Front Tires going bald faster than me!

[DB2]

K here comes my ignorance with the chev ifs system. The tires are just wasting away and when I turn they skip a little like the 4wd is locked up but I have checked the actuator and it works fine and I can feel in the actuator cylinder that it is disengaging. Also I've taken off the front driveshaft and it still is doing it. What am I missing? Maybe something with the hubs? Anyway thanks for the help.

 

[ak diesel driver]

may sound stupid but have you checked the alignment?

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Is there any slack in it?

 

[DB2]

Sorry forgot to mention that, alignment was just done on it recently and still feels good and I just went through and replaced anything worn in the front end (control arm bushings, ball joints, idler and pitman) I really think that it has to do with the 4wd somehow I just don't have much experience with the ifs systems

 

[jrsavoie]

We have new 17" takeoffs from a new 4 door Tahoe on our 2 door Tahoe. The tires are not heavy enough & are not rated for enough air pressure. The fronts are wearing fast.

What is the load range of your tires?

 

[3500GMC]

Hoist the front, see if the diff works/spins.. Could be locked somehow?

 

[racedaymechanic]

Sorry forgot to mention that, alignment was just done on it recently and still feels good and I just went through and replaced anything worn in the front end (control arm bushings, ball joints, idler and pitman) I really think that it has to do with the 4wd somehow I just don't have much experience with the ifs systems

Just because someone did an alignment doesnt mean its right, I have checked countless vehicles after they were "Aligned" and they were way off, check this out
http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/showthread.php?35698-Front-End-alignment-on-a-GMT400-%28or-any-vehicle%29

 

[DB2]

So I jacked up the front and both tires spin independently of one another and the front driveshaft yoke (have driveshaft off now) does not spin meaning the 4wd does not appear to be engaged right? Just to recount, the issue is when turning the front tires disagree and want to hop. (I thought the 4wd was locked up but now I dunno) it goes arrow straight down the road and I sat there and watched them do the alignment and saw all the numbers so I know it's good. Any more ideas. I do have some black steel wheels on it and a 4" tuff country lift.

 

[schiker]

What kind of tires are they? I had some mudders that wore badly. If big lugs and develop a bad wear pattern it snowballs and will wear the front parts hard. How did this problem come to a head over time and now addressing or more sudden? How did it drive before problem and what seems to be the last thing that changed?

I'd recheck the idler especially and other parts even though new might be a lemons out of the box. Is it a sudden give or loose spot in steering wheel in a curve (idler)?

Could rear be loose then fight front alignment when turning? What exactly do you feel driving highway, bumpy, ruts, curves, and straight?

 

[Brooklyn Tow]

Like asked above......Are you Tracking correctly?.....Your sig says 2" rear spacers.

Can you go back to your old wheels/tires and see what happens?

 

[tanman_2006]

Like asked above......Are you Tracking correctly?.....Your sig says 2" rear spacers.

Can you go back to your old wheels/tires and see what happens?

I agree that putting the stockers and remove the spacers might be where to start.

My 06 rears can lock together and make my fronts skip on hard lock, this is fairly normal for the newer trucks and I personally like it since i'm off road alot. Maybe you should be checking your rear end out.

My 93 dually does the same but with the big flat bed, oversized mud tires, and duals the rear that makes plenty of traction to push the front around.

 

[3500GMC]

Ya know, now that I think about it, I'm going bald faster than my tires...

Care to trade? :hihi:

 

[btfarm]

Changing the attitude of the chassis (levelling front to back) can have a serious amount of effect on caster which will wear quite a bit. Could it be the alignment guy didn't pay much attention to caster?
When I bought my last 2 trucks and cranked the bars/replaced tires the first day I had them the only thing severely out of alignment spec on either one was the caster.

 

[schiker]

I did n't think caster necessarily caused tire wear usually. But thought it affects turning stability and might be a problem if excessive. Especially if large tires and a flexing suspension. Most shops have recommended me not to mess with it. On the gmt400 you have to buy a kit and bust out a tab or something. And someone told me once adjusted its not as stable???

 

[tanman_2006]

Thats a lie. In my experience its only late 80's and early 90's with the knock outs. Ive had both my 93 and 95 in and both only took 20 minutes to change the caster and the alignment on my 95 has 40K on its alignment and fully cranked Tbars and it runs as true as could be, even after some hard offraod miles.

 

[DB2]

Like asked above......Are you Tracking correctly?.....Your sig says 2" rear spacers.

Can you go back to your old wheels/tires and see what happens?

I think you confused schiker's sig with mine, I don't have spacers. And I would put the old tires back on except I mounted the new ones on my only set of wheels and I dont want to go through the hassle of remounting the old ones.

Changing the attitude of the chassis (levelling front to back) can have a serious amount of effect on caster which will wear quite a bit. Could it be the alignment guy didn't pay much attention to caster?
When I bought my last 2 trucks and cranked the bars/replaced tires the first day I had them the only thing severely out of alignment spec on either one was the caster.

They are comparable to BFG all terrains. I dont remember well what the caster numbers were but they seemed okay at the time.

Could it be something possibly with the hubs not disengaging? I am unfamiliar with how the automatic hubs work on these trucks, but maybe it's locked up somehow that lifting up the front and turning the tires wouldn't reveal? Just shooting from the hip here. I really appreciate the help so far as well.

 

[NVW]

Could it be something possibly with the hubs not disengaging? I am unfamiliar with how the automatic hubs work on these trucks, but maybe it's locked up somehow that lifting up the front and turning the tires wouldn't reveal? Just shooting from the hip here. I really appreciate the help so far as well.

Lock up takes place in the front diff.