Tire Wearing

[96_Powerstroke_Diesel]

Hi guys, i have a 96 f350 with a powerstroke. And the outsides of the tires are wearing badly. Also when i turn a corner, i can hear a clunking sound. Any ideas?

[backwoodsboy]

Ball joints, tie-rod or wheel bearings. Could be any combination of the three.
Jack up the truck, and push/pull on the top/bottom of tires. Chances are you'll have some play. Have a buddy do the same thing while you crawl under the truck and see where the play is coming from. If you end up replacing either ball joints or tie-rods, do both. I've seen guys replace one or the other, and having the replace them both again after 5k.

[Aaron Berk]

2wd or 4wd?

Leaf or coil?


My 2wd coil sprung 97 made clunking noises on forward to reverse movements, and also on TIGHT parking lot type corners.

My radius and axle pivot bushings were almost non existent, after fixing those I now feel my bad ball joints and still hear a much less dramatic clunking.

I doubt wheel bearings, unless you also hear some type of grinding/squawking/scraping noises.

I'm shooting for bad ball joints on the OP's ride.

[backwoodsboy]

If his ball joints are worn to the extent they are causing abnormal tire wear, chances are his wheel bearings aren't far behind. Outer tire wear is a sign of toe in or camber issues, both of which increase axial loads on a bearing designed for a radial load. If it's going to be apart anyways, might as well spend $60 and 20 minutes to pack a new set of bearings with grease.
OP also has a D60, so the axle pivot bushing is a non-issue.

[Aaron Berk]

How did you catch the D60?
I missed that one.

[backwoodsboy]

Originally Posted by Aaron Berk

How did you catch the D60?
I missed that one.

He said he's got a '96 F350 in the original post.