opdsgt

You're running 8-10 more psi than you should in those tires.

Your quest is over. Excess pressure crowns your relatively small OEM mud tires. That coupled with your self described lead foot is the culprit.

Sorry to break the news to you, but it is what it is.

OpenTrackRacer

So you're saying the factory recommended tire pressures are wrong? Are you also saying that running those pressures results in excessive tire wear evenly across the tread in the back but has no effect up front?

opdsgt

Inflation figures on your sidewalls are max pressures assuming a fully laden vehicle. You're nowhere near GVWR in an unmodified JK (sans armor and winch and heavy bumpers). Also worth noting, the JK has a forward weight bias from the factory (read: back end lighter than front).

Bottom line: 37 psi in narrow, stock BFG KMs + a heavy right foot = premature rear tire wear.

OpenTrackRacer

I hate to be blunt but you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

The maximum pressure for the stock Rubicon tires is 50 PSI. The recommended tire pressure (which you'll find on the sticker located on the driver's side door frame) is 37 PSI.

Running tires over pressure will cause the center tread to wear out before the outside and shoulder tread. My tires are wearing evenly across the entire tread surface. They are not over inflated.

Your information about the weight bias on the JK is also wrong. The factory weight bias is 49% front and 51% rear.

If the Wrangler had a high horsepower/torque engine than strong throttle application might have an effect on rear tire wear. However, it does not so your point is, well, pointless.

Does anyone with a clue have any thoughts on this?

Earth Siege

[QUOTE=OpenTrackRacer;1833375]My 2007 Unlimited Rubicon has about 22,000 miles on the odometer. I bought it with about 20,000 miles and have also flat towed it behind my motorhome for about 4,500 miles.

i wonder if the towing is causing the odd wear pattern due to side loading when the pull vehicle turns-4500 miles is alot to be towed.

another question. did the tires have the odd pattern when u bought the jeep or has this occured in the 6500 miles u have put on it since u bought it.

(22000-20000=2000 miles u drove + 4500 miles u towed=6500 miles since purchase)?

OpenTrackRacer

I inspected the tires when I bought the Jeep and they looked normal with roughly the same amount of wear front and rear.

Flat towing produces a noticeable feathering pattern on the front tires due to the scrub forces encountered. It fades away after a hundred miles or so of normal driving.

The rears are basically like single axle trailer tires when flat towing. The forces acting on them are almost nil.

JKlad

Perhaps this is the cause...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3zx-Hl--Ao

opdsgt

Run your tires @ 50 psi, continue the hard jackrabbit starts and see how that works for you over the course of the next six months.

Then, after you fit new rubber, try 28-30 psi and drive more conservatively.

Let us all know which of the two experiences you tend to favor in the end...

OpenTrackRacer

Uhhhhh....

I'm not sure if you're trying to make some kind of strange point or just dig a deeper grave for your credibility. With regard to the condescending tone, I'm pretty sure I've been driving and wrenching on cars longer than you've been alive so you might want to try that gig with someone else.

opdsgt

Unless you're in your 50s and have been working on cars, trucks, and Japanese and Italian motorcycles since you were 15 years old, you're no more experienced than I am.

Look, I wasn't trying to provoke a fight, but you dismissed my theory out of hand. I don't see a plethora of forumites charging in here with alternate ideas. There could be a reason for that.

I'll offer you a cold one in conciliation (), but I stand by my assessment of your problem:

37psi in your tires is excessive, and habitually hard acceleration runs counter to long tire life no matter the application.

These are objective truths, not mere opinion.

Anyway, I hope you get it sorted.