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BFG AT tread cupping.. source? New shocks needed?
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jberger
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't see where you stated what kind of tire pressures your running.

In my experience, every aggressively lugged type tire I have ever seen on awd\4wd vans and trucks wear on the trailing edge of each lug. This is why they are cross rotated. The reason I ask of tire pressures is if the carcase of the tire is flexing more while rotating the cupping may be more pronounced over a shorter period of time.
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scubabrian
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've had these same tires on my van as well as on a couple of other Toyota 4x4's over the years. They have all cupped. I think the best you can do is make sure the alignment is good and rotate them frequently.
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Terry Kay
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Two reasons for front tire cupping, if all of your front end parts are guten tite.

Front end alignment, tire balancing.

If the front end is all good, have somebody with an alignment rack & tire balancer check this out.
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0to60in6min
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

when I bought my 89' syncro it came with an almost new (about 300 miles) set of BFG. After about 1000 miles the front tires started to show some cupping.

So.. I said ... aaargh...time for new shocks ...! ! (also they are kind of soft for my liking)

I put in a set of O.M.EMU + new tie rods + new ball joints + balance + alignment... and they are OK now...

hope this help
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rsbones
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As mentioned, I wonder if tire pressure may play a role. I think a lot of people run these tires too low. They support 1720 lbs. at 65psi so if you calculate it out, to get the 1323 and 1433 lbs. front and rear of a vanagon, you need 50 psi and 55 psi. (Personally I'm running 45 and 50 in a usually empty carat model. But don't have enough miles yet to report tire wear success or failure).
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OrganicMechanic
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 1:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bilsteins are rebuildable...
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boof1306
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The shockabsorbers would have to be rediculously bad to effect tyre wear. Your problem is all about alignment. It may be that you have worn suspension components that don't allow the van to hold its alignment. What I don't understand is how can your tech make a call on the shockers causing the wear without putting the van on the wheel alignment rig and checking it? If it were a balance problem you would feel a vibration at speed.
In short, check all ball joints, bearings and bushes. Align all four wheels and rotate regularly. A feathered edge is unavoidable with a tyre like a BFG on a vanagon but it will be a lot better if you do the above.
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davevickery
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 2:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It isn't the tire or something inherent in the van, except that they are now old and often a little beaten up. As I mentioned, I had very minimal cupping on my syncro, just enough to wonder about it and I looked at other vans/trucks with this tire, some had it, some didn't. After seeing it bad on other vans I felt better about mine and didn't take it any further.

I just checked my 14" BFGs that I have driven on for a while. They are 9.5/32 vs 16 new, so they would have cupped by now and they couldn't be straighter. That is a 2wd van in good condition.
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Terry Kay
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alignment / balancing--and last but not the least is prudent rotation of the lugger's or they have a preponerance of cupping out.

FOMCO twin I-Beam front ends are terrible on lugged tires-

Looking at one van that may be the same as your's and finding that some are cupped out & some are not, means one thing.
A few may have a tight & aligned front ends--and a few may not.

If the front end is plowing at all--just a hair--it'll eat them tires strange.
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bobhill8
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:02 am    Post subject: Re: BFG AT tread cupping.. source? New shocks needed? Reply with quote

My van was making a rotational wump, wump wump sound, and as usual, I didn't know what was causing it. I figured it was tire related though, so I took one of my BFG AT2's off - passenger front. Felt and saw the wear pattern on the outer edge. Hopefully you can see it in the pic toward the bottom.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Soon learned it was called feathering. Each individual tread was sloped dramatically. Did some more reading and decided the short term course of action was tire rotation. Should have been done long ago. Did the diagonal swap of all four and it is much quieter now - at least Vanagon quiet. I don't think I'm going to rush out and get an alignment - I've got some suspension work to do. Already have new Bilstien HD's. I'm sure it's old ball joints, bushings, etc.
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vanatic
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2020 10:46 am    Post subject: Re: BFG AT tread cupping.. source? New shocks needed? Reply with quote

Hmm. I've recently experienced feathering on the front, too. It began after I installed a new steering rack and alignment. All of my suspension components are new except for the springs and OMEs. I'm installing Fox adjustables so I'll be getting another alignment. Hopefully that solves it.
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