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Thread: Wider tires?

  1. #11
    Senior Member Subcompact Culture's Avatar
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    Well for what it's worth, I added 195/50/15 Yokohama S.Drives on 15x6.5 (+38 et) wheels, and it made a huge difference handling in the corners and felt more planted on the highway, too. Unfortunately, the 195-wide tires are a bit too wide for me, since I cannot carry a passenger without rubbing, and you can forget about having a rear passenger. I'm considering sticking with a 14" wheel and tire setup, but possibly going to a 175/65/14 or 185/60/14. Also pondering a 15x6 or 15x5.5 wheel and 175/55/15 tires, although they're rather pricey for what you get.



  2. #12
    Senior Member Dirk Diggler's Avatar
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    Did every single 2014 thru 2015 have a bad rear axle? Whats the percentages of good axle vs bad?

  3. #13
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler View Post
    Did every single 2014 thru 2015 have a bad rear axle? Whats the percentages of good axle vs bad?
    Have you read the Rear Axle Alignment thread?

    Rear Wheel Misaligned? (UPDATE: some rear axles out of spec; warranty replacement)

    Note the forum Poll results at the top of the page. You may find your answer there.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  4. #14
    Senior Member Dirk Diggler's Avatar
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    I did. I noticed there wasnt any actual percentages of the number of units that were affected vs werent?

  5. #15
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    There's no real way to know for sure. You can check the poll that Eggman pointed out. People might argue that it's not a scientific poll...which is true.

    There has also been some anecdotal evidence that is concerning. There used to be a Mitsubishi technician who owned a Mirage and posted on this forum regularly. At one point, he was checking the alignment of every new Mirage that went through his dealership. At one point he had checked over 30 Mirages and ALL of them failed a rear wheel alignment check. I wasn't a statistics major but that tells me that the overall percentage of bad rear axles is likely not small.

    So while we don't know the exact percentage, it's significant enough that every Mirage (2014 to present) should get an alignment check done regardless of how new the car is or even if the car "seems to drive OK." Many shops offer free alignment checks, so anyone who doesn't do this is crazy (in my opinion).

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


  6. #16
    Senior Member Dirk Diggler's Avatar
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    I got it inspected, including an alignment, at a Mitsu dealership. They said they corrected a rear toe issue and that was it. They charged me $50 for the alignment. Im wondering if I should get a second opinion in case the dealership was trying to evade warranty work. The place I go to is reputable with a solid staff, but still underhanded practices such as not disclosing work that should be done is common place in US dealerships, is it not?

  7. #17
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler View Post
    They said they corrected a rear toe issue and that was it.
    Well...here's the deal. There are NO ADJUSTMENTS that can be made on the rear axle of a Mirage. So if they told you they corrected a rear toe problem, that's impossible. Maybe there was some miscommunication. Often times the service advisor at a dealership has no technical automotive knowledge. Did you receive a printout of your alignment readings?


    I'm wondering if I should get a second opinion...
    I would absolutely get it checked at an independent repair facility so you know for sure. And make sure you get a printout of your alignment readings.


    Have you read the Rear Alignment Problem FAQ? If not, spend 5 minutes and read that. It should answer most of your questions.
    Last edited by Top_Fuel; 04-17-2019 at 02:15 PM.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


  8. #18
    Senior Member DonkeyPal's Avatar
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    If the rear alignment is off just a little, and if you can't get the rear axle replaced under warranty, the other response is to just rotate the tires more often, so a tire doesn't stay where the alignment is bad as long as it would have.

    It would be nice if somebody figured out a way to REPAIR the poorly manufactured, out of alignment, rear axles. I expect it would entail removal, cutting apart, modifying, welding together--but it shouldn't be impossible. Alternately, maybe someone would figure out a way to replace the Mitsu rear axle & suspension with materials from another make.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 automatic: 43.0 mpg (US) ... 18.3 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.7 mpg (Imp)


  9. #19
    Senior Member roscoe1972's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    every Mirage (2014 to present) should get an alignment check done regardless of how new the car is or even if the car "seems to drive OK." Many shops offer free alignment checks, so anyone who doesn't do this is crazy (in my opinion).
    My Mirage was built in Sept 2015. I read about the alignment issue and demanded the dealer check before purchase. They had a newer way to measure alignment by driving onto pads that measured pressure. They said it checked out, BUT the machine does't check every Alignment value.

    I always intended to get the alignment checked befor the Warranty ran out and here I am over 50,000 miles. The original tires are almost worn and I've seen not sign of uneven wear and the car has always driven straight.

    Also I took the TPMS out of the stock tires and put them is Summer tires. I worry about dealers response to these facts. And hesitate to mess with something that hasn't affected me.

  10. #20
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by roscoe1972 View Post
    ...here I am over 50,000 miles.
    ...original tires are almost worn and I've seen not sign of uneven wear and the car has always driven straight.
    That's a good sign but it doesn't mean your car is properly aligned at all 4 wheels. Definitely get a 4-wheel alignment check before you put new tires on your car. Don't let this happen to you.

    I've said this before but I'll repeat it. The rear alignment is only part of the alignment concern with a new Mirage. I feel comfortable saying that most Mirages leave the factory needing a front end alignment. Very few new Mirage owners have posted alignment printouts where all 4 wheels are within specification.

    My Mirage was built about the same time your was. My rear alignment was OK (barely), but my front end was out of spec from day 1...and it drove fine. The dealer did a front end alignment for free and corrected it. Then I took it to a third-party shop to have it double-checked.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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