Rep Power: 244

Just curious as the 8th Gen had serious issues with rear tire wear. Was that fixed???

Thanks in advance.

 
Rep Power: 518

I haven't witnessed spectacular problems yet (I'm a dealer tech and I also own a 2012 Civic), but almost any of the cars can have it happen due to neglect and crappy tire designs.

Tires left too long on the rear of a front wheel drive car tend to chop the edges of the tread naturally. Happens to almost any of them, not Just Civics, not just Hondas. Tread design can contribute greatly to this phenomenon.

 
Rep Power: 244

Umm, let me ask the question better. Was the rear supsension redesigned on the 9th Gen? Friends have an 8 Gen with the 2nd iteration of rear LCA's (2009) and even with regular rotations the rears get shredded from severe cupping even after going to two different dealerships for the problem three times. So has the rear geometry issue been addressed?

BTW it happened with their high end/high dollar Michelins too after they killed the OEM tires within no time.

Thanks.

 
Rep Power: 244

/edit reason, double posted for some reason.

 
Rep Power: 518

LOL I read and clicked on it...this popped up.

Design, no. Same rear suspension design has been in use since 2001 in Civics and some other Hondas (CRV and Element) with few issues.

This matters not, it's all heresay.
I have no way of knowing what ACTUALLY happened there.

But yeah, it happens. The 8th gens seem to be more prone to it..... but then again, just as many DON'T have the problem.

As I said earlier:Was corrected for 2008 m.y. production for regular Civics, some 08 Hybrids still had the old design arms, and the prior cars were addressed with the availability of revised upper control arms as per bulletin 08-001.
The Si cars have the same tire issues, BUT the bulletin does not address those cars directly. The new arms will work in those cars too.

Real world findings: The new upper arms (both on the production line, and parts replacements) only reduce the tendency for the problem to occur, they do not eliminate it. JMO

Your friends' 09 will have the updated design parts already on it from the factory.
They probably need to choose tires that are far less prone to the chop problem.

(Poor alignment?)
Cheapo tires
Directional tread
Asymmetric tread
Large blocky tread on the outer edges
All these lead to chopping rapidly. Other designs don't.



(I actually modified a few sets of original upper arms and nearly eliminated the problem on those few cars I did. This was before the bulletin and revised parts came out.)

--------

IMO Choppy tire wear issues are primarily caused by tread design and owner neglect. No matter how loud they scream about it, or how much they deny it, I'm sure this is what will be found.

If they want to blame the car, I'd like to see what the rear camber and toe angles are.

--------

The aftermarket offers adjustable rear upper arms.
Most people aren't willing to spend the money to really do anything about the problem (and I don't know of anyone else that modifies the arms like I did), so they buy more cheap tires and bitch.