outer front tire wear? is it normal

[yeild2me]

you guys know how it is, you put the new meats on, and every time you stop, you get out, walk around, check each tire to see how it is wearing, even though you just drove two miles to work..i am noticing that the front inner edges are not wearing at all, and the outside edge is showing (little tits already gone) more. i have about 200 miles on them so i probably am a little anal about them, but i was just wondering if any body else has noticed this....i know the outer does wear faster, it just seems there should be more wear marks on the inner. i guess you could call it new tire syndrome!!

AIRBORNE!!

 

[Goose]

Is most of your driving in the city?? All that cornering with a lift tends to be harsh on the outer edges of the fronts. Try taking the corners a little slower and rotate often. As soon as (or sooner) you start seeing little sharp edges show up on the trailing edges of the tread lugs rotate. I don't go so much by how many miles, but by how the tread looks. I also try to rotate just before a long road trip.

 

[DMK]

Balljoints could be wore out.

 

[backlash]

Robert,

Could be many things causing this! Used to get pissed that I'd get better than 50,000 mi. on street tires ... had to change them only b/c of them wearing on the outer edges. Alignment was always perfect, so I ended up flipping them over at about 20,000 miles. Extra expense, but it worked.

As stated above could be ball joints ... mine were fine. They always told me it was a drivability problem. Cornering too fast ... not me ... drive like an old lady.

One thing that has me not worrying about it any longer is the addition of the ORD steering brace ... as I was going into the corners My frame would felx, causing added force to the outside wheel. Took putting it on to really understand that. I had a bad case of flexing with my truck ... still flexes some or I may in fact have something loose under there. Noone can find anything wrong.

If your truck tends to wander perhaps the brace may help. My tires are not wearing noticably now!

Ps. thanks for the TCC files, but couldn't open it. Will contact you ...

 

[ftn96]

Not sure if this will shed some light or not. But I still have street tires on my 90 and before I changed the ball-joints I never noticed that the tires camber was off. But when I changed the ball-joints I noticed that my tires "appear" to be leaning out at the top. I too, am worried that now my tires are going to start wearing on the outside.

Will work for parts, beer and sex.
90 Jimi,350/700R4/241/10bolts/3.73's/33's/4"
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://mccordhouse.freeservers.com>http://mccordhouse.freeservers.com</A>

 

[lowlevell]

I had this problem with 3 Bronco's a Blazer and now my Suburban.All of these vehicles are solid axel.The tire that always showed wear first is the LF.And the RF is always in a close 2nd.I drive hard so i know where my wear is coming from(off ramps).And my Sub has a bad lower LF Ball joint. Just take the truck somewhere "nice" and put it up on the alingment rack.Most places dont even charge anything just to see how far out your front end is(if you are in the US).What i did to solve this was rotate tires at every oil change.Also check:
Worn shocks( i have quads)
Worn front leafs/bushings
Worn Sway bar bushings (this helped me a little)
Tire pressure

Later....

One From None

 

[yeild2me]

i tried to get it aligned when i bought them , but sears said that since it was "modified", they couldnt do it b/c the computer only has perimeters for stock..the ball joints are all new as well as 1 new tie rod end. i was more concerned with the toe in, but when i put the new one on, it was exactly 10 threads...same place as the other one..i know this isnt the most accurate, but its pretty close...can you adjust camber/caster on a straight front axle?? for some reason i remember seeing shims (actually just a big flat spacer that has different thicknesses, that go between the spindle and knuckle) this would mean taking the whole hub apart to adjust. i am probably thinking of something else b/c niether side had them when i took it apart... where do you guys get your "modified" trucks aligned?

AIRBORNE!!

 

[ftn96]

I had my alignment set at a Goodyear tire center. They didn't say anything about it being lifted or modified at all. As far as the camber goes, with the setup as present no you can adjust it, but I am assuming that they could make a spacer that woudl correct this problem. But it seems as thought it would put extra stress on the spindle retainer bolts. But, hell, every modification for the better will always have a negative effect somewhere. Its murphys law.

Will work for parts, beer and sex.
90 Jimi,350/700R4/241/10bolts/3.73's/33's/4"
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://mccordhouse.freeservers.com>http://mccordhouse.freeservers.com</A>

 

[Cavalry]

Thats crap about the truck being modified. Unless you have some thing that would prevent them from clamping on (like beadlocks) The computer dosent care if it has a lift. Its just how the operator interpets the numbers. The guy probably just wanted to go to lunch or something. The only thing I have had a problem aligning was a dually because the rear is wider than the front. You need the extensions to make it work. Other than that its all the same. Scouts Out baby!

Luke
84 K5

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Cavalry on 01/23/01 11:25 AM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[HarryH3]

There are tapered shims available that do get placed between the spindle and the knuckle. The shims aren't too expensive, but the labor to install them is. A good alignment shop will take the measurements, then calculate what shims are needed on each side. Then comes the fun of taking both sides apart to install the shims. They have to be oriented properly so that the spindle moves in the correct direction in relation to the knuckle.

Perhaps you could find a shop that would take the measurements and the provide directions on which shim to install and how to orient them, then let you take them home and install them yourself.

<font color=black>HarryH3 - '75 K5</font color=black>
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://ThunderTruck.ColoradoK5.com>http://ThunderTruck.ColoradoK5.com</A>