iliveinapathy

i have an 03 tl type s, with its 2nd tranny, and about to get its 3rd set of tires in 3 years.

when i moved back to ny from CA, i bought a new pair of contiextremes, and since this was my 2nd/3rd year w/ the car i really didnt drive too crazily. But ny acura's unlike CA acura's dont rotate your tires for you, unless you specifically ask them to. I know with the new laws you have to ask specifically for any work done, but usually they would say "hey your due for a tire rotation, and id say ok."

in any case, i finally realized hey shoot i need my tires rotated, and i missed about one rotation, but when i got there, they tech said he can't rotate, b/c my rears are tooo worn.

why do the rear tires wear down first in a front wheel drive car?

why the heck are the contiextremes wearing so fast? its been less than a year, i haven't been driving crazy.. isnt there a warrranty or something?

Hokie D

I have the opposite problem. My front tires were looking pretty worn down and my rear tires were still in excellent shape after 12K miles. My front passenger side was worn evenly, but the front driver was worn very bad on the inside of the tire. They recommended I replace it.

They said it was probably a bad alignment that caused it. I had one done after I got the tires installed, but will try again. If the new alignment shop tells me everything is within specs, then I don't know what caused it.

iliveinapathy

i always thought front wheel drive cars, that when you slam the gas, the fronts turn and the rears will drag b/c fronts are rotating much faster and cause the rears to wear out first..

derrick

You're right -- FWD will tend to wear fronts faster than the rears. However, issues like camber, toe and balance significantly contribute to tire wear, noise and vibration.

The contis have a lower load rating than the OEM Michelins (93XL). That may also contribute to what you're experiencing. How many miles do you travel in a year? When you go shopping for tires, be sure to look at the wear rating for a tire ... it's a way to see how long the tires will last -- not an exact science but a guide to tell you how long you can expect the tires to last.

Next time you get your car into the shop, have them do an alignment to see if there are camber or toe issues with your rears. Reguar tire rotations are also important to maximize tire life (every 6000 miles if you're a tire nut!)

Hokie D

I had an alignment. I guess the rear was done properly because those tires look barely used. The fronts are in bad shape.