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My tires do the splits

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Old 01-23-2013, 03:07 PM
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Question My tires do the splits

I have a 1995 F250 single cab, long bed truck with 37" tires and a 6" lift. It has a 460 big block engine after market exhaust and twin I beam suspension. My passenger side front tire is wearing faster than all the others and is almost bald in the center the edges still have tread though. When I back up my front tires tilt inward and its very noticeable! It looks something like this /-\ I'm not sure what's wrong? Or what I need to do to fix the problem. New tire rods maybe?
 
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Old 01-23-2013, 03:12 PM
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Most likley, Ball joints, axle pivot bushings and an alignment
 
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Old 01-23-2013, 03:52 PM
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My lifted 150 does that too I replaced everything still does it never did before the lift
 
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Old 01-23-2013, 04:41 PM
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I agree with Diesel_Brad. The lift and big tires exagerate the problem. My Bronco on 35's had to be gone through every couple years
 
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Old 01-23-2013, 04:42 PM
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Originally Posted by DallenH
I have a 1995 F250 single cab, long bed truck with 37" tires and a 6" lift. It has a 460 big block engine after market exhaust and twin I beam suspension. My passenger side front tire is wearing faster than all the others and is almost bald in the center the edges still have tread though. When I back up my front tires tilt inward and its very noticeable! It looks something like this /-\ I'm not sure what's wrong? Or what I need to do to fix the problem. New tire rods maybe?
Originally Posted by Diesel_Brad
Most likley, Ball joints, axle pivot bushings and an alignment
It's normal for this era trucks to do the /-\ after backing up, they all do it, just some more than others especially if the have worn parts... I would do as Brad says and check things out if it giving abnormal tire wear.

Usually tire wear with tread gone in the middle and good tread on sides indicates over inflation, worn sides and good tread in the middle usually indicates under inflation.
 
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Old 01-23-2013, 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by White 97 xlt
Usually tire wear with tread gone in the middle and good tread on sides indicates over inflation, worn sides and good tread in the middle usually indicates under inflation.
This could also be indicative of too wide a tire for the rim it's mounted on.
Tell us something about your 37" tires and what the rim width is.
 
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Old 01-23-2013, 07:04 PM
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wearing in the center of the tread is a sign of over inflation, on the edges is low inflation, one edge or the other is alignment.
 
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Old 01-23-2013, 08:04 PM
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I ran 50 psi in my stock size tires on the stock rims in the name of fuel efficiency. And yep sure enough the center of the tread wore faster than the edges.

I would still check all the parts, but I've always noticed the twin-traction beam trucks will have the front wheels looking like /-\ after backing up. My truck does it slightly, bone stock with sway bar, my mother's truck does it more noticeably (no sway, also stock).

The left front wearing faster than the right front is what sounds most suspect to me. Does the truck pull way one or another?
 
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Old 01-23-2013, 08:15 PM
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What you have is twin traction beam it's same concept as twin I beam. Had it on my old F250 I thought I'd poke around the early 90s thread since I haven't been here since I sold it and now I'm having flashbacks. It's a common problem on ttb trucks especially once you lift them I had to look around to find a shop that would do a camber alignment for me it's tricky with the way you have to do it with bushings. Before you take it in jack up the front end a start trying to shake stuff with the wheel off the ground put a pry bar under the front wheel if you can shake it up and down separate from the suspension it's a ball joint but as I said I suspect you just need an alignment
 
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Old 01-23-2013, 09:28 PM
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All ford trucks have what appears to be a bad camber adjustment on them, when in fact, its good. This can be exacerbated with a lift kit. I would probably get the alignment checked to see where it sits.
 
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Old 01-24-2013, 09:15 AM
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Originally Posted by White 97 xlt
It's normal for this era trucks to do the /-\ after backing up, they all do it, just some more than others especially if the have worn parts...
+1 on that. All my Ford trucks do/did it. Just how it is with the front end setup. Not like anyone drives for miles in reverse too often, so tire wear ain't an issue here. If your tires are wearing, it's from something being out of line while driving forward.
 
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Old 06-11-2013, 12:56 PM
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Originally Posted by ArdWrknTrk
This could also be indicative of too wide a tire for the rim it's mounted on.
Tell us something about your 37" tires and what the rim width is.
The tires are 37" with 13.5 width mounted on 18" rims
 
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Old 06-11-2013, 01:02 PM
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Originally Posted by fdude64
wearing in the center of the tread is a sign of over inflation, on the edges is low inflation, one edge or the other is alignment.
Im running my front tires @ 50 psi. They're not over inflated nor under inflated, my truck does pull to the right though while driving.
 
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Old 06-11-2013, 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by capn kirk
What you have is twin traction beam it's same concept as twin I beam. Had it on my old F250 I thought I'd poke around the early 90s thread since I haven't been here since I sold it and now I'm having flashbacks. It's a common problem on ttb trucks especially once you lift them I had to look around to find a shop that would do a camber alignment for me it's tricky with the way you have to do it with bushings. Before you take it in jack up the front end a start trying to shake stuff with the wheel off the ground put a pry bar under the front wheel if you can shake it up and down separate from the suspension it's a ball joint but as I said I suspect you just need an alignment
How do you know if it's twin traction vs. twin I beam? Whats the difference between the two?
 
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Old 06-11-2013, 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by DallenH
How do you know if it's twin traction vs. twin I beam? Whats the difference between the two?
4X4 Twin traction beam
4X2 Twin I beam

Originally Posted by DallenH
my truck does pull to the right though while driving.
This sounds like an alignment or worn part problem..
 


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