BFG muds?

Maverick26 · Aug 9, 2010

I dont know if any of you have heard of this but last night I was working on a TJ with 35x12.5x15 BFG muds with about 25% tread left on them on MT classics. The lady that owns the rig said to me after I started messing with it that she had just taken it down to Discount tire and had them rotate them. They cross rotated the tires come to find out and after they did this its like driving a washing machine with a blanket on one side. Sticking my head out the window at about 40mph the tires look like they are about to explode bouncing/shaking really bad. Are these direction tires? or can you run them backwards after runing them one way for so long? Could there be a cord coming apart? I checked for any buldge/shift in the tread but couldn't find anything. She said it vibrated slightly before they rotated the tires but now it is almost not drivable. Any help would be great.

JAWS · Aug 9, 2010

I would rotate them back to make sure it is the tires. And make sure they didnt mess up an alignment or lift it and bend a driveline or track bar or on of the link/control arms. Trust me ive seen it before

zukkev · Aug 9, 2010

I think there is an issue with cross rotation; had my tires on the tow rig rotated/balanced, and afterward the truck pulled left...turns out it was due to the tires. I rotated the fronts back to their original side, and pull gone---need to get them replaced while I still have the warranty! Only problem is they don't offer the KM's anymore...and they aren't available anywhere...

CreepinTJ · Aug 9, 2010

I encountered the same ordeal on a stock JK of my buddies, seems that the KMs all have had this problem. Not so sure about the KM2's, but like JAWS said i would look for damage to the suspension and drivelines. My buddy ended up with a hair line crack in his axle before it was said and done. My opinion-warranty those pigs.

Boonie Buster · Aug 9, 2010

pretty sure thats part of the reason mine wobbles a bit at 55mph

i flipped the front two tires, not really thinking about it a while back when did my uber sick IFS CV's. :awesomework:

nevada · Aug 9, 2010

there is no issue cross rotating radial tires.

perhaps not even the bias ply anymore.
there USED to be issue with the cords running one direction, and shifting. changing direction caused them to shift, and start to come apart.

the tires theyre building now wont have that problem.

BUT, thats not to say the tire isnt bad anyway. if it pulls, or bounces, or causes other issues, when rotated, the tire is bad. any competent tire shop will be able to find the offending tire.

and LACK of rotation is one of the biggest tire killers out there.

cross rotation wont CAUSE any problems, but it might shed light on problems that are already there.

Maverick26 · Aug 9, 2010

Ok all good info to pass on... I think her tires have never been rotated so this could be the issue and when she went down to go get them done it may have shed light on some issues. I will look over the jeep again for any damage but I am almost 100% sure the shaking issue is due to the tires. 2 are worn past the ware markers and 2 are about 40% and really odd ware patterns.. some lugs are higher then others and so on..

64FJ40 · Aug 9, 2010

Maverick26 said:
Ok all good info to pass on... I think her tires have never been rotated so this could be the issue and when she went down to go get them done it may have shed light on some issues. I will look over the jeep again for any damage but I am almost 100% sure the shaking issue is due to the tires. 2 are worn past the ware markers and 2 are about 40% and really odd ware patterns.. some lugs are higher then others and so on..

It sounds like weak/bad shocks on the rear caused bad wear patterns. She probably never noticed them because the rumble got worse gradually over time, and doesn't sound much different than a typical MT tire on the road. Once those whacked tires got moved to the front, they start hopping around. Add in a few worn bushings and a marginal caster angle, you get death wobble.

JAWS · Aug 9, 2010

nevada said:
there is no issue cross rotating radial tires.

perhaps not even the bias ply anymore.
there USED to be issue with the cords running one direction, and shifting. changing direction caused them to shift, and start to come apart.
the tires theyre building now wont have that problem.

That sounds good intheory. Im sure thats what the designer said to the rest them.

. any competent tire shop will be able to find the offending tire. (He aready said it was discount). so thats that.

NotSoPC · Aug 10, 2010

Had a similar issue with my ranger and the toyo m/t's. Turns out they were wearing funny cause of the IFS and when I put the front on the rear in a cross pattern I had a vibration from the rear that sucked ass. I swapped the rear around and it was almost gone. Now after a couple hundred miles it is all gone. The tires may have worn different then one another from not being rotated and that could have caused it, or maybe the tire shop knocked off a rim weight and did not notice it.

Flat-Bed_3rd_Gen · Aug 11, 2010

Maverick26 said:
2 are worn past the ware markers and 2 are about 40% and really odd ware patterns.. some lugs are higher then others and so on..

sounds like you need 4 tires and an alignment. The odd wear pattern sounds like toe is out of spec.

Tell her to rotate every 6k. And cross rotate them. It won't hurt the bfg MUDs