Okay, so when I bought my 2002 civic three years ago, I had to get the tires replaced because they had worn funny. The inside would wear a lot faster than the outside. Thinking it was alignment problems, I had the car re-aligned. Two years later, I have noticed that the tires are still wearing on the inside when they are on the front. I don't know what the deal is. I was thinking it could be the ball joints or tie rod ends, but I also noticed that my car has been lowered. So it could be the previous owner had cut the springs. Anybody have any ideas on which is causing my problem, or whether it maybe something else??
Thanks,
Katrina

 

The alignment doesn't solve it because on your car, camber (which is how the tires turn like this (when looking at the rear of the car at ground level with __ being the ground) but not so extreme /__\ (negative camber) or \__/ (positive camber) ) is not adjustable on your car. Lowering the car creates negative camber.

When lowering a car, many times people will install a camber kit, which allows the camber to be adjusted when getting an alignment. But, more times than not, people don't install these kits. Which brings me to my next topic.

Camber kits really aren't all that necessary. The camber that you have is probably fine and is not causing much life to be lost on the tire. We have a member who used to have a Civic that was lowered really low without a camber kit, and his tires were fine. Lowering without a camber kit probably takes a few hundred miles off the life of the tire... not enough life lost to justify spending $300 on front and rear camber kits.

My advice is to take a look at those springs. If they are stock springs that have been cut, replace them, because i'm pretty sure I've heard cut springs are dangerous or something like that. If they are actual lowering springs with a name brand, if you don't mind the car being lowered a little then just leave them alone, because they are fine, and your tires aren't really suffering much.

 

don't think it is dangerous, per se, but it rides like complete *** if the springs are cut.