Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Hi there

just had my Pajero serviced today. They had a look at the tyres and were also stunned at the amount of tread wear for under 10K Km. one is almost fineable. They are waiting for the Tyre specialist to review them and let me know. I am really not happy with the way things are going!!!

That is absolutely absurd.

Something is SERIOUSLY wrong - either with the rubber or something with the alignment, or someone stole a tyre off your car!

You should get more than 50000 km on a set of tyres.

Please let us know the verdict of the tyre guy.

Anton

Hi there,

Did you get the Bridgestone HT's?
Does seem mega strange. Also I need to add, did you not notice the wear? Sure they are your tires?

I am really battling to get my wheel alignment right. No one in JHB has been able to get it right. Even with that not right, my tires (esp the front) are wearing, but I have around 20k on them already. even at the current wear rate, I reckon I have another 20 k I can get out of them.

On that note, any "relaible" and recomended wheel alignment cts in and around JHB???

Hello John Arnold,

If I may make the following comments on your tyre issue:

a. Maybe somebody is driving on your original tyres,
b. If they are your originals, then there is something seriously wrong with your Pajero suspension set-up. Being a normal person, you should get at least 60 000km on a set of tyres though if you drive like Sarel, then it will be less.
c. Before and after every trip that we do, I have the alignment checked. I always go to the same fitment centre - Tiger Wheels in Montana, Pretoria. When they start, I insist that I want to be there and I insist that they set the alignment in the centre of the "green" setting. Initially, it cause a big fight because the technicians isnisted that if the setting is in the "green", it is OK. My argument was and still isthat the "green" sector is the total allowable adjustment and that the centre is in fact the correct factory setting. Apart from all the fights to get the settings to my liking, I am happy with the wear of my tyres. I suggest that you do the same.
d. I must add that there is a very small diffirence in the rear specs between Pajero and Tiger - but it is so small that it does not affect the tyre wear.

Hope it helps, Cloyd

They are the yokohama Geolander G902.

the set is mine. not someone elses. They wore more on the 2 front tyres.

I took it to the same tyre place I have been going to for all my families cars. I know the owners.

will wait for the tyre specialist to contact me shortly and await his response

John,
Just to make sure I understand you correctly: you have already had the allignment checked at your "same tyre place". Does that mean that all was well with your allignment, but still you had the terrible tyre wear. Is it just a portion of the tire (inside, middel or outside) that is gone, but the rest is still good, OR is the whole tyre going bald?

Have you driven behind your car to see if it "crabs" at all?

Did you actually notice the tyres wearing down or was it only picked up at the service?

Something is not right here... I am approaching the 70k km mark on my car and still on the original tyres. The fronts are likely to make 80k and the rears are looking at 100k at the moment. At 45k I asked the agents to swap front and rear and to check the main beam setting. Needless to say none of that was done. I philosophically decided to accept it, because now I can replace only two tyres at a time and the few times that I drive in the dark, only every third car complains about my main beams being too high.

hi,

Yes the alignment was fine. will see if it crabs. I actually informed them it was wearing badly at 7500km. they said I need to book it in for them to review it. so that was after my trip.

the wear is mainly on the outside.

Roelf is right - my colleague got 105000 km on a set of Wranglers on a Gen3 LWB GLX, and he drives a wee bit like Sarel...

I would suggest you use another car when driving behind yourself....

Please let us know what the tyre guy says. They can match serial numbers to dates of manufacturing, and if nothing mechanically is wrong (shocks, crabwalking, castor/camber, allignment, balance, etc) I will not be surprised if he says the tyres are older than the car... That would mean someone had the car for a while and swopped tyres...

Anton

John,

I see on a different thread that you need to have the front disks skimmed as well. You don't think there is a possible link between the brakes and tyre wear. Maybe something strange going on with the ABS?

I refuse to believe that all Pajeros need to have their disks skimmed every 10 000km. I know for a fact that I have never had a disk skimmed on any of my Pajeros.

Take your car on a dirt patch and try to lock up the brakes, just to see what happens and how the ABS reacts. Maybe you can learn something from that. If you can position somebody (in a safe place) to observe the ABS action could also help. Even better, isn't it possible to get to a test centre where they put the car on rollers and then test the brakes?

The dealers will just start replacing everything until the problem goes away or until you get fed-up and sell it. My buddy recently had a judder on his Hilux 4x4 D/C. The dealers replaced the rear drums and the universal joints and I don't know what else. We referred him to a brake shop in our little town, where they found warped drums (those that were supposedly replaced) and skimmed the drums and now the car is perfect.

Hi,

The vehicle was purchased new. I dont know if the brakes has something to do with it. could be. but so far my experience with pajero has been rather unpleasant. Should a new car crab?????

will see what the tyre guy says and what MMSA says regarding my brakes.