my 4wd... I am not convinced by anything he has said really, but would love to know any of your opinions on the matter...

Also, what tyre pressures should I be running on - for regular road use - no heavy loads or towing etc


Thanks


Skinpig

depending on what year your freelander is depends on how bad the wear will be,
the wear is caused due to the reduction in drive to the rear wheels from the IRD,
pre 2001 my cars had a reduction of 1.6% which caused quite heavy wear(stepping)to the rear tyres,
after 2001 a modified IRD was introduced with only a reduction of 1.3% this made the situationn better,

you would be able to run 2 wheel drive if you removed the prop,
and tyre pressures should be 30psi all round,

your tyres should last more than 4k miles though so perhaps you also have a missalignment issue aswell adding to the problem.

Something sounds wrong there. I'm sure you should be able to get more than 5000 miles out of a set of tyres. It is possible to adjust the tracking on the rear wheels, maybe that has something to do with it?
I run all my tyres at 30psi, like the hand book says. I've certainly got more miles than you have out of a set of Michelins. When I brought the car it had good tread, I've done 6000 miles on them and they still have loads of life left in them.
Also, the 4 wheel drive system is permanent. It doesn't engage and disengage when the terrain changes. Disengaging the rear wheel drive sounds like a bodge job to me. There must be a problem some where that this mechanic either can't be bothered to find or doesn't know where to find.
Take it else where and get a second opinion.
Good luck

Yeah, sounds like IRD or VC to me. Mine used to have a stepping effect on the rear tyres before my IRD died (Blocked breather, popped seals, very sad). Now with the new IRD the rear tyres are fine. The earlier IRD's do scrub out the rear tyres but the miles you are describing are just EXTREME! Removing the prop will cure it but if you want 2WD you may as well have a mondeo. Remove the rear prop and see how it goes. If there is an improvement then the VC and IRD need checking. If the situation is the same with the prop off then your rear tracking needs checking. Its a bit like cluedo but with bigger pieces....

Like Cluedo eh? Clever way of putting it, I like it

Yeah...

I never like it when its Professor Gear Teeth in the IRD with the swarf though....