General Doblo rear axle issue

[Dave Castle]

Hi, rear tyres inner edge worn down to wire very quickly on my 2008 Fiat Doblo, the tyre mechanic said it would seem the rear axle is out of alignment, but there doesnt seem to be anything adjustable, or that could go out of alignment .
Has anyone experienced this or got any ideas ?
Thanks
Dave

 

[bugsymike]

Hi, rear tyres inner edge worn down to wire very quickly on my 2008 Fiat Doblo, the tyre mechanic said it would seem the rear axle is out of alignment, but there doesnt seem to be anything adjustable, or that could go out of alignment .
Has anyone experienced this or got any ideas ?
Thanks
Dave

I had an 05 Doblo 1.9JTD and it had leaf springs, is there any sign of movement on the axle clamp areas. Normally there is a pin in the centre where all the spring leaves are joined together which should locate in the axle beam.
Apart from that is there any sign of damage to that beam. If both tyres are worn in the same way on the inside edge the affect would be negative camber possibly, but unlikely from gross overloading bending the axle. I only ever saw that once , it was on a twin wheel transit pick up that the "travellers" had fitted short legnths of scaffold tube in place of the bump stops so they could continue loading it up excessively, but to the authorities it would appear to be level and so not obviously over laden!!!
Other than that has any one swapped the tyres from the front end to correct a tyre wear issue, whilst making you falsely suspicious of the rear end??

 

[Dave Castle]

I had an 05 Doblo 1.9JTD and it had leaf springs, is there any sign of movement on the axle clamp areas. Normally there is a pin in the centre where all the spring leaves are joined together which should locate in the axle beam.
Apart from that is there any sign of damage to that beam. If both tyres are worn in the same way on the inside edge the affect would be negative camber possibly, but unlikely from gross overloading bending the axle. I only ever saw that once , it was on a twin wheel transit pick up that the "travellers" had fitted short legnths of scaffold tube in place of the bump stops so they could continue loading it up excessively, but to the authorities it would appear to be level and so not obviously over laden!!!
Other than that has any one swapped the tyres from the front end to correct a tyre wear issue, whilst making you falsely suspicious of the rear end??

Hi, thanks that's really helpful, il have a closer look at the springs/ clamp tomorrow.
Someone else suggested that a pothole might have the effect of shifting axle slightly on the spring..it would becgreat if was was as simple as that..I'll let you know
Thanks

 

[bugsymike]

Hi, thanks that's really helpful, il have a closer look at the springs/ clamp tomorrow.
Someone else suggested that a pothole might have the effect of shifting axle slightly on the spring..it would becgreat if was was as simple as that..I'll let you know
Thanks

Do you know the history?
Were the tyres/wheels swapped front to rear, if they were not then unusual for rear tyres to wear both on the inside edge.
If they came from the front end then I would say the tracking/wheel alignment was toeing out as that will cause tyre wear on inside edge of tyre.
Can you see the tyre wear or were you just told by a tyre fitter.
A simple test would be to put a spirit level against the rear tyres on level ground.

 

[Dave Castle]

No, the tyres not swapped..I put a new one on the rear drivers side in January, and that's through to the wires on the inner edge, same on the passenger side, but on a slightly older tyre. The front is fine .
I saw the wear myself on the passenger side, took it to be changed, and he spotted the drivers side too, which I thought was OK.
He did put a spirit level on, and both wheels do look slightly out of line if you look head on.

 

[bugsymike]

No, the tyres not swapped..I put a new one on the rear drivers side in January, and that's through to the wires on the inner edge, same on the passenger side, but on a slightly older tyre. The front is fine .
I saw the wear myself on the passenger side, took it to be changed, and he spotted the drivers side too, which I thought was OK.
He did put a spirit level on, and both wheels do look slightly out of line if you look head on.

Not so good then.
If you are facing the wheel then in effect the top of it is sitting further in than the bottom?
If so then not a spring issue on a solid beam axle.
Have you had it a long time, any history?
The only way I can see axle bending like that it would have to have been extremely overloaded or flown over a hump back bridge and landed heavily on the back end to give it negative camber on the rear wheels.

 

[Dave Castle]

I've had it since autumn, fine in mot in January. I did hit a horrible pothole in the spring, but would've thought that would have got the front wheel. Something pulled out in front of me last week and I had to slam the brakes on and skidded..that's the only things of note to have happened.
Van seemed fine before, think if problem was from before it would have shown between autumn and mot.
If you look at the wheel from the front of car, it does look like it may be very slightly turned out, as if it was trying to turn left. !
Not sure about the top being more in than the bottom..the tyre was slightly flat so was difficult to tell properly..

 

[bugsymike]

I've had it since autumn, fine in mot in January. I did hit a horrible pothole in the spring, but would've thought that would have got the front wheel. Something pulled out in front of me last week and I had to slam the brakes on and skidded..that's the only things of note to have happened.
Van seemed fine before, think if problem was from before it would have shown between autumn and mot.
If you look at the wheel from the front of car, it does look like it may be very slightly turned out, as if it was trying to turn left. !
Not sure about the top being more in than the bottom..the tyre was slightly flat so was difficult to tell properly..

Just trying to think how it could have been caused.
When you say looking from the front of car the rear wheel looks out, but you said both rear wheels are wearing the same on the inside edge of the tyre, so as if the left hand rear was trying to turn left slightly and the right hand rear was trying to turn right slightly?
If so I would be looking for damage on the rear axle beam. Does it look like this one in photo?