[lem3on]

Hi,

I just bought an m3 and did a bad job of checking it outbeforehand (2001 w/ 53kmi btw).


I've had it 2 weeks now, and just noticed a groove on the front passenger tire. It is on the inside edge of the tire, about an inch wide, and almost through the entire tread at this point. I felt around and it seems like the bracket which holds the spring is chewing up the tire. I felt on the driver's side, and noticed the clearance to the tire here is very small.

Are there any components which wear and can cause this, or is this almost certainly damage from an accident or curb/pothole hit?

Thanks,
Mike

[kmfurdm]

My friend had probably the identical issue. Basically, the shocks can be so worn that they do not support the car properly over bumps which lets the car hit the wrong bump stop repeatedly. The bump stop being the spring perch into the tire which chews it up. My friends car had the same issue, on the same side. It got to the point that is was very dangerous. His solution was replace the suspension.

Does beg the question, what wheels and what is the tire size you are using?

[m5guy]

Originally Posted by kmfurdm

My friend had probably the identical issue. Basically, the shocks can be so worn that they do not support the car properly over bumps which lets the car hit the wrong bump stop repeatedly. The bump stop being the spring perch into the tire which chews it up. My friends car had the same issue, on the same side. It got to the point that is was very dangerous. His solution was replace the suspension.

Does beg the question, what wheels and what is the tire size you are using?

Okay wait, let's get some vocabulary and science established here.

1) The front coil spring is what supports the weight of the car, not the dampening force of the shock absorber.

2) The lower spring perch is what the bottom of the coil spring is captured in.

3) The position of the wheel and the lower spring perch relative to each other do not change radically throughout the complete travel of the suspension.

Bottom line, if your tire is rubbing on the lower spring perch, KMFURDM's question is the first thing you should consider. What is the wheel size AND OFFSET, and what is the tire size? For example, the OEM 18 inch wheel is 18x8 with a 47mm offset (I believe). If you have aftermarket wheels on the car with, for some strange reason, additional negative offset like 50 or 55mm, that could be a problem even if the tire size is still 225/45/18.

Next, to the best of your knowledge or your mechanic's knowledge, has the car ever suffered suspension damage due to an accident? A bent control arm, hub, or strut housing could conceivably cause this interference if everything else checks out okay.

[kmfurdm]

My friends shocks were totally useless. Completely compressible, by hand, with almost no effort. He was riding on stock 19's with stock tire sizes, no accidents. So, I know what you're saying, but his suspension was shot at like 65000 miles.

[goodsf]

Thanks for the replies guys. Looks like it was the obvious answer. Previous owner mounted 255/40's up front.....arg. Time for some new tires.

I hope that solves it. I am a bit concerned that only the right tire is being chewed up. Could it be that since the tires are way too big for the wheels, that one is "shifted" axially on the wheel more than the other?

[12v]

Update?


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