Continental V8-4.6L DOHC (1995)
Technical Service Bulletin # 97-17-5
Date: 970818
Tire Wear - Service Tip
Article No.
97-17-5
08/18/97
TIRES - TIRE WEAR CHARACTERISTICS - SERVICE TIP
LINCOLN-MERCURY:
1995-97 CONTINENTAL
ISSUE:
Some vehicles may exhibit greater than expected front tire wear toward the inner edges. This may be caused by a change in front wheel toe during heavy
acceleration and deceleration, coupled with high weight load on the front tires.
ACTION:
Install a redesigned tire and reset front suspension wheel alignment. Refer to the following Tire Wear Overview and Minimize Inner Edge Tire Wear text
for more information.
OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES: NONE
WARRANTY STATUS: INFORMATION ONLY
OASIS CODES: 303000, 304000, 305000, 306000, 390000
Tire Wear Overview
Tire wear is highly variable and is influenced by a customer's driving habits (acceleration and braking abruptness, customary traffic conditions, road and
weather conditions, straight versus curved roads, among others). Additionally, maximum tire set life is dependent upon:
^
Rotating the tires at specified intervals
^
Maintaining recommended tire pressure
^
Maintaining proper front end alignment
Front wheel drive vehicles inherently wear the front tires more rapidly than the rear tires. This is due to the following:
^
The front tires carry much more weight (combined weight of the engine and transaxle)
^
The front tires handle the force of acceleration as well as braking and steering
Assuming the front end alignment is set to published specifications, inner edge wear may be caused by small changes in the toe settings that occur while
driving. All vehicles exhibit slight changes in the front end alignment settings as they are driven. The effect these changes have on tire life varies due to
factors in the suspension design. These changes are significantly greater on front wheel drive vehicles than on rear wheel drive vehicles.
Every suspension design is a balance to obtain the desired ride or handling characteristics. Generally speaking, factors that provide optimum ride quality
can affect "sporty" handling, and vice versa.
The front suspension of the Continental is focused on ride dynamics (comfort, road holding capability and handling). Normal flexing of the bushings
used in the front suspension to achieve these improved dynamics may result in a slight toe change under hard acceleration and braking. This toe change
affects inner edge tire wear.
Frequent stop-and-go driving, such as that done in heavy city traffic, can have the same effect as infrequent, but heavy, acceleration and braking.
The design and construction of the tires are also designed to best accommodate these factors while still contributing to the luxury car ride, sporty
handling characteristics, and improved fuel economy through decreased rolling resistance.
These factors are affected by the additional weight and horsepower of the high performance powertrain that the buyers of luxury performance vehicles
demand.
All tires wear as the vehicle is driven. Therefore, tire wear expense is considered to be a customer responsibility. For instances where customer
expectations of tire life has not been met due to the nature of this type of vehicle combined with individual customer driving modes, appropriate
customer satisfaction options should be considered on an individual customer basis.
Minimize Inner Edge Tire Wear
1.
Inspect the front end components for road hazard or accident damage which could contribute to tire wear, and repair or replace any damaged
