Bad shock? Odd tire wear....

Hi guys,

Well I have a set of 33" TreadWrights (BFG A/T copy) that are near their replacement time. This next time I'm going with the real BFGs, but I started to notice some odd tire wear as the tread got thinner. It's on my front driver side tire. I suspect its my shock. I have about 45k miles on tires and 65/70k miles on front shocks (5100s). Haven't seen any oil leakage....

Every other tread on the inside is a LOT more worn than the next. Like it skipped and wore out every other one. Now the tire has become more unbalanced, and the uneven spots are starting to wear towards the center.

I've noticed that when my front suspension cycles on a dip or anything, that I hear a "POP", nothing that sounds bad or loud, but sounds like the pop sound you hear from stretching a spring so I think its just my spring and haven't thought much.

Any quick way to check if its busted without removing it? I def want to buy a new set of shocks (5100s again?) before I get new tires if so.

Thx

 

Any number of things can cause that kind of wear. A bad shock could cause it. Worn/broken bushings could too. Misalignment can cause that too. When was the last time it was aligned?

If it was me I would def start with new shocks and an alignment.

 

alignment

 

My bushings in my LR UCAs were bad and that was starting to cause my tires to wear a little more on the outside. I replaced them, got an alignment and now everything is happy happy happy...

 

No scientific way to check shock without removing the shock from the vehicle. On a smaller car I'd tell you to bounce the corner up and down and see if the damping is the same on the driver's and passenger sides. With the stiffer truck suspension you won't be able to get much movement using your body weight.

There could also be some looseness in the top hat. Jack up the truck so weight is off the front wheels. Move the shock shaft side to side and see if it budges.

Any looseness in the LCA bushings? Steer the wheels back and forth while the truck is on the ground and see if the LCAs shift.

What camber angles are you running in the front?

 

I'd get an alignment and see what that looked like then go from there.

 

I would check the front suspension out for any lose play first.

1) On level ground jack up the front of the truck and set each side down on jack stands under each lower control arm.

2) Grab each wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock and twist back and forth. This can help check for worn outer or inner tie rods. If there is play have a second person hold the tie rod to feel from which end has the play.

3) Grab each wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock and twist again (this your doing it vertically). This helps check for play in both the upper/lower control arms as well as front unit bearing play. Note in most cases only rear worn ball joints can be found this way.

4) Take a prybar and pry up on the upper control arm near the ball joint. And downwards on the lower control arm near the ball joint. Sometimes grabbing at 12 and 6 doesn't do a good enough job for play here.

5) Check the torque of both cam bolts for each lower control arm. If these are not tightened enough a "popping" sound can be heard when moving in reverse.

Hope some of these checks can help you out.

 

Is this happening?

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have access to a shop, I can use a lift there. I'll check it on the ground as the video shows for bushings and lift it up see if anythings loose.

Just making sure what you meant...is the purpose of this to lay the truck on its weight since its under the LCA with the tire in the air to check for play?

 

Hm Ive gone about 40k on my LR UCAs, but all mainly commuting miles. I'll try the prybar method to see if theres any play?

 

Yes that is exactly why. If you lift the truck up at a shop you'll need to carefully lower the front of the truck on two (ideally) post stands. This helps remove some of the spring tension and weight (mostly) off the LCA and the UCA. Like the other guy said too, you can also use a prybar and check the control arm bushings for play too. Being rubber filled they should move slightly, buy not excessively.

 

Good luck to you, I've had the same tire wear problem and I can not pinpoint it for the life of me. Alignment is good, LCA bushings are good, no play in the uppers, wheel bearings and tie rods are good, shocks are good. It happens on the rear also which completely throws me for a loop. I've given up, keep my tires rotated so they even out and haven't given it a second thought.

 

Dang. At first I though perhaps its the TreadWright tires. Haven't had any problems with them other than one tire's balancing. So perhaps it wore itself enough to become unbalanced?

But the skipping wear pattern made me think that the tire was hopping hense a bad shock.

I'll see if I can check for these things today or tomorrow.

 

Ok well I tried laying my phone on the ground to film my LCA bushings as I tunred the wheel and there is some play. Doesn't look as much as the previous video. But check these out, also did one of the right side (no signs of odd tire wear). The first two vids are of the left side bushings of LCA with the tire wear problem.

CLICK PICTURES TO VIEW VIDEO--------> LINK TO VIDEO

LEFT SIDE (bad tire)









RIGHT SIDE

 

LCA bushings look OK.

Any play in the shock shaft within the top hat?

 

Get an alignment. Make sure they check your front end.

 

Actually those pic/vids were really good. I don't have sound on my computer (speakers not working). If there is no click/clack sound when you turn the wheel from them then they look fine. Without having to dissassemble the shock there is no easy way to see if it lost some of its nitrogen charge.

Do you have your tires rotated in any type of cross pattern, ever? Or are they only rotated front to back? Being 4x4 when you have your tires rotated they should be rotated in a "X" pattern. This can help on your new set of tires if you haven't been getting your tires rotated this way. At the very least if you don't cross rotated all for at least cross the fronts when moving them to the rear. But 4x4 tires are supposed to be rotated in the "X" pattern.

 

Normally I just have been doing fronts to back and back to front, no X pattern. I am a Prerunner not 4x4 by the way. Thought that was correct way to rotate based on previous reading but not too sure why tho.

I'b debating just ordering new front shocks just to be sure since these have some miles on them (65k) and don't want to risk damaging anything or meassing up new tires when I get them. But I still need to snoop around to make sure my UCA or ball joints are not the cause too....

 

VIDEO OF SUSPENSION OVER BUMPS. PIC IS LINK TO VIDEO.

Thinking it has to be my shocks due to the cupping on the tire. Any alignment error would leave a contant wear mark. Skipping/cupping normally points to worn or blown shock. Ride is getting worse, tire wearing down. Time for new set!

 

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