So I realized today that the tires on the Element had been neglected as far as regular rotation. As a result, the fronts were significantly more worn than the rears.
Reading about how the AWD works on that car, it's normally FWD with a hydraulic clutch that engages the rear wheels when needed. There are dual pumps in the rear differential. One pump is driven by the driveshaft from the front, the other by the rear diff. If all the wheels are turning at the same speed the pressures balance and the rear clutch is disengaged. If the front wheels are slipping, that pump will turn faster and create pressure that engages the rear wheels. So there can be a problem if the front and rear tires are not the same size. Apparently Honda says they should be within 3/4" circumference. I measured my tires and the difference is closer to an inch. Based on this explanation, I moved the unworn tires to the front, and the worn tires to the rear, as they fronts will then be turning a little slower than the rears. Hopefully the system will not see this as needing to engage the rear drive, as it's the opposite of the front wheels slipping. I also inflated the rears to 35lbs and the fronts to 30. I have not yet measured how much of a difference this makes. I really need to just get two new front tires, but most tire shops will not sell me two tires for this car. The rears are practically new as far as wear; they have a lot of tread left. Thinking of just taking the two front wheels in to the shop and having them mount two of the same tires. Allan _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
