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BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum (F30 / F32) | F30POST > Technical Forums > Wheels and Tires -- Sponsored by The Tire Rack > Front tires worn out poorly at 30k
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      08-14-2017, 09:48 PM   #1
max2me
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Front tires worn out poorly at 30k

Hello

I have 2015 428xi Gran Coupe and took it for the regular service today. Overall everything looks good, however SA says that front tires need replacement ($519) and they also recommend alignment on all wheels ($219).

Notes from technician say "Front tires are worn poorly".

I've never done tire alignment on the car and now I wonder if I should have done it previously (however this is the first time SA brought up tires after service).

This is my daily driver and I dont take it to the track or anything, so absolute best performance isn't critical for me (and I obviously would prefer to avoid spending money if I dont have to). However if I do need to replace tires + do alignment to ensure long life the car, I'll do it.

With that in mind, I have a few questions to help me understand this better:

1. How often one should do alignment? If I'd done it at those intervals, would it help prolong life of tires? If so by how much? (just weight cost/benefit here)

2. What effects on the car would it have, if I wont change tires yet?

3. Poor wear of tires - is it something I can detect myself?

4. Lastly, if I'm going to replace tires, which ones should I replace with? Does it make sense to do it at the dealership (cost & quality wise) or should I go to there just for alignment?

Thank you!
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      08-14-2017, 09:58 PM   #2
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30k on those tires.. not bad
I'd check if the tread was uneven on wear visually if so then yes
I also prefer shopping around for alignment not for price but have it done right by a reputable shop
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      08-15-2017, 03:18 PM   #3
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Alignments should be done yearly. $219 for an alignment is fucking ridiculous, shouldn't pay more than half that. Shop around. Tire wear is easy to spot just look at them. You can also mitigate issues with rotation.

Frankly the dealer is one of the last places I'd ever buy tires from and seeing as how they are raping you on the alignment cost I'd find a good independent shop. Talk to the local BMWCCA club and see who they use.
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      08-15-2017, 10:31 PM   #4
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insanecoder & MickAv8r,
Thank you for your replies. I'll look for reputable tire shop and will get a quote from them. I knew that dealer would overcharge but didn't think it would be that much.

I've also looked at my front tires and don't see anything odd there (but I also clearly dont know what I am looking for).

I've uploaded pictures here if you are able to take a look and advise:
https://goo.gl/photos/Kh8R3ij9hEaDyjma6

Thanks again!
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      08-15-2017, 10:46 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MickAv8r View Post
Alignments should be done yearly. $219 for an alignment is fucking ridiculous, shouldn't pay more than half that. Shop around. Tire wear is easy to spot just look at them. You can also mitigate issues with rotation.

Frankly the dealer is one of the last places I'd ever buy tires from and seeing as how they are raping you on the alignment cost I'd find a good independent shop. Talk to the local BMWCCA club and see who they use.

Where I live there are not many potholes. I've driven BMW's exclusively since 1988 and I've had maybe 5 wheel alignments total in all those years. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've taken the "if its not broken, don't fix it" approach to wheel alignments. If the car tracks straight when you take your hand off the wheel. If the steering wheel is pointed correctly when the wheels are straight, if the tires are wearing correctly; these are all signals for me to leave it alone. I keep my tires properly inflated and don't rotate.

Should I get an alignment every year as you say? Probably. But my approach has worked so far. BTW, I'm not being lazy or cheap, I'm just being practical. I have no problem spending money to properly maintain my cars. The one time I was weak and agreed to BMW's suggestion for an alignment they screwed it up. I left the dealer and the car would not steer straight afterwards. So, if I do need an alignment, the BMW dealer is not the place I would think of first.
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      08-17-2017, 09:40 AM   #6
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30k sounds about right on low profile tires ... unless thread ware uneven then it was due to alignment issue
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      08-20-2017, 10:49 PM   #7
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It totally depends on the compound of those tires. The profile of the tire has nothing to do with tire wear.

A summer tire with extremely low treadwear might last between 10,000-20,000 miles regardless of how carefully you drive it.

A good all-season tire with high tread wear might last over 40,000 miles even with some spirited driving.

You have to tell us which tires they were. The price of tires is highly dependent on the model used. That price may be reasonable and not much more than you'd pay at decent a tire place.

I can tell you that BMW dealerships absolutely rape you for an alignment though. The only things that can be adjusted in front is the toe. The only things that are adjustable in the back are camber and toe. Any good alignment shop can do this for about $100. Even BMW dealerships have a tendency to do a bad job and just set the toe and give your car back. That said, it's often not worth the trouble to deal with a tire place. You often have to deal with a salesman, you won't get a loaner, and they might screw up the tires. The dealership is a much safer place to go if you don't know much about tires.
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      08-26-2017, 08:30 PM   #8
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If the tires are worn. Go to tirerack or another high rated shop and get replacements for cheaper
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      08-27-2017, 06:23 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sygazelle View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by MickAv8r View Post
Alignments should be done yearly. $219 for an alignment is fucking ridiculous, shouldn't pay more than half that. Shop around. Tire wear is easy to spot just look at them. You can also mitigate issues with rotation.

Frankly the dealer is one of the last places I'd ever buy tires from and seeing as how they are raping you on the alignment cost I'd find a good independent shop. Talk to the local BMWCCA club and see who they use.

Where I live there are not many potholes. I've driven BMW's exclusively since 1988 and I've had maybe 5 wheel alignments total in all those years. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've taken the "if its not broken, don't fix it" approach to wheel alignments. If the car tracks straight when you take your hand off the wheel. If the steering wheel is pointed correctly when the wheels are straight, if the tires are wearing correctly; these are all signals for me to leave it alone. I keep my tires properly inflated and don't rotate.

Should I get an alignment every year as you say? Probably. But my approach has worked so far. BTW, I'm not being lazy or cheap, I'm just being practical. I have no problem spending money to properly maintain my cars. The one time I was weak and agreed to BMW's suggestion for an alignment they screwed it up. I left the dealer and the car would not steer straight afterwards. So, if I do need an alignment, the BMW dealer is not the place I would think of first.
Pretty much agree with this.

I don't do alignment unless I change tyres, car doesn't track straight or tyres are wearing unevenly.

I've had a dealer do alignment before and they made it worse!
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