85 K1500 front end/wheel problem ?!?!?!

[bucket]

Andy

I assure you I am NOT a "wimp". You keep saying there is more problems, and your basically (or atleast I am interpreting it) saying that the bad Tire was caused by another steering or suspention part. A busted cord is NOT caused from ANYTHING other then a Defect in the tire itself or foreign material in the roadway.

I have valued your opinions and your knowledge on this forum greatly. You have proven yourself to be VERY Knoledgeable in alot of different categories.

BUT IMHO If you have driven for weeks on tires worse then that at freeway speeds then I question your intellegence. I can understand hard finacial times More so then ALOT of other people on this Fourm. But I also realize that a broken cord is more then just "annoying" it is EXTREMELY dangerouse, not only to you but all the other motorist on the road. It is simply ignorance to jeapradise ANYONES life. That is 1 of the biggest reasons why Our state and alot of others require an Inspection prior liceeansing a vehichle.

I have had blow outs on alot of different vehichles from cars to 18 wheelers and NONE of them are any fun especially when your weighing 80,000 pulling a tanker.

No no, I don't think that the bad tire was a result of worn parts. I just think that the "uncontrollable shake", AKA Death Wobble, was a result of the bad tire AND worn front end part(s). A tire alone will never cause death wobble, there is ALWAYS going to be something else at least a little bit loose that is partially responsible.

Take my buddies old K5 for example. He had stock 31x10.5's on it and it drove absolutely fine. Then we mounted a set of old Wrangler RT's on it (like the military tire, but when they were still available in other sizes) that were knobby and wide, 31x13.5 I think. They were also out-of round bias plys. You could not (literally, could NOT) drive it at 30 mph because it had death wobble. It was not because of the tires, it was because of the tires AND a slightly loose tie rod. Replaced the tie rod and the truck drove fine again.

And yes, I was stupid for driving on those tires. Even though I was dirt poor and could not afford 15 bucks for a replacement tire, for whatever reason, I just didn't think that much of it at the time.

These days, I just see it on customers vehicles and THEY have been the ones driving them at freeway speeds. You wouldn't believe some of the tires I've seen come into that shop, I have actually taken pictures because it was so crazy, but I have since lost them. Our shop is known city-wide for specializing in suspension repair and we get a lot of business. A coworker has been there for almost 40 years and every now and then, we see something that even he has not seen before.

That is why I say to check the front end over really well. And even if nothing shows up, taking it to a good front end shop will turn something up. There is something else that will need tended to soon, I'd just about bet my truck on it.

 

[HotRodPC]

IN short, NO this front end is not in EXCELLENT condition. I'd call it GOOD condition at best, and moreso on the high side of FAIR condition. A sepereted tire can certainly cause a severe wobble, BUT, any worn suspension part will add to the wobble or be noticed, and become more prominate in a wobble situation.

It's all good though. I intend to swap tires off the 85K10 and the truck will drive just fine, straight as an arrow after I do that. When I do get a set of NEW tires, I'll consider looking over the front end suspension parts thoroughly and replace anything that is even close to marginal BEFORE I install NEW tires.

 

[bucket]

But why wait till later to see what needs replaced? Parts are cheap for these trucks and then you don't have to worry about it later. Driving with a loose part or two can often cause other parts to wear prematurely.

Might as well get your poop in a group now, IMHO.

 

[HotRodPC]

Because for now, I just want the truck running, and I'm hoping I'll be swapping in that air locker 3.73 front axle soon. If I do that, then yes, I probably will replace those parts at that time while I'll have it tore apart. I also may be doing a lift kit in the near future too, so why replace leaf spring bushings on springs I may not have for long. I get your point and agree, but until I KNOW FOR CERTAIN what the plans are. I don't have funds nor time to do things twice. The truck is safe, sound and sanitary as it is. It's not a new truck, so I'll rock with if for now.

 

[bucket]

OK, I thought you wanted to put those axles in a different truck. I can't keep track.

 

[HotRodPC]

OK, I thought you wanted to put those axles in a different truck. I can't keep track.

ANd I just might. I'd really like to put them in the 85K10 that currently has 3.08 peg leggers. This truck has 3.73 peg leggers now. I"m trying to nail my son down and see if he wants to build the 85K10 for himself or not. So, yeah, I'm still up in the air, but for now, I'll change the tires/wheels and drive it as is.

 

[HotRodPC]

***UPDATE***

I changed the tire with one of those off the K10. Took the K1500 for a drive. No wobbles or vibrations at all from 0-85+mph. Seems to have corrected the problem for now. Very weird how that happened just all of a sudden. It wasn't a hot day at all. The truck had sat, and I had maybe a mile on it from start up and it just started that death wobble right out of the blue. Must have just had a small hernia and then all at once it grew to the size of a soccer ball. It was even a bit of a chore to roll the tire by hand. Everytime it got to the bubble it wanted to lay over.