Alignment issues
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Alignment issues
I've had my 04 EB for about 4 years/50K. I'm on my 4th set of tires(one set i put on were off my truck with 1/2 tread) with alignments needed around every 10K or less because of excessive tire wear.
6K miles ago the dealer did a 4 wheel alignment and i took it back in today because i just put new tires on due to the old ones having bad wear on the outsides(they only had 17K on them),in that short amount of time the toe was extremely off,the dealer could not figure out why,no worn out parts or anything,they said that should never had happened.
I'm at a loss,the truck gets driven on the same good roads all the time with the occasional highway trips,no offroading or bad roads,i keep everything maintained well so i'm at a loss here and i don't want to burn through another set of $700 tires.
6K miles ago the dealer did a 4 wheel alignment and i took it back in today because i just put new tires on due to the old ones having bad wear on the outsides(they only had 17K on them),in that short amount of time the toe was extremely off,the dealer could not figure out why,no worn out parts or anything,they said that should never had happened.
I'm at a loss,the truck gets driven on the same good roads all the time with the occasional highway trips,no offroading or bad roads,i keep everything maintained well so i'm at a loss here and i don't want to burn through another set of $700 tires.
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It has been to a different shop. This has been going on so long that i would think if it were due to worn parts they would have completely failed by now or at least be obviously in need of replacement.
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Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Las Vegas
Believe it or not, there are a few rare but true things that might play into your deal here. First,i have to agree, somebody isnt looking in the right places to find the worn items.
Next, tire pressure and tire rotations are extremely important. I change mine very often depending on what I've got going on. For example, when I go wheeling, I air down for better grip and safer handling. On long road trips,I usually air up a few pounds especially if Im loaded heavy. I rotate my tires about every 7 to 10 thousand miles, and sometimes sooner depending how bad im punishing them.
Also tire quality is EVERYTHING!!!! Cheapo tires are just that cheap! I dont mess around with tire quality and my family safety...
Lastly, driving style is pretty big too. I drive "sporty" at times, which causes excellerated tire wear. That is another reason to rotate often. Let us know your tire pressure readings, and tire make and model if you want. Good luck!
Next, tire pressure and tire rotations are extremely important. I change mine very often depending on what I've got going on. For example, when I go wheeling, I air down for better grip and safer handling. On long road trips,I usually air up a few pounds especially if Im loaded heavy. I rotate my tires about every 7 to 10 thousand miles, and sometimes sooner depending how bad im punishing them.
Also tire quality is EVERYTHING!!!! Cheapo tires are just that cheap! I dont mess around with tire quality and my family safety...
Lastly, driving style is pretty big too. I drive "sporty" at times, which causes excellerated tire wear. That is another reason to rotate often. Let us know your tire pressure readings, and tire make and model if you want. Good luck!
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I agree with and implement everything you said,thats why this is so puzzling.
Today alone the dealer spent 3 hours(i watched) trying to find any worn parts,sure they could have missed something but i doubt it.
I have TPMS and manually check the PSI often,rotate every 3-5K,i only run quality brand name tires(toyo,BGF,goodyears have been on it...and the original continentals),driving style is very easy,maybe 100 miles a week and family trips occasionally. I know there is a reason but it's hidden well.
Today alone the dealer spent 3 hours(i watched) trying to find any worn parts,sure they could have missed something but i doubt it.
I have TPMS and manually check the PSI often,rotate every 3-5K,i only run quality brand name tires(toyo,BGF,goodyears have been on it...and the original continentals),driving style is very easy,maybe 100 miles a week and family trips occasionally. I know there is a reason but it's hidden well.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Las Vegas
Wow this is crazy! Have you tried raising your pressures? I realize you have tpms, but I find the "standard" pressures are just not enough... I drive 300+ miles a week, in and around town, stop and go ect...My tire wear is excellent. Granted I have larger tires, but Im running 40lbs of air. Whenever I have a flat repair, I usuallly have to firmly insist in my pressures. The tire shop continues to tell me Im running too much. But when I tell them to look at my tires, the mileage and the tire wear, they cant believe it and usually think Im lying.
Other than that, did you buy your rig new? If not find out if it was in a wreck, and if so, maybe the frame is not straight causing the truck to not track properly, which will eat tires as you described...Have they checked the chassis and alignment? Good luck!
Other than that, did you buy your rig new? If not find out if it was in a wreck, and if so, maybe the frame is not straight causing the truck to not track properly, which will eat tires as you described...Have they checked the chassis and alignment? Good luck!
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I usually keep the pressure around 35-38 psi,that seems to be the sweet spot. I bought the truck with about 25K on it and no documented accident history.
I was thinking,when i had the exp. to the dealer 6K miles ago for an alignment,they must have messed something up because yesterday when i took it back they aligned it and worked on it for a couple hours and the bill was...$0. They never do that,so i'm assuming they found a mistake they made previously? Still though,that wouldn't explain why i've had to align this thing every 10K since i bought it.
I was thinking,when i had the exp. to the dealer 6K miles ago for an alignment,they must have messed something up because yesterday when i took it back they aligned it and worked on it for a couple hours and the bill was...$0. They never do that,so i'm assuming they found a mistake they made previously? Still though,that wouldn't explain why i've had to align this thing every 10K since i bought it.
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From: Las Vegas
Man what a bummer! Too bad you werent near me, I would like to take a close look at this thing. You mentioned earlier that you notice wear on the outer edge of the tire, and the toe is wacked out. Is that all four or just the fronts or rears? Is the truck lifted?
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My wifes been driving it since we bought it and i just took it so it's not lifted yet,lol,but it will be cause everything i drive gets lifted.
Anyway,yeah,the caster/camber was spot on,toe on all four was out:
-LF .45 degrees
-LR -.10 degrees
-RF .35 degrees
-RR -.10 degrees
Max/Min is: -.05 to .15 degrees...Again,that was only 6K miles since last alignment.
Theres only a couple hundred miles on the new goodyear AT/S's and i could already see some very slight uneven wear.
Anyway,yeah,the caster/camber was spot on,toe on all four was out:
-LF .45 degrees
-LR -.10 degrees
-RF .35 degrees
-RR -.10 degrees
Max/Min is: -.05 to .15 degrees...Again,that was only 6K miles since last alignment.
Theres only a couple hundred miles on the new goodyear AT/S's and i could already see some very slight uneven wear.
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Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Las Vegas
Alright we might be getting closer. Has anybody taken a look at any of the rod ends, and the adjustment sleeves? If they are re-aligning this thing and only setting toe, then your issue is somewhere in that area. The adjusters must be worn out causing the threads to back out. Start there and let me know.
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I didn't specifically ask if those parts were checked,i can only assume they checked everything out pretty good because they would have jumped at the chance to hand me a hefty bill after working on it for so long. For now i'm just gonna keep an eagle eye on the tires and if i see even the slightest uneven wear i'll take it back and/or just crawl under there myself.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Alignment Nightmare
I was wondering if you ever resolved your alignment issue? You are decribing the same problem my 2000 Navi developed about a year ago. I have never had any problems with the alignment or tire wear since owning the vehicle (2002). My Navi is eating up the front tires, with all the wear being on the outside. When I first noticed the problem, the shop reported that the camber (toe) was off. They were unable to adjust within specs and recommended that I have an aftermarket camber kit installed (claiming that there was no camber adjustment), so I did. The problem was resolved, new tires were purchased, and a few months later, the same problem. I am in need of new front tires again. I can't afford to replace tires every six months. The alignment shop I take my truck to is usually very thorough and they are quick to find and recommend changing out worn parts. When I confronted them on this issue, one of the mechanics told me that due to wear and tear, I need to bring the truck in regularly ( as I have lifetime alignment). Does this make any sense to anyone?
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