Tire wear

[Frank NCenFL]

Just got back from a 1700 mile round trip to Maryland visiting grandchildren for the holidays. Other than truck starter problems (another story) and 20 inches of snow all was uneventful.

While setting up the camper in the driveway back home I noticed excessive and erratic tire wear on the drivers side tires. Passenger side still looks almost new. After my 1300 mile round trip Thanksgiving all of the tires still looked reasonably new. They have a total of about 8000 miles on them.

The drivers side wear is:
1. Overall significant compared to the passenger side
2. Almost bald on about one third of the tread surface (like a flat spot)
3. more so on the inside than the outside.

Tire pressure on all fours tires is between 64.5 and 65.5.

I have crawled underneath and everthing looks intact. I cannot see that there has been any shift in the axles or u-bolts.

I checked the hubs at every stop and they were never warm.

All tires are (made in China) Goodyear Marathons dated 5006 (50th week of '06).

Any suggestions?

[Festus2]

From what you have described, it doesnt appear as though the uneven tire wear is caused by under inflation. Usually, if the tires are under inflated, the tire will show wear on both edges. If there is any "cupping or dipping" on the worn side of the tire, it is most likely a sign of the tires being out-of-balance or a suspension problem. If the worn edges look "feathered" or have saw-tooth appearance on the edges, either on the inside or the outside, then I would suspect that you should have you need your alignment looked at. Misalignment is tough to spot by a visual check.

[Home away from home]

I had the same issue as you on my 2008 Montana 5th wheel. Turns out, the bolt that holds the leaf pack together on the rear axle (passenger side) had sheared the little nub at the bottom of the leaf pack off, the one that holds the axle in place front to back. The rear axle had slid back a few inches on the passenger side, causing the same wear you described (I have pics I can email). At first the dealer tried to pawn it off on me, stating aggressive driving, and no warranty coverage. I didn't like his answer, so I contacted Keystone myself, and they graciously covered the repairs. The dealer still tried to charge me small fees here and there for Service, but that's another story (I won't EVER go back to that dealer). Bottom Line: Check your axles and make sure they're in the proper position on the leaf springs.

Bob