Ever since you mentioned the lower pressures you run in the front axles I decided to tweak with mine a bit and adjust a few things like sector adjustment on the steering gear box now. This is the best the truck has ran from steering now. It very stable and tracks well now with no sawing action now. So I wanted to say "Thank You" to Wild & Free because my truck is very enjoyable to drive now and doesn’t require all those crazy mods like steering box brace or 3rd gen track bar. All factory front end parts!

Some times its the simple things that work the best. Took me a few years to find the all around sweet spot in pressures that all my 2500's with E rated tires like on the front end. Set it and leave it on the fronts unless one had a slide in camper would change it up though, rear changes with load.

 

It would do even better if you max out the control arm caster cams to get as much positive caster as possible.

Mike, my 2nd gen track bar was worn, loose and clunking at the upper bushing at only around 35k miles. At that point my truck had not hauled the camper much. 3rd gen track bar has a beefier upper mounting and bushing. I cannot explain the premature track bar wear I had as compared to yours.

Also when you 'saw' the wheel back and forth, at a stand still, the frame flexed at the steering box mount area on the frame. plus you can see the pitman arm shaft coming out of the steering box moving about. Doesn't that place extra stress on the bearings?

Just little things I've done has extended the life span of the front end. Like power steering flushing, adjustment of the gear box, using a grease needle and injecting grease in the joints without zerks, tire pressures, size smaller tires, etc. 242k miles now and only replaced the ball joints and the track bar. Not bad. JAG1 you'll see when you get down here.

I wish I was still so much a go getter. That's good to be so diligent about your truck. Can't wait to get on the road to your place too.

What front pressure are you running?

Front tires at 53 PSI which is my calculated pressure minus 5 PSI. This is figuring on 4410 front axle weight.

 

Rear tires at 39 PSI which is my calculated pressure minus 5 PSI. This is figuring on 3340 rear axle weight.

 

http://articles.mopar1973man.com/general-cummins/35-exterior/354-tire-inflation-formula

 

Single Tire: (Axle Weight / 2) / Tire Capacity weight x Tire Max Pressure = Inflation Pressure

 

So your pressure requirement will vary from tire size, tire capacity, etc. So make sure to do the math first before just attempting to use my numbers. I've got both sets of numbers already for fully loaded and empty truck.

Front tires at 53 PSI which is my calculated pressure minus 5 PSI. This is figuring on 4410 front axle weight.

 

Rear tires at 39 PSI which is my calculated pressure minus 5 PSI. This is figuring on 3340 rear axle weight.

 

Why do you subtract 5 PSI?

Why do you subtract 5 PSI?

 

Because Wild & Free mention his tire pressure are set for 50 PSI in the front axle. So doing this systematically I figure I would drop 5 PSI front and rear and see how things ran from there. Hence I I made this thread thanking Wild & Free for the stated pressure. Because over-inflating does create wandering and instability issues. Even at calculated pressure it just a bit too high. But now drop the 5 PSI off and it very smooth and stable. Let got of the wheel and even the trucker ruts don't pull it around.

 

I would rather figure out the cause of a issue that buying a bunch of mods to resolve a issue. (3rd Gen Track Bar, Steering box brace, etc.) So what I've done is returned a 12 year old truck back to like new with simple fixes than high dollar mods. I like free things don't you!?

Plus you have to figure in as much as 5 psi variable in different el-cheapo pressure gauges as well. I only buy high quality industrial dial gauge type tire pressure gauges and I usually see 1-2 psi difference between them and the gauge on my compressor itself.

I have never found a stick type pressure checker I was confident in as far as accuracy.

I also use a dial tire pressure gauge and it's right on the money for the most part.

 

Have you hit them with a heat gun after a drive?

Since I have issues with wandering...  ought to start with tire pressure.   

Have you hit them with a heat gun after a drive?

I did a few times years ago and even with no load on the rears at the same to +-15 lbs more air rears were always at higher temps than the fronts by a few degrees but not enough to make a big difference.

I must be doing something right as I have gotten 80K on average out of almost every "E" rated tire brand I have tried and this is with a lot of gravel and trailer towing.

Have you hit them with a heat gun after a drive?

 

I might try that tomorrow when I roll into work. I'll grab the heat gun.

I have noticed that running too high a pressure you wander more. But too low a pressure, it feels life your driving through mud and fuel mileage sucks.

How hot does a tire get before blowing?

That is something I have yet to do, caster and tire pressure.  I believe the wheels were off a gasser, so who know what kind of pressure he set them too.

I did a few times years ago and even with no load on the rears at the same to +-15 lbs more air rears were always at higher temps than the fronts by a few degrees but not enough to make a big difference.

I must be doing something right as I have gotten 80K on average out of almost every "E" rated tire brand I have tried and this is with a lot of gravel and trailer towing.

 

 

I know that if I drop my front's below 60 they get real hot, and real quick. It's a slick road condition pressure for me NTE 45-50 mph.

 

With an empty truck the fronts are always hotter than the rears, by enough to be noticeable to my hand and that can be with 65/40 on pressure.

 

I'd love to get 80K out of ANY tire.. hell I'd be happy with 50K miles. But 18-20k lbs GCW on steep/winding gravel roads just eats tires even with soft driving. Pressure isn't my issue, it's application. I can guarantee that if you were to follow me around with the same weight for 30-50K miles your tires would be done.

If I had to run 60 pounds or more in the fronts I would need to buy stock in Loctite and invest in my own alignment rack to keep everything held together on the rig with our road conditions we have along with needing to replace my spine and teeth from being pounded out along with it.

 

 

Fastest thing that eats any and all tires is being wet. Driving on wet gravel is the fastest way to kill a tire hands down. Like adding oil to a razor blade makes them get cut up sooooo much easier than dry conditions.

 

The only times I ever saw my front tires hotter than the rears during normal driving was while driving around town with constant start stops and the transfer of brake heat to the wheels and tires.

 

I have to admit after I thought about it I only got 60K out of the last set of tires on my 2010 1500 but it sees about 50+-% of its miles on gravel as a DDer to and from work, about 200 miles of gravel a week with going to the farm on the weekends on top of the work commute. I rarely tow with it on gravel either, it mainly pulls the travel trailer and  pontoon in the summer, maybe pulls a pickup box trailer with fire wood on occasion on gravel, most of the gravel towing is with the 05 with the gooseneck flatbed and stock trailer.

60 psi on your 05 makes it that bad?

60 psi on your 05 makes it that bad?

Makes a huge difference, With all the washboards and potholes on the gravel and the frost joints and potholes in the pavement every 100 feet makes for a miserable trip not to mention it jumps and hops around so bad it is hard to keep in a straight line, pretty much like running with solid blocked suspension, this is another reason I like long boxes versus short boxes, they are a bit more stable and don't get as squirley as the short box in these conditions.

 

Another reason I have never gotten more than 50K out of a set of shocks no matter what brand, Rancho 5000 never made it past 35K from the half dozen set I ran in the past. Now trying Bilstein for the first time on the 2010 1500 and will try them on the 05 sometime this year as the KYB on there have set a record for me of around 50K right now but the rears are shot.