Tires cupping bad after only 3,000 miles

[jeep haller]

My 04.5 DMAX crew cab stock with only 265 all terrains and bilstines installed. During a stop for gas I notice severe cupping on the inside of the front tires with only 25000 miles on them and regurly rotated with little or no towing. I took it to a shop and found out both idler arms for the steering where worn out completely with only 75,000 miles on the truck. Both were replace and the tires rotated. After only 3,000 miles later the front tires were doing exactly the same thing in the same place. So I took it to a local alignment shop and had it checked and the alignment was within speck. They said that every thing was tite and the shocks looked good and the truck drives great. Know I don't know what to do. I could replace the shocks and see if that fixes it. Or the most dreaded option of all, taking it to the dealer. Any advice.

[Mark Rinker]

My '02 has started to cup the fronts at 235,000 miles. The ball joints are shot. So are the rear leaf springs and pin eye bushings. So are the shocks, which I put on 'only' 100K miles ago...I think the idler arms have been replaced at least once, but not in the last 100K...probably due as well.

In rare instances, I have seen the wrong size, yet brand new shocks for vehicle weight to cause cupping, when all other componants check out okay. Are you sure you have the right Bilsteins installed for your truck? Are you running the tires at correct tire pressure? If so, then my only remaining ideas would be:

Re-check upper and lower ball joints condition.
Check the adjustment of the front torsion bars. Have they ever been re-adjusted from factory? Are both adjustment bolts tight and in place? Does truck sit level side to side in the front?
Is there aftermarket weight carried by this truck in the form of additional fuel tanks, tool boxes, welders, etc.?
Cupping usually is a result of worn out springs and/or shocks. What kind of use has this truck seen in its 75K?

[jeep haller]

Thanks for the reply, I will check the ball joints but I would have hope the alignment shop would have check it. I think I will buy new shocks for the front and make sure they are the right ones and give that a try. I tow a light trailer 6000lbs but not in the last 4,000 miles, I keep 2-300 lbs of fuel and tools in the back. Air presser is good around 50lbs and the truck sits the same as the day I bought it with no adjustment to the torsion bars.

[beeler]

When I put a set of 265 Revos on the stock rims I had the same experience. Some treads are more prone to uneven wear and the rim that is too narrow for the tire makes it worse. I also run alot of gravel roads that probably doesn't help any. I went back to 245s and no more problems.

[mark45678]

When I put a set of 265 Revos on the stock rims I had the same experience. Some treads are more prone to uneven wear and the rim that is too narrow for the tire makes it worse. I also run alot of gravel roads that probably doesn't help any. I went back to 245s and no more problems.

Tire ballance? Beeler I am haveing some issues with my 265 revos , I only have 9K on them now Whats your take on the tire? If I can get 50K out of a set I will keep them but even with roadforce ballanceing they still have high speed shake and sound like woop woop woop..... For me 245 michelins for sure next time I am just trying to figure out if I should sell them now while there still is some value in them.

[SoTxPollock]

Hey, just because your shocks looked good, doesn't mean they are. If they are stock shocks, they were no good to begin with. Get some Bilsteins from Kennedy, you won't regret it.

[beeler]

I actually liked the way the Revos rode and handled. They were as smoth at speed as the Michelins that I went back to. Good traction on slick roads too. Mine were way over half gone when I ditched them at under 20k. A friend had them on wider rims and never ran gravel. His had more tread at over 30k than mine did at 10. I got rid of them then since the tire shop gave me some trade value.

I have never got over 40k out of a set of tires on the Dmax. Between my right foot and too much gravel it just doesn't happen. It has been my experience that if a set of tires won't balance up at least on of them is bad. Afriend that has been a front end man for 30 years says they happen in every brand, but that the Michelin and Bridgestone tend to have the least problems. His claim is that many balance problems are tires that are out of round and that an out of round or bent rim magnifies the problem.

[Burl]

Check the wheel bearing assembly. You can search here for examples but mine failed and the tires started to wear strange. Actually that was the first thing that cued me that there was a problem with the front wheel bearings.

[metman121]

Hmmm, sounds familiar.. Check the ball joints, chances are you have a camber problem that hopefully can be adjusted without replacing the ball joints (lower and uppers) and possibly tie-rods (inner and outers). Point your wheels straight ahead and look at your truck from the front about 25' away on level ground. You will have to look front on for each wheel using the side of your truck as a reference point. (if the wheel is in on the top, its a 'positive' camber, out is a 'negative' camber). Does your steering have lots of play/wondering?

Cheers!

Colin