so i was just thinking and could it be that valve for the rear brakes? could it be causing them to do alot more of the stopping than the front and getting more wear?

just throwin it out there...

 

Update?


Andreas

 

Well its at the shop I bought the tires from so we will see what happens. The manager looked confused when I told him what was going on. I printed out this thread and gave it to him just to add to his confusion! Hah! No I didn't but I should have!...... I'll update when I here back from them. Thanks again to all who replied.

 

Ok I just got home and here is the message on my answering machine. "You definetley have some issues with the truck. You got tie rod ends and a loose rack and pinion that is sliding back and fourth that would cause the tire wear. Call us in the morning to go over what my tech found and the estimate to fix these problems, thanks"

So this does not sound good. What do you guys think and what should I be aware of when I speak to these guys tomorrow morning, thanks Tman

 

Sounds like your axle bearings could be bad. Your tie-rods being loose is not going to make your tires wear like that. They have nothing to do with the angle at which your wheels/tires sit, they just keep your axle housing aligned. So unless your housing is indeed bent, or both axle shafts are bent the same way, it's most likely your bearings. I would also check to make sure all the bolts (4 on each side) that attach the hub(brake housing, and axle shafts) to the axle housing are torqued properly. You will have to check your FSM for the proper torque specifications, although I think its around 28 ftlbs, but again check the FSM. If that is all good it's probably the bearings, which sucks @$$.

If you do most of the work yourself it can be done for around $500-600 depending on the shop you take to have the old stuff pressed off and the new stuff pressed on. If you take it to a shop or the dealer it will most likely run you upwards of $1200.

There is a how-to thread somewhere on how to do it. If you have a decent set of tools and a good knowledge of how to use them it's not too difficult, just time consuming.

 

Is there any way to check those?

 

You'd have to pull the axle shafts out and check for play in them. Doing that means jacking up the rear axle, pulling the wheels off, pinching off the brake lines, disconnecting them from the brakes, disconnecting the ABS sensors, removing the brake drums, removing those 4 bolts on each side and getting someone to help you pull the shafts out carefully. Then you just grab the brake housing and wiggle. If it moves more than 1/16 of an inch I think it is, you have shot bearings.

 

if i am reading this right, the tires that were on the rear BEFORE you rotated them seemed to be wearing incorrectly. you took it back to the shop to try and figure something out, they said you have bad front end parts. am i on the right track? from the time you installed the tires and the alignment done to the first rotate, you had driven 9000 miles? the front end parts you listed will only wear to front tires and render your alignment useless. get them replaced and redo the alignment. it sounds like the irregular wear you described was either under inflation wear, or waiting too long to rotate. there are no rear adjustments on your truck, but there could be something bent.
but my money is on waiting too long to rotate, or under inflation wear.

 

I think there is some confusion here, tie rods are in the front, axle housing in the back.

From what the OP has said, it sounds like the rear end is what wore the tires unevenly (post #9). If that is true, then front end problems, problems though they might be, are irrelevant to this discussion. That said, can anyone think of a way the rear end could wear the tires unevenly other than the axle housing being bent, which is pretty unlikely? I would think you could see this fairly easily if the housing was bent, and you would feel it in the rear diff since the axles wouldn't be lined up properly (same deal if the axle hub mounting bolts are loose).

My experience in this kind of situation suggests that you are missing a piece of information, like was there an extra tire rotation in there that you are forgetting about? Did you have it serviced/oil change/warranty service, anything where they may have rotated your tires without you realizing it?

 

That's what I was saying. His rear tires (the ones that were originally on the rear) are the ones wearing unevenly. That's why I said his REAR axle bearings are probably bad, because it is very unlikely that his housing or the axle shafts themselves are bent.

 

Ok, so will front end issues like tie rod ends or a loose rack cause tire wear on the front?

One guys says it will not affect the tires and If I read right a couple say it will affect tire wear. But no one has said it will affect tire wear on the rear so we are back to square one other then bad axle bearings on the rear might be the cause or a very unlikely bent housing or axle shafts.
As to tire rotation I have gone way past 9000 miles in the past and had no adverse wear on previous vehicles however it is obviously a good idea to get tires rotated every 5000 to 6000 miles. Under inflation could be possible but to wear only 2 tires that are on the same end, seems kinda unlikely. At any rate thanks for your all your help and unfortunately I am out of work and so strapped for cash that i will not be able to do much with this situation at the present. I was just hoping when I started this thread that its was something the tire shop caused with a bad alignment and I would be able to get it covered by them due to negligence, a little naive on my part I guess but thats what I was hoping.
If you guys come up with any other ideas I'm listening, thanks

Merry Christmas to all and thanks again! Tman

 

UPDATE: They said the rack mount bushings need to be replaced,(the manger told me it was sliding back and fourth) and tie rod ends (inner) are showing play and need to be replaced and a new alignment due to these issues. How bad of a situation is that and how much $$ is that going to set me back? Is this something you guys would try yourself or not?

Thanks again!

 

the tire shop is going to charge you about 200% more than what it would cost to do yourself. they will mark the parts up 100% from retail, and labor will cost more than you will pay for the parts. bearings on the rear will cause more of a centralized wear i.e. one side or the other, maybe some cupping and feathering too. if i understand correctly, your wear issue is more symmetrical and on BOTH previous rear tires. i find that having BOTH bearings fail simultaneously very unlikely. like i said before, my money is on under inflation or rotation neglect. i would tackle the front end myself, would be a good experience if you have never done them. i would do all 4 tie rods, and the rack bushings. if you have any questions about this DIY job, google the process, or search around on here.

 

If the tires were underinflated (which I am pretty sure they were not) would that not cause even wear across the whole tire instead a more wear on the inside to outsie like mine are? Also even though they were not rotated until 8000 to 9000 miles for the first time, the tires are still wearing unusually to have the wear pattern I have correct? Thanks

 

I just had another master mechanic tell me it may be the rear control arm bushings that are bad. He wants me to bring it by for a look. Any thoughts?

 

if you have shoulder wear on both rear tires on the inside and outside shoulders, it would indicate under inflation. with under inflation, the center tread sinks in and more pressure is applied to the outside shoulders. with incorrect rotation habits, your tires experience too much of the same stress in certain areas and begin to wear a certain, irregular way, and in most cases, its not reversible. i would be open to consider a rear end part causing irregular wear, but for it to be on both shoulders of both tires, im a little skeptical. very seldom will parts fail in symmetry causing identical tire wear. i would love to see some pictures of the tires, maybe that would lead me a different direction. take it to the mechanic and see what he says. maybe he's right, but i would be very surprised. Good luck!

 

I agree with Clyde...doesn't sound like something is bent or broken if both rear tires are doing the exact same thing....


to me it sounds like they weren't inflated to the proper pressure that is on the sidewall of the tire

 

I agree with what you are saying however the wear on the tires is more on the inside tread and less on the outside but still on the flat part of the tread, I have no tire wear on the sidewalls or shoulders which would indicate under inflation. Its like the the tires would have to be tweaked or tilted slightly outward from the bottom where they make contact with the road for this type of wear to occur if that makes sense. Anyhow I will take it in to this other guys and see what he says. By the way the estimate I got for doing the tie rod ends and rack bushings form the place i bought the tires from is 532.00 which includes a alignment. But I will still need 2 tires on top of that.

 

what kind of weight are you carrying? did you change the wheels? different size tires from stock? how many miles? how old are your shocks? rear coil condition? are the tires REALLY in that bad of shape that you would need to change them after 9000 miles? get a quote from the parts house to buy the parts and tackle the job yourself. where did you get the tires? i would REALLY like to see pics, ive been doing this a LONG time, and might have some other ideas if i see pics.

 

No extra weight other then 2 adults and 1 child. Original wheels. Stock tires 265/70/16 - 155k on the truck - no idea on the shocks - tires may have some life left but not too much, maybe another 4000-5000 miles maybe although standing water scares me a little. As to doing the job I would try if I can find a good write up and I have the proper tools. I will try and get pics up asap, thanks again!

Merry Christmas.