very bad "cupping" on drive side front tire
 

Hey ya'll...I dont post much but i read a lot and have learned a ****load..cool..

Anyway, my 2001 Ranger 4.0L has a problem with the front DS tire...it is cupped very badly and when I drive i can hear the "cup drone"(like a WUB WUB WUB WUB WUB WUB sound)everywhere I go...

my front PS tire is fine..so I dont think it is aligment issue...I think it may be something in thes teering..like a tie rod or something?!?...when i make u turns I hear an occasional knocking sound and can feel it in the steering wheel and it feels like it is coming from that DS wheel.

I am not 100% familiar with these trucks and the whole torsion bar suspension in the front, so any help would be great...thanks a lot
Erik

RE: very bad "cupping" on drive side front tire
 

anyone??

I was thinking it may be as simple as a balance issue??

I just asked to see if it is problemticwith the rangers...
Thanks

RE: very bad "cupping" on drive side front tire
 

Cupping the inside/outside?

Cupping can be caused from a variety of problems.. Cupping 'sometimes' is confused with side/edge wear.. Bad shocks/struts and balancing are usually a cause for cupping, or a combined cause.. Road contact is what wears out our tires.. So,, that being said "a tire will wear, accordingly to the road contact it makes"..so, if you have "cupping" then the tire is literally "bouncing" down the road..creating high/low spots (cupping). But alignment ortracking issues, poor inflation, and not enough tire rotations can contribute.. Worn ball joints/neg camber, pos camber, incorrect toe ect. as well as incorrect spring/torsion load can generate edge/side wear..

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RE: very bad "cupping" on drive side front tire
 

NEEDS ALIGNMENT.
DAVE

RE: very bad "cupping" on drive side front tire
 

Several thingscould cause this. Jack up that wheel (place jack where it will "unload" the torsion bar) and have someone wiggle the wheel around in all directions. Use a prybar under the wheel if you're by yourself. Look at the balljoints and the area between the wheel and the hub for looseness in the wheel bearings. My guess is you have a problem here. If not, have someone wiggle the steering wheel while you look at the steering linkage. If you see any slop, it's bad. Check your shock at that wheel for leaking oil too. Replace if it looks wet. If it all looks good, take it in for an alignment.