tachman

So, I've put 26,000 miles on my S in the past year and a half since I've owned it. I'm about to replace my front S03s for the first time ... but, I'm half way through my THIRD set of rears. I only got 9,000 miles on the last set. I don't drive THAT aggressively and don't do burnouts. I know some of you must be getting 10-15k miles on the rears. Could my rear suspension / toe-in be that more aggressive than on my front? Are people getting 2.5x the mileage on their fronts?

I want to get an alignment before I drive up to the Carolinas in a few weeks, and I was just wondering what I should ask for. Sorry Kim, looks like I'll be hitting the dragon and parkway a few weeks before everyone else.

JerseyGirl

Well, at least you're still getting a chance to go! Have fun and be safe.

As for the tires, I got only 10,000 miles out of both front & rear before needing to change them - and that was w/ zero autocrossing and minimal aggressive driving.

Perhaps Josh or Richie can give you more specifics about what might be causing the uneven wear.

mav

Sounds like you might an alignment. Heres are the alignment settings I'm using, recommended by Honda UK...

Front Caster 6.75

Spa02S2K

I'm at over 14K on my rear S03's.

mav

Yes but VTEC and the 9,000RPM redline are strangersto you so you don't count.

KeithD

Tachman,

I would just consider purchasing a less agressive tire. The S03s are Max Performance, and aren't designed to last long. They are designed for ultimate grip. I doubt my rears lasted 7k miles. I also have an extremely agressive alignment, and my tires wear out before I see any ill effects from the negative camber I run (2.5 degrees in the rear).

Your three to 1, rear to front ratio seems right to me considering what I'm seeing on my fronts.

There are several good tires out there from Bridgestone, BFG, Pirelli, etc. that would give you good performance and much better wear. If your not doing extreme things with the car just buy a hard compound tire that will last you 15-20k miles.

MacGyver

Here are my settings. I have a bit of extra camber in the rears for stability.

Front
Camber: -1.0, -1.0
Caster: 5.2, 5.3
Toe: -0.02, -0.03

Rear
Camber: -2.0, -2.0
Toe: +0.16, +0.18

CoralDoc

The two posted alignment settings look good for aggressive street driving and the occasional autocross. The only thing I'll add is to go with the higher cater setting. That provides stronger on-center feel of the steering wheel and maximizes camber gain when the front wheels are turned.

tachman

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I'll take the settings with me when I go for an alignment. I'm fine with paying extra for the S03s. I've already accepted that my S has a $1,000/yr. tire habit

PENROD

It's all relative....
I went from the stock S-02's to the S-03's and saw much less tire wear. If you want a good performing, hard, long lasting tire, try the Potenza RE-050's. They're great in the rain, and they'll last you longer than either the S-03's or 02's.