toe issue i think

[marc vav]

i have a 2002 st. and I love it. got 58000 on it.

I am having a issue with the inside line of treads (about 1.5 in.)wearing on my front tires.

have new sensa trac shocks and have the EE sway since new.



I have read that this is a toe in out issue? Is this true? truck drives straight as an arrow. no pulling.

the steering wheel is centered too.

what would cause this? Toe in or toe out? which way am i out of spec? been doing it for 25000 miles or so, i have just been rotating to get even wear .



I also would like to thank all on this site . the info i have gathered here is priceless. I have been looking here since i bought my trac in 02. done many projects with all your posts and help. thanks again., marc

 

[Tom Schindler]

I am having a issue with the inside line of treads (about 1.5 in.)wearing on my front tires.

Lower your air pressure to the recomended PSI. Your tires are over inflated.



Use the Ford recomended pressure, not the tire manufacturer maximum PSI!





Tom

 

[Eric Pennal]

He said the inside line of the treads - not the center line. What he's describing wouldn't be caused by over-inflation, IMO.



Could these symptoms possibly be corrected with a camber adjustment?

 

[EddieS'04]

could be too much negative camber or too much toe out...most likley the camber...

 

[Richard L]

tire tread wearing on the edges is caused by underinflation, tire wear down the center of the tread is overinflation. Neither of which are Marc's problem.



It could be a toe isssue, but I feel that Fast Eddie is correct. It is more likely a negative camber issue.



Vehicles with torsion-bar suspension like the Sport Trac have a tendancy to settle a bit like most vehicles do. This has the same effect as turning the torsion bar adjusting screws to lower the vehilce. If the Tortion Bar adjusting screws are turned to lift the vehicle back to the stock height the camber will go back into the proper settings. That's pretty much why Ford does not include adjustable camber bolts/nuts. If you want your vehicle to ride lower or higher you need the camber adjusters, but if you are happy with the stock ride height, you only need to readjust the torsion bars.



...Rich

 

[Tom Schindler]

Still running the Goodyear Wrangler RT/S tires?





Tom

 

[P M]

If the inside is wearing more than the rest it indicates the toe is incorrectly set. The tires are pointing outwards ever so slightly. If both the inner and outer edges were wearing excessively, or the center, then psi may be the culprit.

 

[marc vav]

pressure is always at 34 ft & rear. Tires are firestone firehawk indy 500. goodyears died after 19000 mi with the same inside wear problem. i just changed the shocks from the factory junkos about 1000mi ago......why did i wait so long?:blink::wacko: duh da duh think carlos menica:wacko:

when you say inflate to fords rec. pressure is that the pressure listed in gas filler door?

 

[Travis Munday]

My guess would be a little toe, a little camber...although toe is more likely. Take it to get aligned, cheaper then new tires. As always, rotate your tires on every oil change and check tire pressures at least once a month.

 

[Richard L]

Caymen,

Yes, I still have my Goodyear's. 23K miles and no problems except for one flat about 4 months ago. Thanks for asking.



...Rich

 

[Tom Schindler]

Richard, I am glad I dumped my Wrangler RT/S's and wished I did sooner. All problematic tire wear is gone.







Marc, sounds like you need an alignment. You best bet is installing camber washers and then taking it to get aligned.



Originally when you said "inside line of treads" I read that as this part of the tire...

[Broken External Image]:



See how the tread has a line in the middle, or the "Inside line of treads".







Tom

 

[marc vav]

thanks, @ tom what does a camber washer look like and where does it get installed? where to buy too? thanks.

 

[Tom Schindler]

A camber washer is an ecentric washer (in other words, there is a hole it the washer that is offset. The bolt has a flat spot on it, and the washer does too. To set the camber, you turn the head of the bolt, and the washer sets the position of the bolt setting the camber.



You can get the washers at the dealer.



You are better off buying and installing the washers yourself. Some alignment shops try to charge you $100.00 to install them. You could call around and see how much they would charge.



There is a member project about installing camber bolts. Installing the washers is the same thing since you have to remove the bolts to install the washers.





Tom

 

[Richard L]

Tom & marc,

Sorry if I misunderstood that you meant by the "Inside" of the tire. I thought you were speaking about the the inside edge of the tire, not down the center of the tread.



...Rich

 

[Gavin Allan]

My interpretation was the same as Rich's.



"inside tread" sounds like the the inside of the tire.



"center tread" sounds like the center of the tread.

 

[marc vav]

how do you adjust the torsion bars? and thanks caymen.

 

[Tom Schindler]

There is a bolt that applies tension on the torsion bars. Michelle posted a Project on how to lower a Trac, to lift the front you turn the bolts in the opposite direction.



http://www.mysporttrac.com/mysporttrac/projects/HowtoLowerYourST.PDF



Another by LaRue.



http://www.mysporttrac.com/mysporttrac/projects/lowered/lowproj.htm



Here is a project from Derek about installing camber bolts. If you get the washers from Ford, you can follow this project but instead of using the bolts, you just replace the washers on the bolts instead of the bolts.



http://www.mysporttrac.com/MySportTrac/projects/AftermarketCamberAdjusterInstallation/AftermarketCamberAdjusterInstallation.htm



Any other questions you might have, please feel free to ask here or email me directly. I am more then willing to help you or ony other members out. If you lived close to me, you would be more then welcomed to use my tools and my help to do anything you need to do.





Tom