Join the Car Talk Community!

Cursed with gooey tires.

Dear Tom and Ray:

Last September, I purchased a 1991 Toyota MR 2. I love the car and am enjoying every mile. I do have one problem, though. My rear tires are wearing out twice as fast as the front ones. They're Bridgestone RE 71 Potenzas. I never smoke the tires--so that's not the cause of the problem. I stopped at a tire store, and they said they replaced the tires on one MR 2 that had only 15,000 miles on it! Am I doomed to replace my rear tires every two years at $240? Why are they wearing out?

RAY: Well, Hank, there are several possible reasons. The first one is you. Since you bought an MR 2, I'm going to guess that you don't mosey down the highway at 35mph like my brother does in his '63 Dodge Dart. And you don't have to actually smoke the tires to put a lot of wear and tear on them.

TOM: Also, the tires that come with this car are made of a relatively soft compound. The softer the rubber, the goo-ier the tires, and the more the car "sticks" to the road. That's one of the reasons you can drive down circular parking garage ramps at 65 mph in this car. The downside of softer tires is that they wear out faster. So it may be a combination of your driving and the type of tires you have.

RAY: The only other possibility is that you need a camber adjustment. If that were the case, the tires would be wearing more on the inside edges. If they're not, either ease up on the gas a little bit, or just put $2 a week in a piggy bank for your next set of rear tires, and don't worry about it.
Tags (Browse All)

Support for Car Talk is provided by:

Donate Your Car,
Support Your NPR Station

...and get a tax break!

Get Started

Find a Mechanic



Rocket Fuel