Tire wear

[sargentrs]

Need a little help diagnosing from you front end doctors. Passenger side front tire is bald as a cucumber on the outside 2". Remainder of the tire tread has worn evenly. Driver's side has even wear all the way across. I know I've got a problem, just don't know where to start. Obivously, she's leaning out hard on the passenger side. Before I take it to a front end shop and have them charge me my first born child, thought I'd ask the experts. What do you think? Kingpins? or just bushings? How do you check?

[l1k2gadd]

Put a floor jack under the right I-Beam and lift the tire off of the ground. Grasp the tire on the top and the bottom and see if the wheel pushes in and out. If not, try grasping the tire on each side (3:00 and 9:00 positions) and do the same thing.

When you find the play in the wheel take a look behind the wheel as you are pushing and pulling on the wheel.

This is how I found that my kingpins were bad, BUT my tires were worn on the inside, real bad.

[Banjo]

I went through whole front end rebuild (all) and in hindsight, I should have just tried changing the drag link/tie rod end (whatever they're called). When I got mine off, you could shake it real hard and they'd rattle. New ones are very firm and require considerable effort to move at all. You might try cleaning out and greasing your kingpins and front end first to see if helps. Kingpins have caps, top and bottom, you can take off and scrape all old congealed grease out and blow old grease out of zeirdt fittings. A $20 harbor freight air powered grease gun sure is handy.

[AlleyCat]

Sarge, check all of the suspension while you're under there.A broken rear spring can make it lean to one side.This in turn throws the geometry of the front suspension out of line.

[Nausea]

Rotten bushings up front can change the geometry.

[sargentrs]

thanks guys! All good info. That's what I was looking for.