Both front tires on my '01 4x2 look like the pictures below. I am not getting laterial play in the wheel when jacked up off the ground. I am thinking the shocks could be at fault, since the skipping pattern, any ideas? I don't want to just start throwing parts at it.

 

On my 2002, the front tires started cupping, not that bad though. A good balance and changed shocks to Bilstein helped.

 

looks like to me, you need to rotate more often and increase air pressure

 

how many miles on these tires, when was the truck last aligned on a machine and when were the tires last rotated and how often do you rotate?

 

I agree that it looks like a balance problem....and then if your shocks are weak then that would make the balance problem worse

 

lets see some pics of the rear tires

 

I'd say at that point in wear they are so far gone they can't possibly be expected to wear well.
For everyone else's sake, don't run tires that far on a 7K pound truck.....