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help with f450 tires

12K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  08fordhd 
#1 ·
i have a 2008 f450 that came stock with continental 225 70 19.5 tires. they are are hsr's in front and hdr's in rear, load range G. i loved them. got 42,000 of all towing miles and started towing a trailer when truck have 300 miles on it. drove perfect, no sway, drove like it was on rails. now the problem.


just replaced them with same tires size, brand, and load range. they are absolutey all over the place. trucks tracks straight with no pull but when you move the steering wheel back and forth a couple times it feels like the truck wiggles and sways three or four more times. dealers are telling me that i am used to the bald tires and the originals prob did that when new. i can tell you they did not. i have tried 110 psi in all six and now i have 85 psi in all six and it is the same.

anybody have this problem
 
#4 ·
If im reading your post right the truck had 300 miles on it before you hooked up, How many miles are on your new tires? I would wait for 300 miles before worring.
 
#5 ·
i now have 900 towing miles on new tires. they are the same . all over the place. the oe tires drove perfect right off the lot. these new ones are even all over the place without the trailer. it is a terrible feeling. if you come across uneven highway or lanes you could sway right off the road.

is the tread deeper in replacement tires vs oe tires. even if they are same brand and tire.
 
#6 ·
Don't think so. Sounds like you might have another problem as it should have settled in by now and the new tire tread squirm would be gone.

Lug nuts tight?

Sorry, don't have any other ideas unless your ball joints went bad at the same time you replaced the tires (not likely).

Btw, I have 60k on my tires and they still look new. How did you wear them out with 42k?
 
#11 ·
60k - seriously ? I have 35K and have rotated the fronts from side-to-side, and also had to flip them on the rim themselves due to wear on the outer edge. Backs as expected are fine, but I'm heading toward 40k replacement as well. 90% highway, and I have had alignment checked. You definitely got the lucky one :woot:
 
#7 ·
This may sound dumb but are the tires directional? If yes check the direction.
 
#9 ·
the roads in pa are terrible. i tow a 9000 lb trailer everyday that has alot of tongue weight.

drove truck into tire shop with trailer perfect, left, and called dealer within 5 miles of leaving asking what could be wrong.

i dont know what to do. the way if drove was number one reason i liked this truck. now i hate it. it does not feel safe.
 
#10 ·
Check the DOT numbers, in particular the date codes branded on the tires, they may be old stock, and if they were stored improperly for an extended period, it may take a while for them to settle down, or they may never settle down if they were bottom of the stack too long.

I had a set of Goodyears that were like this about 10 years ago, they wobbled and squirmed like crazy. Load D 16.5 33" Wranglers. Turned out 3 of the 4 tires were over 5 years old, the 4th was new. I demanded a matching current set and watched 4 fresh tires be mounted. Drove them 30k to wear them out after that, and the replacements were fine. Worth a look, trust me.
 
#13 ·
same problem!!!!!!!

Hello,
I have the exact same truck as you and the EXACT same problem. I was researching it online and came upon your post. I registered here just to see if you found any solutions. I did not go back with continentals, but am still having that same sway feeling. It feels like I'm running 40lbs of pressure and the trucks rolling side to side on the sidewall. I can't stand it. If you catch a groove on the side of the road, it will damn near make you lose control. I've gone back and switched out the tires twice with stock size 225's. I'm now rolling on 245's and theres no difference. I don't know what to do.
 
#15 ·
I agree,check it out... worn out shocks can and will cause sway.

I actually did not like the way my tires grabbed the road when I bought my truck. After a while they tamed down and all but stopped, but I noticed immediately when I drove it home that it would grab grooves and steer around pretty heavily. It never swayed though just grabbed and steered from grooves and such....
 
#16 ·
rotorracer. any luck. nothing hear. same crap. thought i would wait them out. now at 5 k. they are the same. i have bilesteins (5100) on front and rear. same thing no difference what so ever. on highway today towing and one side was paved , other not. thought i was going to wreck the whole rig.
 
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