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Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: m4t_lee on 15 September 2023, 23:16

Title: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: m4t_lee on 15 September 2023, 23:16
Hey all, has anyone experienced this on a mk7 GTI at all please?

My mechanic says it's fairly common and caused by the rear bushings on the MK7 getting soft causing the rear of the car to sag, the wheels to toe out and causing the tyres to castellate.

It could just be as simple as the geometry is out and needs sorting. I bought the car last year and put a fresh set of PS5's on
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: jh_97 on 16 September 2023, 10:56
Yeah, I've got this on my 7.5 GTI, which I bought it at the end of June with 26k miles. I paid for an AA inspection before buying, and the report said it sounds like a rear wheel bearing needs replacing, so I thought no bother, I'll get that replaced under the warranty. Since I've had it though I've looked at the rear tyres and the noise if definitely from sawtooth on the inside edge of the tread. My rears are Bridgestones and about 50% worn, tempted to get a wheel alignment when I need to change them.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: joe6 on 16 September 2023, 13:01
Usually caused by wheel alignment rather than bushes unless high mileages. 4 wheel hunter system alignment sorts it.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: mcmaddy on 16 September 2023, 13:38
Yeah, I've got this on my 7.5 GTI, which I bought it at the end of June with 26k miles. I paid for an AA inspection before buying, and the report said it sounds like a rear wheel bearing needs replacing, so I thought no bother, I'll get that replaced under the warranty. Since I've had it though I've looked at the rear tyres and the noise if definitely from sawtooth on the inside edge of the tread. My rears are Bridgestones and about 50% worn, tempted to get a wheel alignment when I need to change them.
your Bridgestones will go off before you get the other 50% worn down. Had my original factory Bridgestones on for three years and they still had 5.5mm left but they'd gone rock hard and were noisy. Replaced all 4 with new Asymmetric 6s and it's like driving a different car.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: m4t_lee on 16 September 2023, 18:51
Yeah, I've got this on my 7.5 GTI, which I bought it at the end of June with 26k miles. I paid for an AA inspection before buying, and the report said it sounds like a rear wheel bearing needs replacing, so I thought no bother, I'll get that replaced under the warranty. Since I've had it though I've looked at the rear tyres and the noise if definitely from sawtooth on the inside edge of the tread. My rears are Bridgestones and about 50% worn, tempted to get a wheel alignment when I need to change them.

Interesting, glad it's not just me then. I'm going for a free hunter check next week. My mechanic who's next level brilliant says if it's the bushings then it'll just go again but worth a check just in case it's just out.
Was thinking of popping the fronts on the rear, replacing the rears with new on the front and if it happens again at least it'll take a while and the old fronts will almost be ready to throw by then
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: m4t_lee on 16 September 2023, 18:52
Usually caused by wheel alignment rather than bushes unless high mileages. 4 wheel hunter system alignment sorts it.

Thanks, hopefully that's the case, will see how out it is next week, they said they can check over the bushings too
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: fredgroves on 17 September 2023, 09:16
Hey all, has anyone experienced this on a mk7 GTI at all please?

My mechanic says it's fairly common and caused by the rear bushings on the MK7 getting soft causing the rear of the car to sag, the wheels to toe out and causing the tyres to castellate.

It could just be as simple as the geometry is out and needs sorting. I bought the car last year and put a fresh set of PS5's on

Both my mk7's that I had from new did it.

Replace the tyres, job done.

Good idea to swap rears with fronts when you eat up your fronts (fronts last about 14k, rears get sawtooth before they are worn out). So put new tyres on the rear, old rears on the front.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: Snoopy on 17 September 2023, 09:22
^ What he said. Stick them on the front and wear them out.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: Adam T7 on 17 September 2023, 09:45
Mine also castellated on the rears, replaced all 4 rather than swap rear to front as the rear side walls were beginning to show early signs of age cracking (just over 4 years old). Replaced the Potenza’s with PS5’s - big improvement in ride and noise.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: JB73 on 17 September 2023, 15:35
My 2019 GTI pp also had this on the rears,sounded like the rear wheel bearings needed replacing. was on the original Bridgestone tyres at 25000 miles. I replaced all four tyres for PS4s and it now feels like a completly different car
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: fredgroves on 17 September 2023, 21:39
Mine also castellated on the rears, replaced all 4 rather than swap rear to front as the rear side walls were beginning to show early signs of age cracking (just over 4 years old). Replaced the Potenza’s with PS5’s - big improvement in ride and noise.

I don't mean swap the mangled ones, I mean going forward do the new on the rear trick
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: Adam T7 on 18 September 2023, 07:44
Mine also castellated on the rears, replaced all 4 rather than swap rear to front as the rear side walls were beginning to show early signs of age cracking (just over 4 years old). Replaced the Potenza’s with PS5’s - big improvement in ride and noise.

I don't mean swap the mangled ones, I mean going forward do the new on the rear trick

Gathered that, just my poorly written response. Used to swap front to rear on my Discoveries, they could eat front tyres in no time.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: fredgroves on 18 September 2023, 11:26
On a Mk7 the fronts do 12-14k (different makes of tyre, different driving styles) but the rears will still be road legal at maybe 65k.... but get saw tooth much sooner.

The old swaperoo fixes it.

Or you can just not care and bin the noisy rears whenever they get the tooth..... but basically you'll never wear them out.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: Exonian on 18 September 2023, 15:05
… And unsurprisingly the same issue affects mk8’s too.
My 24,000 mile old rear PS4S’s have started making that unmistakable noise in the last couple of weeks. Shed loads of tread on them still but alas destined for the bin now.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: Rudedog on 18 September 2023, 21:10
Strange because I didn't (haven't) suffered it at all with my original tyres and then the PS4's, although I did have a Hunter 4 wheel done and the toe in was neutralised front and back - hopefully my new PS5's will be ok.

Now my previous Mk5 did it straight from the factory but I had read about that got the rear camber sorted within the first 500 miles so never had any issues.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: Jace on 19 September 2023, 14:48
Brigestone Potenza, terrible for it on VAG platforms.

I had a Leon FR from new with them & the rears used to go like a 50p, changed to Eagle F1's & never had it again.

Definitely get a Hunter alignment to be 100% sure 
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: m4t_lee on 22 September 2023, 21:40
So popped in for a hunter check and all green, no adjustments needed.
They popped it on the wobbly mot ramp and checked bushings too and all ok

Thoughts on hunter, are they any good at all?

Popped in to my local tyre place who are decent who don't rate hunter and said they use different kit and rather than go off the manufacturers settings they look and set it currently, thoughts?
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: m4t_lee on 22 September 2023, 21:41
Hey all, has anyone experienced this on a mk7 GTI at all please?

My mechanic says it's fairly common and caused by the rear bushings on the MK7 getting soft causing the rear of the car to sag, the wheels to toe out and causing the tyres to castellate.

It could just be as simple as the geometry is out and needs sorting. I bought the car last year and put a fresh set of PS5's on

The rears have 20k on them and still have 6mm on them, such a shame to bin them

I normally wear the fronts out then pop the new on the back and move the rears to the front, keeps the rears fresh then

Not sure if the noise will just move to the front if I rotate them?

Both my mk7's that I had from new did it.

Replace the tyres, job done.

Good idea to swap rears with fronts when you eat up your fronts (fronts last about 14k, rears get sawtooth before they are worn out). So put new tyres on the rear, old rears on the front.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: AMG01 on 25 September 2023, 18:55
Had the exact same issue bought my 7.5 GTI PP in October and straight away noticed a noise, sounded like wheel bearings, replaced under warranty and noise was still there.  Asked on here and was told about the sawtooth tyres, I had Bridgetsones on the back (perhaps originals going by comments on here) and no name tyres on the front put on by the dealer I bought the car from.  They have lasted only 10k miles so I got 4 Goodyear Eagles fitted today along with a 4 wheel alignment and based on a half hour motorway drive the noise is all gone, so much quieter and such a nice place to be.  They said it was 1.5 (assume mm) out at the front and 1 mm out at the rear, stated that all Golfs are sensitive to it.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: Agreeable Slick on 26 September 2023, 08:00
It can come down to tyres. (Had Rainsport 3's on at the time which are apprently quite succeptable to it)

Mine was making the trademark noise, and I got 4 PS4's fittted and then took it to be hunter aligned (was .5mm out on the rear) and the noise disappeared.

Was clear to see it was only the rears that were affected as well.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: m4t_lee on 26 September 2023, 22:41
Thanks all, is there a 'best place' to get the alignment done? Is vw best, or hunter, or someone else?

Is the rear camber adjustable at all?
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: davo245 on 27 September 2023, 17:18
Thanks all, is there a 'best place' to get the alignment done? Is vw best, or hunter, or someone else?

Is the rear camber adjustable at all?

Yes rear is adjustable and vw mostly sub it out to someone else anyway. Chemix is a good place to have 4 wheel alignment done if you have a branch near you.

Sometimes it is also down to the guy doing it as mulch as the equipment a lot of places have the rihlght kit just don't really care.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: m4t_lee on 28 September 2023, 23:09
Thanks all, is there a 'best place' to get the alignment done? Is vw best, or hunter, or someone else?

Is the rear camber adjustable at all?

Yes rear is adjustable and vw mostly sub it out to someone else anyway. Chemix is a good place to have 4 wheel alignment done if you have a branch near you.

Sometimes it is also down to the guy doing it as mulch as the equipment a lot of places have the rihlght kit just don't really care.

Nice one thanks, will have a look out :)
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: m4t_lee on 06 October 2023, 22:44
Popped in for another alignment check somewhere else and although officially within the green it's right on the edge for rear camber. They tried to adjust but the bolt is seized so it's booked in next week to free up the bolt and sort the alignment.

Any thoughts on whether there's any benefit in changing the tyres at all? Reluctant really as they have 6mm on them still, they're just stepped
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: fredgroves on 10 October 2023, 11:26
Popped in for another alignment check somewhere else and although officially within the green it's right on the edge for rear camber. They tried to adjust but the bolt is seized so it's booked in next week to free up the bolt and sort the alignment.

Any thoughts on whether there's any benefit in changing the tyres at all? Reluctant really as they have 6mm on them still, they're just stepped

Suck it up and bin them. You won't need to change them again for another 60k probably after that.
Title: Re: Castellated / Sawtooth rear tyres mk7 GTI
Post by: m4t_lee on 24 October 2023, 22:55
So latest development, they can't adjust the rear because the rear lower arm bolt is stuck, when they turn it it spins the bushing too.
Their suggestion is to replace the bushing which only comes with the lower arm.

Anyone had any experience with the inner lower bushings on the rear please? They suggested around £500 for bush, arm, fitting and alignment, seems a lot really :(