Bikinaz

Well I’m excited. I developed a bad case DW about 2 weeks ago. With 30K on my BFG AT’s I was thinking it was time for new shoes. Just out of curiosity I checked my ball joints and they were shot. So with that I decided it was time to get to the root of the problem.

I installed the Defiant Sector Shaft Stabilizer first. I really didn’t expect this to cure the problem but I had kind of sloppy steering so I figures this item couldn’t hurt. I was right, it did not cure the problem but it did make it better. It also makes the truck track straight and true. It doesn’t need to be constantly corrected to stay in my lane.

I then went to NAPA and bought some greaseable non-adjustable ball joints. This was the biggest investment of this whole process at $360. Then I ordered the offset LazarSmith Track Bar Bushings. I’d been running stock bushings and track bar, but had a 2” spacer leveling kit for about 3 years. I took the bushings and BJ over to Truck Werks here in Tempe they went work. This was the second biggest investment. They did 5 hours of labor on a job that would have taken me 10 hours.

So I took my old almost bald (I think I can get another 10K) BFG down the road. I’ve hit every bump, and pot hole that set off the DW in the past, so far with NO DW. I only have one last test place to try, but I’ve been avoiding it. It’s an expansion joint on a curving bridge. I hit that once at 65 and got DW and I can’t get the dents out of my steering wheel. Not to mention that my wife will no longer do my laundry. I haven’t been on that bridge since. I just keep finding ways to go around it for some reason.

Now I must say I am bummed about one thing. I really wanted those new Toyo 35” M/T’s, but with another year left on my BFG’s I guess I better wait.

So MY moral of the story is, before you dump $1300 on new shoes because you think your BFG’s are crap, make sure you find the true root of the evil.

coparam4x4

You must be talking about the 101 to US60 bridge!!! I have hit that before, and man that expansion joint sure is a big one, but so far no DW. That's not a good place to get DW.

cquestad

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Somebody finally gets it! You should be able to run flat tires and still not get DW if your truck is set up right. Try a caster of 4-5 degrees to make it even better!

Bikinaz

Got my caster at 4.2 and 4.4. And another big plus...I don't drift to the right anymore! WooHoo!

Danderson

BFG's still suck. Neither BFG,nor Discount Tires would address the vibration problem that started and ended with the mounting and subsequent dismounting of BFG tires. Problem cured instantly with Toyos. Glad you resolved your symptoms.

JONNY06DIEZAL

So what do you think made your truck stop pulling?

The steering stabilizer? Is this the single steering stabilizer on defiant's page for $191.32?

The offset trackbar bushings? And (sorry) why are these needed with a 2" leveling kit? What does this help?

Or the ball joints?


I don't have the DW YET, but knowing my luck it won't be long. Just installed the leveling kit yesterday and 35" toyo m/ts. But it does fade off to the right when i let go of the wheel, don't have to fight it but it's obvious. Do you think this would cause my tires to wear badly?

Thanks

jmccart

I have never checked my suspension for anything. But I did experience death wobble with my stock tires. I have not felt any since I installed the Toyo MT's. And the front is at 50 lbs.

FYI.

Good news on fixing your DW.

Swayse

I had Toyo AT 285/70/17 tires on my truck, started to get a little hit of the starting of DW. When I went to the Toyo MT 35" tires, it went away. Really like these tires, smooth, quiet, and balace with very little weight, but man I took a MPG hit.

Bikinaz

Just to respond to the new Toyo responses. I personally say that the new tires are masking the real issue.

I think the Defiant stabilizer will help control the general control of the vehicle. It does also help with the DW a little. This is what I bought. http://www.defianttruckproducts.com/...rt.php?prt=130
I personally think your issue is you need someone else to do you alignment, as long as your ball joints are good. If your ball joints are loose then you need to fix that first. The alignment shop can't get a bead on your alignment if the values keep changing.

As for the offset TB Bushings, they center the axle under the truck. My axle was just a small 1/4 of an inch off, but these bushing re-center it. The REAL advantage to these bushing is the material they are made out of is not rubber like the stock ones. The harder material keeps the axle from moving laterally. I'd tell any one who is having DW to call Mike at lazarsmith. http://lazarsmith.com/

coparam4x4

Check this place for you stabilizer it's quite a bit cheaper here. I am getting ready to order mine.

http://www.pscmotorsports.com/produc...roducts_id=444

XLR8R

After a front end lift, our combination steering sector shaft stabilizer and sway bar drop mount prevents premature steering gear wear and restores the proper sway bar endlink geometry; urethane bushings & grommets are also available. The SSSSS ships with stainless steel hardware, a nickel plated flange bearing and a sector shaft extension.

The OEM trackbar is too short when the truck is lifted, so it pulls the axle to one side - our zero deflection offset trackbar bushings correct this and prevent DW due to the compliance of the soft rubber factory bushings.

As far as tires go, we have several hundreds of thousands of miles on large BFGs & Toyo tires, and have experienced the same high level of quality - never a blowout and never any mounting/balancing issues... I do prefer the Toyos due to their 4500# weight capacity.

Thanks Bill!

Glad you like them.

cquestad

The opinions of BFG surprise me.

I have over 500k on BFG tires on many trucks. My last 37x12.5 lasted 70k! Towing, wheeling, and hot rodding under a high hp truck. They were religously rotated and always kept (easily too) in balance.

I have only just recently found a tire I like better...and it is NOT a Toyo.

DW is not FROM tires...it may be magnified from certain tires...but it is NOT CAUSED BY TIRES or air pressure.

DevilzTower

I think this thread has hit on some good items that contribute to the different charactistics of DW shown between the Toyos and the BFGs.

Tires mask the problem not cure it. I think the toyos have a natural ability to dampen out the symptoms of DW because of their overall weight. The 35" toyos weighs in at 81lbs. That would explain some of the MPG hit a member noted above. The BFG, in different versions of the 35" tire, weighs anywhere between 67-69 lbs. Maybe (and I say MAYBE) the sidewall construction of the BFG has a tendency to operate at the front end suspensions/steerings natural frequency increasing the tendency to have DW since it's lighter and would have a thinner sidewall. Without some 3D analysis software, I can only guess. This may also lead us to why the Toyos seem to "cure" the problems for others. Their natural heavier weight, different sidewall construction, et al will put those tires at a different natural frequency of the BFGs and help to dampen the vibrations in the steering that cause DW.

So I think we can say that both tires are good tires and with a properly functioning steering and suspension system they'll both work fine. However with one or more of the proper geometries characteristics out of specification, the heavier Toyos would help mask the situation whereas the BFGs would tend to show it.