I am concerned that my front tires are wearing oddly and I do not know the cause.
First, the vehicle: 2003 Ford F350 dually 4x4 Club cab (full 4 door) w/8 foot bed. 6.0 L diesel. Rear air bags. HD Axles and steering stabilizer and camper package. Ranchos. 25000 miles. The first 3000 were used for towing my 26 ft TT. Most of the rest were towing my 99 Lance 1030. The truck is used 90% of the time to tow the camper. Very little commuting is done with it.
The tires: Michelin LTX A/S LT235/85/16 Load Range E. Purchased with the trk. The rear tires are wearing great. Perfectly even, nice square edges inside and out. The front tires are wearing as if they are underinflated. That is, they are wearing on inside and outside edges, and are rounded. Not square. The middle tread is not worn that much at all. BOTH front tires are doing this. The look is the classic pattern for underinflated tires. With the Lance on, I run the backs at 65 and the fronts at 75. Elsewise I use the door sticker values of 55 and 65 respectively.
The trk had 4 ball joints replaced under warranty at 1 year (4000 miles). They were squeaking, not loose. The service order charged FORD for an alignment. I presume they did it.
Truck axle weights: (CAT scales). Without camper: Frt=4520 Rear=3140. With camper fully loaded: Frt=4820 rear=7220. Sticker ratings on the truck are Frt=5200 rear=8250.
OK Those are the facts. Now I need to try and resolve the issue before I have to buy a new front tire set. Any suggestions, comments tips are welcome.
On my 2005 F-250 I run 75 psi front and back all the time, which is what is recommended. I would think you need to go up on pressure in the front. It is a heavy engine, and your wear patterns are agreeing with that. I just rotated my tires the second time, at 35,000 miles, and have very even tire wear. Granted, the suspension on mine is different, but it still seems like you need more air pressure. Maybe they suggested the lower pressure to ride a little better. Try the higher pressure and monitor what it does, I think it will help alot.
2005 Ford F-250 PSD CC 4x4
2006 Forest River Wildcat 29BHBP
If Ford replaced the ball joints under warranty, then I would suspect that the new ones are bad by now. Ford uses a greaseless ball joint that has a ceramic/plastic cup in it, and a F350 just bangs the heck out of them. I had to have mine replaced, the tire shop said they were bad, dealer said they weren't. I was right at the end of my 100k extended warranty. Ended up having them replaced at 110K with ones you can grease ball joints from NAPA. Made a big difference in handling.
My tire guy said it wasn't uncommon to replace Ford ball joints at 50k, depending on type of roads traveled.
Steve & Linda
Son married (1 DIL, 3 granddaughters 1 grandson)
Daughter in College
Miami CO. Kansas
2004 F350 CC dually 8ft bed 6.0 PSD
2009 Bighorn 3670RL
B&W under bed hitch with 18k companion hitch
I would take your vehicle back to the dealer and have them do an inspection of the front end. Make sure to let them know that the irregularity started after they did the work.
If you do not get any satisfaction, then have an independent garage look at it and if there is a problem have them write up something that you can contact your Ford regional person or factory on.
I don't recall the wear pattern off the top of my head but I do know that a truck without enough weight on the front end can wear the front tires unevenly even though the rears are fine.
2007 F350,SC,LB,4x4,6.0/Auto,35" tires,16.5 Warn,Buckstop bumpers
2007 Outfitter Apex9.5,270W solar,SolarBoost2000e,2 H2K's,2KW inverter,2 20lb LP on slide out tray,4 Lifeline AGM bats,Tundra fridge
95 Bounder 28' ClassA sold
91 Jamboree 21' ClassC sold
I drove one briefly (2000 F350Super W Powerstroke 6.0L) for the local RV dealer and if I remember correctly the pressures inside the door were considerably lower than the tires rating to give a softer ride on the highway. I maxxed out the air to what the tires called for (about 95PSI each) and it rode like a tank. But I didn't have problems with the tire wear, just ball joints after a few months (about 45,000 miles driving and 120,000 on the odometer)
Increase the air and hope it helps.
Matt
Life is short, Play harder.
2002 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab Long Bed 4.3L V6 Automatic 2WD
My '01 Excursion was doing that. Did two things to cure the problem. Installed Rancho shocks which helped a little but the big change was getting away from tires that had knobby edges. I went to the Firestone Transforce, which has a solid shoulder, and they wear normally.
John (USN Ret) and Debbie
The Paw Pack (Freckles, Stinky & Ranger)
'96 Monaco Windsor 36' DP 8.3L Cummins
Ready Brake w/ Demco Excali-bar
'03 Ford Explorer (Toad)
'04 Honda Insight
'04 Volvo S80 AWD
'74 Dart Swinger Drag Car
14' Boat 9.9 Mercury
There is only one alignment adjustment on that front axle: toe in/out, which is adjusted on the main tie rod that joins the two steering knuckles. The other adjustment is centering, which adjusted on the tie rod that goes from the pitman arm to the main tie rod. Camber and caster are set by the design of the axle yokes and knuckles. Unless the ball joints are bad, those two alignment factors never change. Have your ball joints checked. If they are bad, replace with serviceable Dana/Spicer ball joints.
The tire wear you describe is consistent with underinflation. The air pressures you describe running them at are a bit low for the axle weights you describe. Increase the air pressure on the new tires.
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