Front tire wear.

[vtdeucedriver]

Hey guys.

Finally did my 1st big trip for our MV Club Rally. I took the M151 and did over 200 mi this weekend. Now I have discovered a issue with the right front tire wearing FAST!!! It was not the greatest on tread before I left but now I got a bald tire!! Anyone have a good quick method on checking alignment??? She does not pull as far as I notice and I jacked it up and nothing seems loose at all in the steering end. Any ideas and suggestions appreciated. Trying to get her to a rally in NH at the end of the month and I would like to drive it as were working on a back road convoy to the rally.

[rickf]

Toe in is real simple and can be done with a tape measure. Measure across the front of the tires at the highest bulge on the inner sidewall between the two tires. Do the same thing at the rear of the front tires. You want the front measurement to be 1/16 - 0 inches smaller than the rear. 1/16 is ideal. Try to get as close to the center of the tire top to bottom on both the front and rear measurement. You will not be able to get exact center because of tie rods and suspension arms. I think this is the measurement you are going to find is off. Try that first before I really confuse you with camber and caster adjustments.

Rick

P.S. Make sure all of your tie rods and ball joints are tight.

[vtdeucedriver]

Toe in is real simple and can be done with a tape measure. Measure across the front of the tires at the highest bulge on the inner sidewall between the two tires. Do the same thing at the rear of the front tires. You want the front measurement to be 1/16 - 0 inches smaller than the rear. 1/16 is ideal. Try to get as close to the center of the tire top to bottom on both the front and rear measurement. You will not be able to get exact center because of tie rods and suspension arms. I think this is the measurement you are going to find is off. Try that first before I really confuse you with camber and caster adjustments.

Rick

P.S. Make sure all of your tie rods and ball joints are tight.

Thanks rick, will check it as soon as it stops raining.

[rickf]

What a wuss!

[vtdeucedriver]

Well I guess I could lay in the mud and do it too........................would be a bit more authentic if I did

[vtdeucedriver]

Rick,
Did a quick check, was hard to do with only one soldier so I will confirm my findings when soldier 2 gets home (soldier 2 in this episode will be played by my wife). But as it looks right now, its tow'd in more than a 1/16th but its not a 1/4. If its in too much will you see a quicker wear on the inside 1/2 of the tire???? That seems to be the case for both front tires, only the right is going FAST!!

[rickf]

Wear on the inside is usually a toe out condition but caster and camber can come into play also. You also have a non-adjustable setting called Ackerman angle. That is the amount of turn that the inside tire will be more than the outside tire to compensate for the smaller turning circle on the inner tire. That will only be out if something is bent or worn. You can theoretically do a full caster and camber and toe in alignment at home but there is a LOT of math involved. You can get cheapo tools to help out but it is usually just easier to get the specs from the -20 and got to an alignment shop.


Rick

[vtdeucedriver]

Stopped at my local midas to see if the would mess with the M151. I talked to the exp mechanic that I have dealt with before on my civie vehicles. I am going to bring it to him in a couple of weeks. Were going to figure it out. Had to laugh, the guy at the desk thought it was a CJ and said that it should be no problem with a standard leaf spring:) Boy was he suprised when I told him that he was wrong.