Rear tires wearing more than front?

[garyp285]

2018 2500 4x4 Ram, 11,500 miles, 4,000 towing 10k FW, Firestone Transforce AT 285-60-20
I can definitely see more wear on the rear tires, and no cupping at all on the front. I have never seen this on previous trucks, and is the cause of this running TH with the EB all the time. I also have not rotated them, but will do that soon. Fronts have 13/32, and rears have 9/32. Thanks

 

[AEdelheit]

Could be too much tire pressure , if you have enough to keep the tire pressure light off its way too much when unloaded and will increase tire wear.

 

[Ozymandias]

I use always and since ever more tire on the drive axle then on the steer axle.
is this not usual?

 

[leonandlisa]

My rear tires wear faster than my fronts due to the weight when towing. If those towing miles are in hot weather or decent grades the tires doing the work will wear faster. Unloaded, the fronts take more abuse.

That is my experience.

 

[Cummins2014]

2018 2500 4x4 Ram, 11,500 miles, 4,000 towing 10k FW, Firestone Transforce AT 285-60-20
I can definitely see more wear on the rear tires, and no cupping at all on the front. I have never seen this on previous trucks, and is the cause of this running TH with the EB all the time. I also have not rotated them, but will do that soon. Fronts have 13/32, and rears have 9/32. Thanks

A lot to do with towing that fifth wheel. I kept my OEM Transforce tires rotated every 5K, and that kept them pretty even as far as wear. IMO they were terrible tires, and were wore out in 30K

 

[AEdelheit]

I have a hard time believing a 10k fifth wheel would have enough pin weight to drastically increase tire wear unless the OP is very heavy on the throttle.

 

[Cummins12V98]

It's called "your right foot syndrome".

 

[Cummins2014]

I have a hard time believing a 10k fifth wheel would have enough pin weight to drastically increase tire wear unless the OP is very heavy on the throttle.

I am only 3500 lbs more with my fifth wheel, and experienced the same thing, as said rotated every 5k ,or I would of had the same issue could see the excessive wear on the rear before rotation. No I am NOT heavy on the throttle, if anything to light on it.

But you know how opinions are , everyone has one.

 

[Cummins2014]

It's called "your right foot syndrome".

Yup, another opinion

 

[garyp285]

Thanks you are right, its probably a combo of not airing down unloaded, and not rotating soon enough. I'm an old man, and drive like one, but I'll be lucky to get 30k out of these.

 

[Missouri Mule]

The reason your rear tires wear more is that they are your drive tires, as in they propell the vehicle down the road.
My rears always wear out first.

When the rears wear out I go to the tire shop buy two have those put on the front and old front tires on the back because they have plenty of tread on them.
My Dad was a firm believer the best tire needed to be on the front because if you need to turn the car... it will make the turn with out you losing it.
Keep on Trucking!

 

[kthaxton]

Also consider.....with these trucks, especially when towing, we rely on the exhaust brake for a large part of our braking....that's all on the rear tires.

 

[garyp285]

I also think that it's the EB that's doing the wear.

 

[nukegm]

my tires, rotated regularly, on both my diesels - the rears always go away first. i live up a mountain, and the torque of the diesel just kills the tires....2001 2500 and 2018 2500. no matter what the brand, i get a year out of them. approx 13,000 miles. cheers!

 

[Cummins12V98]

Over inflating rear tires is VERY common and under inflating fronts is also! Run psi based on load!

 

[AaronOregon]

I just get a kick out of people talking about this. Do diesel owners of newer trucks not realize that torque ratings have almost doubled in the last 6-7 years? These newer trucks have around 900 ft/lbs of torque. It makes sense that tire wear is going to be accelerated.

 

[AEdelheit]

I just get a kick out of people talking about this. Do diesel owners of newer trucks not realize that torque ratings have almost doubled in the last 6-7 years? These newer trucks have around 900 ft/lbs of torque. It makes sense that tire wear is going to be accelerated.

Eh sort of but you can have an engine that makes 5,000 ft lbs of torque, if you are easy on the throttle and dont work the engine to full load it will never make full power. Even through the new trucks are capable of making more overall power if someone is driving on the more conservative side then it wont matter if its a got 100 ft lbs of torque or 1000 ft lbs. I agree with Kthaxton that the exhaust brake is far more likely to accelerate tire wear then the overall torque that the torque management keeps pretty tame unless the truck actually has a load the the driver has a heavy foot.

 

[FrozenDEF]

Eh sort of but you can have an engine that makes 5,000 ft lbs of torque, if you are easy on the throttle and dont work the engine to full load it will never make full power. Even through the new trucks are capable of making more overall power if someone is driving on the more conservative side then it wont matter if its a got 100 ft lbs of torque or 1000 ft lbs. I agree with Kthaxton that the exhaust brake is far more likely to accelerate tire wear then the overall torque that the torque management keeps pretty tame unless the truck actually has a load the the driver has a heavy foot.

I agree with this. The engine doesn't just 'make more torque because it can' or every newer truck would just rocket down the road empty.
My take is that the EB adds rear tire wear by moving braking power 100% to rear while a non-EB truck uses the fronts for braking, mostly.

When empty, I think the high front to rear weight distribution difference wears rear tires. They rears are much more likely to slip (let's say scrub, unless you're doing a burnout), because the light end of the truck is pushing the heavier end. Think of a little guy in a tug of war with a big guy, both in socks on a gym floor. Who's got more traction? Who spins out without much force to move the other?

 

[Cummins12V98]

I run EB and TH "ALL" the time, my rear tires are not effected by this. 20k on these. First two pics rear, third front.

 

[kthaxton]

...but you do have 4 tires doing the work, instead of two.