stiff suspension/ springs = bad for your tire?

wat do u guys think? imagine 2 accords with the same rim/tire combo driving the same roads... only difference is the suspension where one is extremely stiff (K-sport/ F2) while one is soft (tein SS).... would the tires on the stiffer ride get more abuse as a result of stiffer suspension?

I would think so.

Perfect example from last night on my way home: hit a pot hole with both driver side tires, only blew the rear one. Same exact tires, same springs, same dampers, same wheels, same tires. Only difference is my front dampers are at 50% dampening and the rears are at 100%.

i would think the harder suspension would be harder on the tires...but thats just my thoughts with no source to back it up...

on the street tho i imagine it would be nearly negligible...and if ialignment is setup right...the tires should wear better because the car has less suspension travel...and the tire wouldn't change camber/toe etc as much under a harsh turns....

according to wat u two r saying, stiffer suspension is good for even thread wear (assuming no toe and somewhat good alignment) BUT is not friendly on teh sidewalls... agreed?

I concur. But, tire load rating plays a part in how stiff the sidewall is. I can report back on that when I get my new tire, since stock is 89 I believe and I'm getting some 92s.

I think that the tire wear is negligible for every day driving, but would be more noticeable on the track. What Danny said is true though, a stiffer suspension won't compress enough where the geometry will induce more camber and toe as it compresses, therefore theoretically less tire wear.

my ksport is stiff and i have not seee any sign of inner tier wear due to stiff or negativ camberrs

A stiffer suspension is not just harder on the tires, it can be harder on the rims. Over on the Trailvoy forum, we had a kid who was rocking 24's on his Trailblazer with a very stiff suspension, and he eventually had to take off the 24's because he was getting stress cracks on the inner surface of the rims.

Chas

i think stiffer suspension is more prone to spotting and bumps on tires rather than wear... with out that damper movement and the entire vehicle weight on the car, the wheel will take alot of stress and probably bend and crack easier than softer suspension

chasnsx said:

A stiffer suspension is not just harder on the tires, it can be harder on the rims. Over on the Trailvoy forum, we had a kid who was rocking 24's on his Trailblazer with a very stiff suspension, and he eventually had to take off the 24's because he was getting stress cracks on the inner surface of the rims.

Chas

Click to expand...

I think we're comparing passenger vehicles with 16-19 inch wheels, not SUVs with 24s..

I'll let you know about the tires, Roy.

The stiffer suspension would wear the tire out maybe a little bit less on normal DD driving. The reasoning is that the stiffer suspension keeps a wider tire patch footprint on the ground for a longer duration. This is why stiff suspension is used on race tracks, it gives the tire a bigger footprint. The stiff suspension puts the tire to the ground and keeps it there.

Example, tire size is like this [--------]
on a soft suspension, this much of tire might actually be gripping the road [--====--]
on a stiff suspension this much will be gripping the road [-======-]

That is the only reason I would think stiff suspension would generate accelerated tire wear, but one normal DD driving, I doubt there should be a noticeable difference.

Google: tire footprint for more details.