front tire wear on the deuce

[maddawg308]

I just burned through a set of front tires on my deuce like it's noone's business. When I got the deuce 4500 miles ago, all the tires were new. The front ones are 30% on the driver's side, and 10% at best on the passenger's side. On the flat and level, I don't see any noticeable caster/camber/toe-in of the tires on the front to cause premature wear. The passenger side has some serious cupping going on the tread, more on the outside of the truck than inside.

Do deuces historically go through front tires like schmidt through a goose? Hate to be buying replacement tires every 4-5K or so.

 

[clinto]

All of mine burn through front tires at a horrendous rate.

I am going to try a lockout on the middle axle and front lockouts and see how it changes the situation.

 

[dk8019]

I've heard they go through them rather quickly. Mine were new as well, almost 6K on them now, and I think they will get rotated to the rear for awhile.

 

[Josh]

did you check the alignment. mine didnt look like it was off, but it was off pretty bad and was chewing one of my front tires to hell, until i found it it was not aligned. i just brand new tires on it less then 50 miles ago, so ill see how long these last.

 

[WarrenD]

Got a bad shock on the right, front? I'd be looking at the alignment before putting new rubber on, they may not get great tire wear, but I'd want to max it out.

 

[Keith_J]

10,000 miles would be a very long tire life. These NDCC bias ply tires just don't live long. The front is heavily loaded, the rears scrub around corners.

Definitely check the toe, it is the only thing that can be adjusted. And replace the shock absorbers, it really makes a difference at speeds over 30 MPH.

 

[jesusgatos]

10,000 miles would be a very long tire life.

What about radials?

 

[CGarbee]

Other things to do to help reduce front tire wear are to crank up the air pressure and loose the winch... Lower inflation on the front increased wear a significant amount, the extra weight does but not enough to compensate (denpending on how much you use it and how big a save it was).
Going slower when making turns helps as well (especially when making lefts, you likely take them much faster than rights currently which likely is a major cause of the descrepency in wear between right and left).

As has been mentioned, "school bus" the rear by removing the driveshaft between the rear axles, install a lockout hub, or similar. Installing lockouts on the front help, but (according to my memory of an article that Bjorn wrote a few years back for MV Magazine) do less to reduce the front tire wear than increasing air pressure and "school bussing" the rear.

These trucks do chew the fronts quickly even with radials

I'm undecided as to whether I prefer to rotate my tires often, or just replace the fronts and let the rears ride undisturbed for longer periods...

 

[sgtrisk]

FWIW, I'm having the same problem. Gonna take it to an alignment shop and have THEM check the alignment. When I measured it it appeared to be dead on. But I have a hard time believing that the fronts would wear THAT fast!! I've put only around 500 miles on mine!!!

 

[Divemaster920]

I replaced my shocks and aligned the front end (out by more than 3/4"). I thought driving was easy before...its like night and day. If you do a search in the 5Ton section there is a PVC method that works really well (I tried to find it in the Deuce section). THE KEY FACTORS is the 18.3" measurement. Read and understand the TM.

 

[cranetruck]

Since Cabell mentioned the article, it's "Front end alignment" , Issue #105, October 2004.
I have little wear on my front tires, about 1/32 for every 1,000 miles and attribute it to the following:
1) Check alignment and replace the shocks to dampen high frequency vibes. Check the leaf springs for sag.
2) Free up the rear bogie, the two rear axles are coupled w/o a differential and will force the truck to go straight on hard pavement, causing front tire scrub in every turn.
3) Single out your truck to lessen the tendency to force the truck to go straight.
4) Keep higher psi for the highway than specified in the TM. I use 70 psi for the hwy.
5) Siping may help keep the tires cool, mine are for better wet pavement performance...don't know about the cooling effect.

Image below shows one of my fronts with more than 5,000 miles. I figure it should be good for another 5 to 10 K miles if the sidewalls survive without cracking ( one has a split starting). The tires are at least ten years old IIRC.

 

[Divemaster920]

So on a sprag should I pull the most forward rear or the rear axle?
I have been wanting to try it, but have not.

 

[Brock Steel]

I just changed the shocks on mine and it made a difference in ride and wear. Both shocks were flat. Any body need a very used set of shocks? Free to good home

 

[rat-a-tat-tat]

Shocks: where do you get 'em, what model, #'s, etc.

Thanks,
rat

 

[Keith_J]

What about radials?

Much longer life. Radials deform laterally, bias deform on the longitude. Since tread on the NDCC is rather blocky, this forces the blocks together and because they are rather large, there is a lot of scrub. Run them over white concrete and notice the tread marks left on the concrete, that is wear. Radials won't make much of a mark, unless you are turning.

Radials were just much harder to lay-up, the strength in a tire is from the cords which restrain the pressure. Rubber fills the gaps and resists wear.

 

[security leak]

I need to change my fronts as well. What part number are those Monroe shocks? Thanks

 

[cattlerepairman]

Interesting. Saves me a post. Mine is chewing up the passenger front as well.

The shock appears to be this one: Shock - Gas Series 60 - Rear

Monroe Gas 60 series, NAPA part 66903

 

[jesusgatos]

Much longer life. Radials deform laterally, bias deform on the longitude. Since tread on the NDCC is rather blocky, this forces the blocks together and because they are rather large, there is a lot of scrub. Run them over white concrete and notice the tread marks left on the concrete, that is wear. Radials won't make much of a mark, unless you are turning.

Radials were just much harder to lay-up, the strength in a tire is from the cords which restrain the pressure. Rubber fills the gaps and resists wear.

Hmmm. Just bought a set of brand new 11.00 Firestone T831s and I haven't been able to find any posts about how well these newer radials are wearing.

 

[clinto]

Do not pull the inter-axle driveshaft so that the middle axle is doing the pushing. Do a search for Jwaller's post in a recent thread about transmission failures.

If you want to disconnect one of the rear axles, buy the lockout and double ended axle shaft and disconnect the middle axle.

 

[1stDeuce]

Bjorn, you run 70psi in the fronts on the highway?? Cool, I'm gonna do the same. At 50psi, the single 9's that I have in front still look pretty squashed!! It would seem that the more weight the center could carry, the better, as that's where all the rubber is.

My truck eats the pass side front tire too... probably too much toe, as it really drives nice!!

Looking forward to 11.00's!!
C