Tire Noise

[ptjones]

My Michelin tires have become progressively noisier as they have worn (now down to between 6/32 and 7/32 on three of them, the fourth, unfortunately, is new).  I think it is characteristic of the tire/chassis combination.  Noise is worst in the 35-50 mph range, and pretty much is gone at high speeds.  Tires are evenly worn and rotated as needed.

How many miles and have you changed the direction of rotation? :)

 

Paul

[stratosurfer]

This thread is quite informative. I believe I will install the upper control arm to make my rear camber adjustable as Snowstorm did. I did find this kit which is half the price: https://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/Ford/C-Max/Replacement/Lateral_Link/2013/KIT1-021016-02-A.html?apwcid=gglpla&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0vnQBRDmARIsAEL0M1mgXEqN5eZWM3eKMzYnel0M2474VZejfZg-TRUBDIFJo9lCcPoN4mIaAojlEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I don't know if this is not as strong as the kit Snowstorm used, and I like the idea of only replacing the upper link.

The tire howling is starting to drive me a little nuts and is just as has been reported by others in this thread.

A question to the group; would it be dangerous to set the rear camber closer to zero, or maybe match the front -.7 degrees?

I as well intend to keep this car to 250K on the clock, currently at 85K.

 

Mark

[obob]

This thread is quite informative. I believe I will install the upper control arm to make my rear camber adjustable as Snowstorm did. I did find this kit which is half the price: https://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/Ford/C-Max/Replacement/Lateral_Link/2013/KIT1-021016-02-A.html?apwcid=gglpla&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0vnQBRDmARIsAEL0M1mgXEqN5eZWM3eKMzYnel0M2474VZejfZg-TRUBDIFJo9lCcPoN4mIaAojlEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I don't know if this is not as strong as the kit Snowstorm used, and I like the idea of only replacing the upper link.

The tire howling is starting to drive me a little nuts and is just as has been reported by others in this thread.

A question to the group; would it be dangerous to set the rear camber closer to zero, or maybe match the front -.7 degrees?

I as well intend to keep this car to 250K on the clock, currently at 85K.

 

Mark

 

The noise is wearing on me too.

 

Are you going to do it yourself ?  I have considered doing it myself but don't want to end up lacking equipment.  I am interested in how it works out for you.  I am considering getting another pair of tires but not sure of the cost of changing the camber will be worth it.

 

I bought one of these  

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-Magnetic-Gauge-Tool-for-Car-Truck-Camber-Castor-Strut-Wheel-Alignment/172856810614?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

 

Sticking it through the wheel spokes onto the brake rotor with its magnet I estimated my camber at -2.125 which is around what others have reported.   ( Since my driveway is slanted I added the left and right wheel and divided by two.  It assumes the camber is the same for both wheels and the driveway is slanted the same for both wheels. )  There are youtube videos on how to use this tool.

 

As I recall from reading, camber of 0 gets better braking and acceleration because more rubber on the road.  Handling gets better up to a camber of -5.

 

One reason I might set it to .9 is if I were to get in an accident, I would not want it to be used against me.

 

I feel Ford really should fix this.  I was just thinking about a friend that will be looking for a car.  What should I say.  Get a C-Max but the rear tires wear badly and make noise and Ford doesn't care.  Or you need to rotate tires every 2500 miles.

 

I have thought about why it makes noise.  Surprisingly I did not find much on the Internet why the way I wanted.    My thinking: With a negative camber the outside of the wheel needs to have a larger diameter than the inside to match the road and it doesn't.  So tire fights against itself and slides or stretches.  And as the tire gets more worn, it can't stretch so much so it slides and vibrates.  And perhaps the aging of the rubber and temperature also makes the rubber less flexible.

Edited December 1, 2017 by obob

[ptjones]

I think it is from the feathering of inside and outside edges of tire, which I think is caused by the alignment and maybe tire construction.  I had a set of Goodyear Fuel Max tires on a 2007 Focus and they made a lot of noise because the alignment was out. :sad:  That is why I said change the direction of rotation every 10k miles. Using crisscrossing the tires moves the tire from front to back. :)  Need to check camber and toe in and I would set at minimums to minimize wear of the tires. 

 

Paul

[SnowStorm]

Further thoughts:

• The AutoParts Warehouse site says those arms don't fit C-Max - ??
• I too am wondering how far you can go in reducing camber without causing other problems.  HOWEVER, we can't assume that excessive rear camber is the only cause of edge wear and cupping/noise.
• I follow Ford's rotation pattern that puts each wheel on all 4 positions.  Since I bought a set of tires, my tire dealer rotates for free every 5000 miles.  I'm convinced that rotations are of utmost importance.
• Now at 71k+ miles with only a bit of edge wear and, I think, a small amount of noise - vast improvement over first set.  Should make it to 75k miles and expect to hit the wear bars over the full width before the edge is too worn to be a problem.
• That little level looks easy to use but you can also use a carpenter's level as described in other posts.
• I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a C-Max - rotate per Ford's pattern at 5000 to 10,000 miles and few folks, IMO, should have a problem to 55k miles (the warranty).  Trying to get another 20k miles out of the tires is when it gets rather dicey.
• As to the cause of noise, my tire dealer told me years back that undriven tires have always had a tendency to cup (alternating low-high spots around the tire that cause noise).  For front wheel drive that means the rear tires.  Again, rotations are essential.