I just got new Michelin LTX M/S 2 tires on my truck. I had Hankooks on there before and was disappointed with the tread life (32K miles vs 48K with original Michelins). One tire was particularly worn more than the others. I suppose it could have been a balancing issue on that wheel but I didn't feel anything. So, I am thinking it may be time for a front-end alignment (never done in 80k miles). The dealer offers both front-end and 4-wheel alignment. Would there be any benefit to a 4-wheel alignment for my truck (SRW short bed)? Or should I avoid the dealer altogether and take it to a suspension shop?

 

I don't know, never had a 4 wheel alignment done on a truck in the 25 years I've been driving. Haven't had a car newer than 1970s until the last few years and it hasn't needed an alignment yet.
Personally I think 4 wheel alignment is unnecessary on a solid axle truck unless you have reason to believe something hit the rear axle hard enough to move it.
Lots of things contributing to treadwear. You don't say if it was primarily a front tire and wearing unevenly, rotation schedule, one tire wore out flat, like on the right rear drive wheel, etc. Type of wear, camber issue, toe in/out etc. Type of tire, mud/at vs ht which the OE tires are, driving conditions changed......
80k mi, in my experience every shop will tell you that you need new ball joints. Depends on the reason they are "bad" imo.
Short answer, get a front end alignment if you're wearing hard on the fronts only. 99% of rear tire wear comes from how much is loaded in the bed and how heavy your right foot is.

 

Ok, a 4wheel alignment is really confusing to most people. It's more than likely a thrust alignment, which is what you should get. I centers the toe and such so it tracks properly with the rear axle. Most truck have no adjustment on the rear, so you can't really align the rear.

What you do is align the front to the "thrust angle" of the rear. It might be off a part of a degree or more to one side or the other. You align the front to that. Then you get straight tracking on your wheels. If your frame has a tweak, this will get the wheels where they need to be.

A simple two wheel alignment just does the front toe, caster, and camber checks. There is no relation to where the rear axle is pointing.

Read this, it's pretty good at what I just said.
https://www.tyreright.com.au/sidewal...-how-they-work

 

Grit Dog: Because I rotate my tires between 5-10k miles, it's hard to say if it wore more while on the front or rear. I just assumed it was the front. The wear was pretty even across the tread - maybe a tad more wear on the outside.

DarkPaladin: I searched the web for explanations and learned the same as you pointed out regarding the thrust line alignment. I guess better shops offer 3 different types of alignment (front, thrust line, and 4 wheel). As I understand it now, the thrust line is what our trucks need because the back wheels are not adjustable - but still need to be accounted for when aligning the front. That's what I'll be looking for.

Thank you both for the feedback.