<raymond.irons@gm.com> wrote in message
>
> Josh,
> I think you may have misread my post. I haven't gotten the truck
> aligned.....yet. Since the front tires are worn I knew I needed to replace
> them prior to an alignment. And though the alignment does cause edge wear,
> bad shocks can also cause this problem. Especially one as bad as I had and
> as many miles as I have run on those tires. I think they have somewhere
> @40K miles on them and they aren't down to wear I can see the belt but its
> close in a spot or two. If the mechanic at the tire shop says the ball
> joints are ok then I'll get the alignment done. I've spent the morning
> pricing parts if I in fact NEED to replace the ball joints. It looks like
I
> can get the Moog set at Rock Auto but the energy suspension control arm
> bushings will have to be ordered through AutoZone. Do you know or anyone
on
> the list know if Rock Auto still has a discount coupon?
I'd jump right on that alignment Ray. Having worked in a shop as an
alignment tech (as well as being ASE cert in suspension/deiveability), I've
never seen shocks cause edge wear. In my experience I've only seen worn
shocks create patchy treadwear. (high spots and low spots in the tread
surface) The only way to wear only one edge of the tire is with an alignment
issue. Usually this issue is excesssive toe in, but it can also be caused
if your camber is way off.
As far as tire wear goes, toe is usually the only one that'll create
abnormal wear. All of the other measurements (camber and caster) as long as
they're equal won't cause wear. Personally, I run -1.5 degrees camber and
if you look at my tires they're worn perfectly even across. If it were off
a little on one side vs the other, you'll get premature wear starting at
about the centerline of the tread to the outside or inside. This however,
will take a long time to become evident. Toe issues will wear the edges of
the tire between the edge and maybe 2 inches in, and it'll do it quickly
enough where it's an issue. Think of it as driving down the road with your
wheels pointed like this (here comes some ascii art - YAY!) / \ instead
of like this | |
-- - Josh Lowered 2000 Dakota CC 3.9L www.geocities.com/lenny187/dakota.html www.omg-stfu.com
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