Yeah, I used to pay attention to them even before I bought mine because originally I was going to buy a TopKick and cummins it so I always noticed these trucks because they were the new version of the topkick but now I'm seeing a lot of them. Hell, there is an actual Hotshot car hauling company that seems to run these trucks exclusively. I think they might be based around TX because I've seen them a lot running i20/40 out west and coming up i35 a few times. Anyway, They are running the shorter version of my truck the single cab long wb with those Kauffman lowpro wedges. They are always Silver with the Kaufman lowpro. I've seen at least 3 of them that identical set up running together but I've seen them all over out west so I assume they have a small fleet of these trucks. Something like 5 to 10.
Anyway, short of the rear shock issue I wouldn't buy any of the other 550/5500 over this truck. Not the Ford or the Dodge. This truck is a much heavier duty solution than the compitition but I'd only buy it again as a special order with the factory rear airbags/shocks.
Anyone experienced front tire wear like this? Pictures attached.
Discussion in 'Expediter and Hot Shot Trucking Forum' started by crocky, Oct 18, 2021.
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It's called "cupping", it is caused by imbalance primarily. Any decent tire shop would be able to tell you just by looking at the tires. I was a tire tech....... 30 years ago. Run ceramic balance beads in the tires (not those tires, they are trash). Not golf balls, sand or other "trick" ways, actual ceramic balance beads. I've used them, they work. Cupping can start because of alignment wear, which changes the tire balance. Badly worn shock absorbers will make cupping happen faster.
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You are to light on steers and heavy on tlr. You are cupping your front tires. When weight bounces truck it actually lifts steer tires. Adjust weight to be more balanced
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I had a KW T700 that was notorious for this. Turns out it was because tire sizes I had were not exactly what they should have been - because the brand I was using did not make that exact size required (Look at the placard in the door frame). You wouldn’t think, but that was the problem.
crocky Thanks this. -
Is there and online ordering guide for these that lists all the nitty-gritty details and options? The Chevrolet website is pretty inadequate on that.Last edited: Oct 29, 2021
crocky Thanks this. -
Might have been mentioned but new doesn’t mean flawless
You can get a bad set of shocks and once the wear is in the tire it’s going to continue
I’d start with checking the heat on the shocks as well and go from therecrocky Thanks this. -
I did however find some GM webpage or PDF that showed the order options for the rear air suspension as well as shocks. They had their own order codes. No idea where I found it though.. I know it was when I was searching for the rear airbag stuff. There is a company that makes both front and back bolt on air suspension kits (replaces the leaf springs completely). It's super heavy duty looking but just the rear kit is $4,5k and the front kit was nearly as much. No way I'm paying that much.
I'll just build my own. For right now, I'm building a hotshot bed for it, so I can hang everything off the bed frame rather than drilling holes in the frame (have to mount new fenders and get my sleeper put on)
I decided to build a simple frame width flatbed that will bolt to the frame and cover up the frame so it looks nice. That way I can get my semi 5th wheel installed and get the sleeper on the truck. I should also be able to hang some over the spring helper air bags off it as well at least for a temp solution..Last edited: Oct 29, 2021
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When I put the cheap tires on the front last week they put balance beads in the tires. I'm now at a different shop that can actually balance the truck tires because those balance beads didn't do anything. Was shaking my truck apart at 70mph and around 45.
I dunno what they were made out of, but they looked like maybe lead but I'm not sure. It was a package that said balance beads on it. -
Centramatic probably offers their bolt on balancers for that truck now. I have them on both axles on my truck and like how they work.
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