Herrin811

Need help with tire wear...40k on Hankook ATM's. Rear tires are cupping on the inside (photos). Rotated twice per year...No suspension mods...

Time for shocks? That's what I'm being led to believe. Pulled off 1 rear shock and I can compress it by hand, but it does rebound on its own...Not really sure how stiff they are supposed to be..80k on the shocks.. Thoughts?



(btw...This forum has saved me tons of cash by letting me find and fix problems...Haven't posted in a long time, but this forum is awesome! Thanks for all the help the past few years!!)

.boB

Cupping usually means something is bent or worn out, causing the wheel/tire to wobble a bit. Worn shocks can do that on the front, but not usually on the back. Make sure the springs shackles are tight, and the spring eye bushings are not worn out. When was the last time you had a 4 wheel thrust alignment done?

Since you rotate the tires regularly, why are the other two tires not the same? If all 4 tires spend the same amount of time/miles on front and rear, that might indicate a wheel/tire specific problem. Sometimes an out of balance or out of round tire can do that; or a bent rim.

With 80K miles on them, I would replace the shocks. You might be surprised at the ride improvement.

seafish

Worn shocks can in fact cause cupping and at 80k yours are likely worn out.

Herrin811

I did have to replace the front axle U-joints (left side twice). No other suspension work. Haven't "needed" an alignment as I haven't felt the truck pulling during driving or braking. I think I'm going to install Monroe Reflex's. Was going to go Bilstein but Reflex seems to be the #2 around here. Worried that Bilstein will be a bit too stiff for my liking. I don't tow heavy anymore.

As far as the shocks being worn, I just can't tell. No obvious signs like nosediving or bad bounce.

I will go over all suspension components and see what I find. Will rotate and monitor wear again. These Hankooks are wearing well, but they're 6 years old now. I'm already looking into a new set. Thinking 33x12.5 this time.

seafish

Unless there is a catastrophic failure, shocks are generally something that wear slowly, indeed imperceptibly…more often then not, one cannot often tell they are worn until after they are replaced and the "aha" moment comes…this is what the truck used to feel/handle like while being driven. Since the shocks are an integral part of what keeps the tires in contact with the road, tire cupping due to worn shocks can happen long before that moment.

All that being said, let us know what you find on closer inspection.