Will tire feathering be an issue on cars built 9/03?
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Blue Batmobile
Blue Batmobile
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From: San Diego, CA
Will tire feathering be an issue on cars built 9/03?
Just checked the assembly date on my car, says 9/03. Will the tire feathering be an issue for me, or has it been fixed already?
Bat™
Bat™
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i dont think there is a certain answer right now. for instance my car was one of the first ones made 7/02 and it had the feathering but others around the time of mine dont. then there are cars made this spring and on into may and june that have it. there was a article in autoweek that stated how the nissan tech said the case was not shut on the problem.
so i dont think they even know.
there is a debate as you are probably aware of of what even causes it!
since my car had it i have been following this issue close and to the best of my knowledge i dont know if your is in the clear.
how many miles on it??
maybe a good sign is that lately on this board it hasnt been brought up as much.
so i dont think they even know.
there is a debate as you are probably aware of of what even causes it!
since my car had it i have been following this issue close and to the best of my knowledge i dont know if your is in the clear.
how many miles on it??
maybe a good sign is that lately on this board it hasnt been brought up as much.
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Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Los Angeles
Just test drove a 10/03 build car. The bouncy ride seems to be gone. I seems as if the new suspension is in this build for sure. I have test driven late 2003 and early 2004 builds and the bouncy ride was very apparent. Hopefully the new suspension should tame the tire feathering. Not too sure about the 9/03 build though.
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i would think the new suspension would help the issue
but read the last of this article
Wearing Thin: Tire rumbling has Nissan 350Z owners grumbling
By MAC MORRISON
FACED WITH OWNER COMPLAINTS and a raging online debate about unusual tire wear on its popular 350Z sports car, Nissan has dispatched a team of engineers to investigate the problem.
Here’s what we know: A yet-to-be-determined number of the 39,000 2003 model year Z cars sold in America left Nissan’s Oppama (Japan) factory with incorrect front suspension toe settings. The result—after driving only a few thousand miles—is an uneven, “cupped” wear pattern on the inside edge of each front tire that causes irritatingly loud road noise, particularly at speeds below 30 mph. We experienced the phenomenon firsthand with our long-term 350Z test car (AW, Dec. 1), and a click on Z enthusiast website my350z.com reveals over 1000 posts on the matter to the site’s online discussion board.
What if your Z suffers from obnoxious tire roar? Nissan issued its dealers a technical service bulletin (NTB03-006A) that instructs them to adjust the front-end toe, as well as swapping the “cupped” front tires side-to-side (different tire sizes front-to-rear mean Z rubber can’t be rotated in the traditional sense). Dealers should carry out the work under warranty. Failing that, call (800) 647-7261 and lodge a complaint with the manufacturer.
Nissan is cautiously optimistic the problem is under control and will not plague newer 350Zs, although the company acknowledges it does not consider the matter closed and its engineers continue to monitor the situation. Nissan says the problem doesn’t affect handling and it does not consider “cupped” tires a safety issue, meaning a recall is unlikely.
Previously announced changes to 2004 350Z suspension tuning (AW, Nov. 24) were adopted for improved ride and handling, and should have no effect on the tire wear issue.
but read the last of this article
Wearing Thin: Tire rumbling has Nissan 350Z owners grumbling
By MAC MORRISON
FACED WITH OWNER COMPLAINTS and a raging online debate about unusual tire wear on its popular 350Z sports car, Nissan has dispatched a team of engineers to investigate the problem.
Here’s what we know: A yet-to-be-determined number of the 39,000 2003 model year Z cars sold in America left Nissan’s Oppama (Japan) factory with incorrect front suspension toe settings. The result—after driving only a few thousand miles—is an uneven, “cupped” wear pattern on the inside edge of each front tire that causes irritatingly loud road noise, particularly at speeds below 30 mph. We experienced the phenomenon firsthand with our long-term 350Z test car (AW, Dec. 1), and a click on Z enthusiast website my350z.com reveals over 1000 posts on the matter to the site’s online discussion board.
What if your Z suffers from obnoxious tire roar? Nissan issued its dealers a technical service bulletin (NTB03-006A) that instructs them to adjust the front-end toe, as well as swapping the “cupped” front tires side-to-side (different tire sizes front-to-rear mean Z rubber can’t be rotated in the traditional sense). Dealers should carry out the work under warranty. Failing that, call (800) 647-7261 and lodge a complaint with the manufacturer.
Nissan is cautiously optimistic the problem is under control and will not plague newer 350Zs, although the company acknowledges it does not consider the matter closed and its engineers continue to monitor the situation. Nissan says the problem doesn’t affect handling and it does not consider “cupped” tires a safety issue, meaning a recall is unlikely.
Previously announced changes to 2004 350Z suspension tuning (AW, Nov. 24) were adopted for improved ride and handling, and should have no effect on the tire wear issue.
well if the article is correct; Id have to say nissan did a upstanding job; no I wouldnt expect a recall; and glad there isnt one(they are not good for resale). as long as they own up to any problems that may occur.
what scares me is that I didnt have my stock tires long enough to know if I had the problem or not... now they wont do crap for me if it happens.
what scares me is that I didnt have my stock tires long enough to know if I had the problem or not... now they wont do crap for me if it happens.
bat - only one way to find out... but the RE040's have a real bad treadwear rating, that could be the underlying problem along with a slight toe-in problem on many z's. i had the feathering on my RE040s, once i got my S03's, feathering gone.
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Registered User
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Palm Beach
My 03 with 7400 miles was just brought into the dealer today for this issue.
Not an easy problem to describe to the counter person who has NO knowledge about cars.
I'm sure I'll get a call from the Service Manager. I told them to check the alignment and TSB. We'll see.
Glad I have another car to drive. The Z is in the shop more than any other car I have owned. Well, maybe that Isuze Impulse Turbo was worse, but the Z is closing in.
Not an easy problem to describe to the counter person who has NO knowledge about cars.
I'm sure I'll get a call from the Service Manager. I told them to check the alignment and TSB. We'll see.
Glad I have another car to drive. The Z is in the shop more than any other car I have owned. Well, maybe that Isuze Impulse Turbo was worse, but the Z is closing in.
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i believe it will
i got an alignment to the new specs and then they installed the right compression rod everything is good with the car now
you might get your dealer to install one for you just for the hell of it. its under warranty and might give you some peace of mind.
i got an alignment to the new specs and then they installed the right compression rod everything is good with the car now
you might get your dealer to install one for you just for the hell of it. its under warranty and might give you some peace of mind.
.
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 83
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From: Palm Beach
Please read "What to Do" post earlier. My disaster with tirewear TSB and dealer.
They do not know how to put tires on 18" rims. And put counterweights on the outside lip. Lots of damage to the rims and did not bother to let me know. I had to be the one to find the problem and bring it to their attention. Then they said, oh yea, we know.
How did your dealer handle the tire replacement, re-balance, and alignment. Any damage to the rims?
They do not know how to put tires on 18" rims. And put counterweights on the outside lip. Lots of damage to the rims and did not bother to let me know. I had to be the one to find the problem and bring it to their attention. Then they said, oh yea, we know.
How did your dealer handle the tire replacement, re-balance, and alignment. Any damage to the rims?
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