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The smelly mystery continues...
I posted a while back asking about possibilities for a burning rubber smell i would experience quite intensely when at a stoplight or in my garage after driving for a few miles. It was suggested that I check for oil burning off the block, anything stuck to the exhaust, etc.
A week or so ago I lifted my car to check it out. There's nothing on the exhaust, the oil leak is very slow, all the suspension parts are in their proper place (at least at rest), and the tires aren't rubbing anything.
I'm pretty sure I tracked down what's actually making the smell. My left front tire. I looked at it, and the inner edge was toast, the entire outer tread block was gone. The outer edges on both tires are worn to 0/32, but the inner edge on the left front was pretty bad. Also the tread wear sloped almost like a camber wearing problem.
Because my state inspection is due, and i'm one of those honest state inspectors, I decided to replace my front tires before passing it. I also put it on the alignment rack. Every angle was well within spec, again with the car at rest.
On the way home, I didn't smell that burning smell. Once I parked, I sniffed both tires (yes, I looked like a retard, no I don't think anyone got it on camera). The left front is already wearing the nubs off, while the right front doesn't seem to have that going on yet. Also the left front smells like it's getting a lot hotter.
This could be my imagination, but I don't want to risk burning these tires up too.
Any ideas on what could be causing this? I'll throw out my theories.
First, I know the lower control arm bushings are OEM, and worn a little. Is it possible that the torque from the axle is throwing them one way or another while the vehicle is in motion? If so, it would change camber and caster and toe, but you'd think I would hear or feel a 'clunk.'
Second, i've seen it mentioned here that the driver's side axle varies in length from ABS to non-ABS on the 5-spd. Mine's a 5spd non-abs, but the axle I recently put in has an excitor ring on it. I don't put too much stake in this theory because if the axle was pulling the knuckle that hard, it should show up on the alignment rack, right? or would that be another in-motion scenario?
Third, The springs on the car are OEM as well. Because it's been a single person commuter vehicle for so long, it seems like the left side, especially the left front, is sagging. I don't know what bearing this would have on burning a tire up, but it will affect camber when i'm driving it. Again, the angles at rest are perfect ...
This ties into my final theory. It's a single person commuter car, and I drive it hard. I mean I use every bit of torque that 5s-fe has when I get the car rolling. I shift at 2200 or 2300 rpm, and bury it from there. This is not how most 4-cyl engines are supposed to be driven, but the 5s pulls it off nicely. Because the driver's side axle is shorter than the passenger side, it's going to get more power to the left front tire, and that tire will be doing a lot of work. That would explain the difference in temperature, as the left front is doing all the pulling, while the right front mainly turns and stops. If this is the case, i'd be surprised if it was just my driving causing it. Is this the early sign of differential failure?
As you can tell i've had a lot running around my head about this. It's just perplexing to me that the left front is burning up so fast. Even if it was angles changing dramatically during motion, the toe change would cause wear to both front tires, not just one.
Any input or additional theories would be much appreciated. I'm flying blind here.
Thanks!
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'96 4cyl 5spd Camry
147k miles and running out of things to fix...
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