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Wear
Radial tires can exhibit three types of normal wear patterns:
1. Even
2. Erosion
3. Chamfer
Even wear is a sign that the tire is being properly used and maintained.
Erosion wear has also been called rolling wear, channel or river wear.
Erosion wear is found more often at free rolling tires. This is an
indication that the tire is being used in a slow wearing operation. What
happens is that the belt plies are held very rigid and the tread is not
allowed to distort as it passes through the contact area. Wear will only
occur at the edge of the tread. No corrective action required. If erosion
gets to be 1/16 inch (2 mm) or more, the tire may be rotated to a drive
axle.
Chamfer or shoulder wear, with tires inflated properly, is a normal
tendency of most radial tire designs. If both inside and outside shoulders
are wearing evenly around the tire, no further action is required.
Over-inflation is not effective in correcting this effect.
Tires: Irregular Wear
If irregular wear is present, check the axle alignment, tire pressure,
wheel balancing, shock and suspension component condition, and wheel
bearing end play.
This condition not only shortens tire life, but will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle, which is dangerous.
Rotating tires from one wheel position to another is a way often used to
even out many types of irregular wear or to avoid it altogether. Some of
the more effective tire rotation programs are:
• Steer tires that have developed some type of irregular wear pattern
can be rotated to drive axles if rib tires are being used on all wheel
positions. Applying steer tires to a drive position will often clean them
and they can be moved back to the steer axles or run out to re-tread
stage on the rear axle.
• Another rotation possibility for fleets with rib tires in all wheel
positions is to break in the new steer tires in the drive axle positions,
then move them to steer axles. This will wear away tread rubber
relatively quickly in the early life of a tire when it is most likely to
develop an unusual wear pattern.
• Drive axle tires may be placed on the other end of the same axle so
that direction of rotation is reversed. This is often helpful if a heel and
toe or alternate lug wear pattern has developed.
2011 F-650/750 (f67)
Supplement, 2nd Printing
USA (fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
235
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