Rear tires wearing quickly!

[JohnnyMac]

OP - Westlake tires are kind of the Craigslist specials in my neck of the woods. Many of the fly-by-night tire shops that are advertising a cheap set of AT's to get you in the door are selling Westlakes. I think they are a low budget Chinese tire and even though rated as such, are probably having trouble with 80psi and bulging in the center. That being said, I had a 2014 2500 and ran around Alaska for 56k miles on the stock crap tires filled to 80psi in the rear and they wore just fine. Were horrible in the snow, but wore same as front tires. When I replaced them with 35's in a mud terrain (cheap chinese tire) I had to drop to 55 because they were bulging/wearing in the middle.

On a side note, you can get alphaOBD or pay someone to change the cutoff for the TPS alarms to kill the idiot light when you run at a lower pressure.

 

[jejb]

I've followed this whole thread, plain and simple you are over inflated, Do the chalk test and drop them down when unloaded and 80psi loaded it must be bucking like a Bronco in the rear and in the front also.

As I mentioned, I almost never drive this truck unloaded. And it rides very well at the door sticker pressures while hauling, even down choppy gravel roads. Actually, the ride is pretty good even in the little bit of unloaded driving I've done with it at those pressures.

 

[jejb]

OP - Westlake tires are kind of the Craigslist specials in my neck of the woods. Many of the fly-by-night tire shops that are advertising a cheap set of AT's to get you in the door are selling Westlakes. I think they are a low budget Chinese tire and even though rated as such, are probably having trouble with 80psi and bulging in the center.

Yeah, it seems likely that you are correct. When I first got the truck and saw those no name tires on there, I thought "these probably won't last long". But I did some research and they get good reviews. Not that I'd buy a set from my own money, but I figured I'd at least get a few years out of them.

On a side note, you can get alphaOBD or pay someone to change the cutoff for the TPS alarms to kill the idiot light when you run at a lower pressure.

I've been reading about alpha for a while. I'd probably go that route. Thanks.

 

[John KIOhio]

Stock Firestone's are throw away tires. Last 3 trucks didn't get 20 K out of them. Switched to Cooper AT3's and get 30 plus. The Cooper AT3 XLT do a little better.

 

[Jim Bowker]

Respectfully, I gotta call BS on this one. Consuming 2/3 of your tire's tread in 7,000 miles under normal use is not in any way normal, regardless of what people say.

So OP you bought this used with 14k, and they had already replaced the tires once. Now 7k later, they are well through the tread life on this 2nd set.
Either the "new" tires they put on were already somewhat worn (and just overlooked), or you have an issue.

I'd rotate front to back, and see if it happens again. If it does, there's an issue with the truck. If it doesn't, the dealer didn't use tires with full tread life.

 

[jejb]

Respectfully, I gotta call BS on this one. Consuming 2/3 of your tire's tread in 7,000 miles under normal use is not in any way normal, regardless of what people say.

So OP you bought this used with 14k, and they had already replaced the tires once. Now 7k later, they are well through the tread life on this 2nd set.
Either the "new" tires they put on were already somewhat worn (and just overlooked), or you have an issue.

Exactly why I started this thread, to see if there was some known issue that would cause this, like some kind of alignment or adjustment of the air suspension or something. And the tires were all in the same condition when we got the truck, new. I got up close and personal with them installing my mud flaps.

But as far as them putting on new tires, I think that is somewhat standard on certified pre-owned vehicles. Everyone we've ever purchased has had new tires on it. So it is possible they put on budget tires that just can't take 80psi use, even though that's what they're rated for.

I'd rotate front to back, and see if it happens again. If it does, there's an issue with the truck. If it doesn't, the dealer didn't use tires with full tread life.

That may be what the dealer recommends/does. But since it's under warranty still, I'm going to take it in as-is.

 

[OLEJOE]

You need to take it to a real alignment shop that does a full 4 wheel alignment. Your truck could be dog tracking some where the rear is not in alignment with the front and extra weight will compound the problem. Lowering the air pressure in the tires will help and you need to find an air pressure chart for your particular tires. The factory Firestone tires on my truck can be let down to 35 psi and are still capable of supporting over 4000 lbs. I run 55 psi front and 40 on the rear cold and unloaded. I have a 7000 lb TT I pull with WDH and raise the rear to 70. With only 14000 miles the tires still look like new. I’m betting you have a thrust angle problem with the rear wearing more than the front. It is adjustable to a point with the link rear suspension.

 

[jejb]

You need to take it to a real alignment shop that does a full 4 wheel alignment. Your truck could be dog tracking some where the rear is not in alignment with the front and extra weight will compound the problem. Lowering the air pressure in the tires will help and you need to find an air pressure chart for your particular tires. The factory Firestone tires on my truck can be let down to 35 psi and are still capable of supporting over 4000 lbs. I run 55 psi front and 40 on the rear cold and unloaded. I have a 7000 lb TT I pull with WDH and raise the rear to 70. With only 14000 miles the tires still look like new. I’m betting you have a thrust angle problem with the rear wearing more than the front. It is adjustable to a point with the link rear suspension.

Thank you! That is great information. Hoping the dealer can handle the alignment check.

 

[mtwofeathers]

When you are not carrying a load or towing what pressure do you run the tires at? I have a 2018 3/4 ton and I run the rear at 65 and front at 60. Less of a jolt riding around town and was told by several shops to do this because running at 80 will increase treadwear.

I run 50 front and 40 rear when empty, when towing I run 60 frony and 75 rear. Mine run evenly across the tread, I average 45,000 miles on all terrain tires. I carry a airpump because I drop my tires down low here in the desert when in 4x4

 

[bm02tj]

Go to a good shop and ask for them to check and give you the print out before you go to dealer
and lower your tire pressure
Good luck

 

[OLEJOE]

Go to a good shop and ask for them to check and give you the print out before you go to dealer
and lower your tire pressure
Good luck

I absolutely agree with this. I don’t know your dealer but from everything I’ve heard and seen, the dealer will more likely tell you it’s within specs and not do any adjustments. The alignment shop I use gives a print out of b4 and after and they adjust all of it that can be done and not just the toe-in. They are cheaper in the long run by setting everything right like it is supposed to be.

 

[George Anderson]

I absolutely agree with this. I don’t know your dealer but from everything I’ve heard and seen, the dealer will more likely tell you it’s within specs and not do any adjustments. The alignment shop I use gives a print out of b4 and after and they adjust all of it that can be done and not just the toe-in. They are cheaper in the long run by setting everything right like it is supposed to be.

 

[George Anderson]

Pressure and Temparature are directly proportional to each other. Also rotate tires regularly. Alignment regularly and Suspension Inspection is time well spent.

 

[jejb]

Update. I installed a full set of Mich Defender LTX's about 3 weeks ago. I kept the old Westlake tires, as I've opened a claim with the company. I don't expect it to go anywhere, but figured if I could get a new pair, I'd turn around and sell them. The tires off the rims are surprisingly flimsy for E rated tires.

Had an alignment done at a reputable shop in my area after the new tires were installed. Got the before and after printouts. Nothing was way off, and the rear alignment was almost dead on. But they did grind the weld off and get it all into spec.

I guess I'll just have to chalk this up to crappy tires. I think all the reviews I read about them must have been for the non-E rated ones. Pretty disappointing to only be able to get 7K miles out of a set of gently driven tires, but it is what it is.

 

[Wes Veness]

Update. I installed a full set of Mich Defender LTX's about 3 weeks ago. I kept the old Westlake tires, as I've opened a claim with the company. I don't expect it to go anywhere, but figured if I could get a new pair, I'd turn around and sell them. The tires off the rims are surprisingly flimsy for E rated tires.

Had an alignment done at a reputable shop in my area after the new tires were installed. Got the before and after printouts. Nothing was way off, and the rear alignment was almost dead on. But they did grind the weld off and get it all into spec.

I guess I'll just have to chalk this up to crappy tires. I think all the reviews I read about them must have been for the non-E rated ones. Pretty disappointing to only be able to get 7K miles out of a set of gently driven tires, but it is what it is.

Or they were just over inflated... You said you rotated them and yet there was no wear on the front in the pictures shown...

 

[jejb]

Or they were just over inflated... You said you rotated them and yet there was no wear on the front in the pictures shown...

They were never over inflated. I removed the tires within 500 miles of rotating them.

 

[Gr8bawana]

They were never over inflated. I removed the tires within 500 miles of rotating them.

Yes they were overinflated. In post #20 You say you ran them at 80psi. So you may get a longer life out of you new Mich Defender tires but the rear tires are still going to wear out in the center from over inflation. Unless your tires are carrying their maximum load they will be over inflated at 80psi.
You are a stubborn one.

 

[jejb]

Yes they were overinflated. In post #20 You say you ran them at 80psi. So you may get a longer life out of you new Mich Defender tires but the rear tires are still going to wear out in the center from over inflation. Unless your tires are carrying their maximum load they will be over inflated at 80psi.
You are a stubborn one.

Maybe your advice is good to heed if you don't buy good tires, but I've run the Mich's on all our trucks for a lot of years. The 3/4tons are almost always at 80psi. Same with whatever the OEM tires were on our 3/4tons over the years. Never any undue wear. Only on these Chinese Westlakes. I think I'll go with my personal experience, thanks.

 

[jejb]

BTW, I never mentioned that I did do the chalk test on the westlakes on the rear axle, before and and after rotating. They wore evenly at 80psi. Just junk tires in the E rating.

 

[Ohio5pt7]

You clearly have all the answers so why ask for input

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