Toe'd in would cause the same issue. Get an alignment done and they should be able to find the issue.
-
June's Cummins of the Month is now open for entries! SUMMER FUN
Odd tire wear. Please Help!
I got a 1989 Dodge 1 ton dually 4x4 with the Dana 60 king pin style front end. The front tires on my truck are wearing on the outer edges and i'm not sure why.:confused013: Everything is stock, no lift. I tried searching for answers on the forum but never really found one. It doesn't have ball joints, it's got king pins. People tell me it's bad ball joints. If it was bad ball joint or kingpins, the tires would be wearing on the inside wouldn't they? There's like a 3/8 inch difference between the outer edges of the steer tires treads vs the inner edges. It's like it's not even riding on the inner treads of the tires. Tie rods are tight. Had the truck up on jack stands checking for wobbly parts, everything "seems" fine. Called a few shops, they didn't have an answer for me. I just bought brand new Nitto HD Grappler tires and steel rims for the front. I dont want to run them till this front end issue gets figured out because i paid lots of money for these nice tires. I need to fix this outer edge tire eating problem. Prove to me how great, kind and helpfull the people on the Cummins Forum are lol. Help!
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
You can measure toe in yourself. Not sure I would pay a shop to look at that axle unless I couldn't locate an issue with toe myself.
Toe in or out will generally cause excessive wear evenly across the face of the tire. Running your hand across the tread from one side to the other you will be able to feel a sharp edge in one direction and not the other. If you feel the sharp edge running your hand from outside to inside the tire is toed out.
Most likely cause of outer edge wear is excessive pos camber. An alignment shop will be able to tell you exactly where you are and where you need to be. That should be your first stop.
Steve g
Most likely cause of outer edge wear is excessive pos camber. An alignment shop will be able to tell you exactly where you are and where you need to be. That should be your first stop.
Steve g
I can't see it being camber as it's non adjustable on my solid kingpin front axle. Shainer suggested i could measure toe in myself, how is that done?
Search youtube, you'll get the idea. Not complicated. I agree I doubt it's a camber issue, if it were only one side I would consider it a possibility.I can't see it being camber as it's non adjustable on my solid kingpin front axle. Shainer suggested i could measure toe in myself, how is that done?
Ok thanks everyone for your help. I hope it's only a toe in issue. Can't see what else it could be, odd that excessive toe could cause the outer edges to wear out so fast. I just bought this truck 6 months ago, noticed the previous guy put new leaves in the front.
Just because camber is not adjustable doesn't mean it can't be the problem. Think about where it's wearing and picture the tire on the ground.
Yes, you can sort of adjust toe in yourself, but you can't get anywhere near the accuracy that you should have. If the toe is that far off that it's scrubbing only one side (that would have to be a helluva lot) it's probably because someone adjusted the toe themselves without the use of proper equipment. Spec is -.05 to .45 of one degree with .20 preferred. Can you get that accurate with your tape measure?
Treat the old buggy to a proper alignment. That will tell you where exactly your camber is. It can be that far off if something is bent. If it's all within spec they will adjust the toe to exactly where it should be.
I've been a journeyman for almost 40 years and there's few things I don't do myself. Alignment is one of them. It's one of those things that without the proper equipment, you might get close,but close is not good enough when it comes to expensive tires, nice handling and good fuel economy.
Steve g
Yes, you can sort of adjust toe in yourself, but you can't get anywhere near the accuracy that you should have. If the toe is that far off that it's scrubbing only one side (that would have to be a helluva lot) it's probably because someone adjusted the toe themselves without the use of proper equipment. Spec is -.05 to .45 of one degree with .20 preferred. Can you get that accurate with your tape measure?
Treat the old buggy to a proper alignment. That will tell you where exactly your camber is. It can be that far off if something is bent. If it's all within spec they will adjust the toe to exactly where it should be.
I've been a journeyman for almost 40 years and there's few things I don't do myself. Alignment is one of them. It's one of those things that without the proper equipment, you might get close,but close is not good enough when it comes to expensive tires, nice handling and good fuel economy.
Steve g
Yeah i seen those tube vids. I'm just gonna take it in have it done accurately. It's allready on stands, i could measure it just to see.Just because camber is not adjustable doesn't mean it can't be the problem. Think about where it's wearing and picture the tire on the ground.
Yes, you can sort of adjust toe in yourself, but you can't get anywhere near the accuracy that you should have. If the toe is that far off that it's scrubbing only one side (that would have to be a helluva lot) it's probably because someone adjusted the toe themselves without the use of proper equipment. Spec is -.05 to .45 of one degree with .20 preferred. Can you get that accurate with your tape measure?
Treat the old buggy to a proper alignment. That will tell you where exactly your camber is. It can be that far off if something is bent. If it's all within spec they will adjust the toe to exactly where it should be.
I've been a journeyman for almost 40 years and there's few things I don't do myself. Alignment is one of them. It's one of those things that without the proper equipment, you might get close,but close is not good enough when it comes to expensive tires, nice handling and good fuel economy.
Steve g
Thanks man.
Bent axle tubes change camber. Put it on a front end rack and let them tell you what the problem is. A lazor 4 wheel rack can tell if you have any bend in axles.I can't see it being camber as it's non adjustable on my solid kingpin front axle. Shainer suggested i could measure toe in myself, how is that done?
BTDT a couple of times.
Do you rotate your tires regularly?
I'm not sure what a front end rack is. Do most alignment shops have those? It could very well be a bent tube, they don't look bent.Bent axle tubes change camber. Put it on a front end rack and let them tell you what the problem is. A lazor 4 wheel rack can tell if you have any bend in axles.
BTDT a couple of times.
Alignment "rack". My money is on toe but without seeing a pic of the tread I couldn't say in or out.
Does it look like it has had a tie rod or 2 replaced?
Does it look like it has had a tie rod or 2 replaced?
I had the fronts flipped so the less worn side was on the outside and now that side is worn and they look like motorbike tires lol.Do you rotate your tires regularly?
The only thing i noticed that was touched was new leaves and u bolts. Everything else is covered in rust. Unable to upload pics of tires. It doesn't look like the threads on the tie rods have been adjusted ever.Alignment "rack". My money is on toe but without seeing a pic of the tread I couldn't say in or out.
Does it look like it has had a tie rod or 2 replaced?
Most shops will do a free alignment check. This includes shaking the front end down and checking for other possible causes for uneven tire wear (because one can't do a reliable alignment with parts in poor condition). If there is an alignment issue, I say, let them align it! This is one area where fancy computers and cameras beat some string and a tape measure. Also, I would recommend to rotate your tires (front wheel to rear, rear to front) every 8000 miles, at the very least. Not rotating tires does play a large role in the way they wear.
Edit: I see you have a dually, I would rotate inside rear to front, outside rear to inside, and front to outside rear.
Edit: I see you have a dually, I would rotate inside rear to front, outside rear to inside, and front to outside rear.
Thanx for all the help.
Don't automatically think it can't be the kingpins on the D60. I had a similar issue and tried the alignment route before I figured it was the king pins that were worn. I replaced them and it has been good to go since then. Jack up the front end and see if there is play in them. Mine were worn so bad that when I jacked up the front end I could see the tires actually move inward just as the tires came off the ground.
Don't automatically think it can't be the kingpins on the D60. I had a similar issue and tried the alignment route before I figured it was the king pins that were worn. I replaced them and it has been good to go since then. Jack up the front end and see if there is play in them. Mine were worn so bad that when I jacked up the front end I could see the tires actually move inward just as the tires came off the ground.
Don't go back to the shop that sold you the alignment and didn't check the front end for wear. You were ripped off royally. That's job one of any alignment, check for loose parts. You can't align something where the angle can change constantly.
I doubt they did anything more than write up your bill.
Steve g
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Cummins Diesel Forum
A forum community dedicated to all things Cummins Diesel! Originally founded for owners and enthusiasts of Cummins powered Dodge pickups, the Cummins Forum has expanded to include ALL Cummins Engine applications! Come join the discussion about reviews, drivetrain swaps, turbos, modifications, classifieds, builds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Top Contributors this Month
View All
the man in black
435 Replies
Jimmy N.
373 Replies
dieselenthusiast
355 Replies
