Tire "chopping" caused by front shocks ?

This is a 2002 Jeep Wrangler with Goodyear Wrangler GS-A tires, 30 x

9.50 R 15 LT. 43K miles on the car, not sure if original tires, but probably not, as these tires have a lot of tread on them.

Getting vibration, mostly from front, and balancing has not cured it. Finally, the tire techs told me that my front shocks are bad, and have caused the front tires to have a condition called "chopping." I can clearly hear one of the front tires flapping on the road, as though there were a tire defect of some sort. They say the defect is "chopping", and I can feel the uneven wear when I run my hand over the tires.

I have several questions please....

  1. can defective front shocks cause "chopping" of front tires ?

  1. I got a quote from a tire store of 1 to install Monroe Sensatrac shocks on the front (just the two shocks). This seems a bit high to me..... is it ?

  2. The size of these Goodyear Wrangler GS-A tires, is printed on the tire as 30 x 9.50 R 15 LT. How can I translate this size to the format of the tires on my Jeep Grand Cherokee, which are Michelin tires printed as P245 / 70 R16. In other words , if I wanted Michelin tires for this 2002 Jeep Wrangler, what size would I specify, given the markings described ?

Thanks !!!

James

Reply to
James
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Yes, but another cause can be tire defects, seperated belts or the like. Worn bushings or any suspension component can cause this as well.

A good read.

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Yes. Your talking about a 30$ or so per shock and not a terrible amount of work. Depending on what you have for tools this can be done in the driveway in an hour or so.

Best to go find a decent local shop and get a few more quotes.

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Reply to
DougW

Causes of tire "Chopping" or "cupping" ( not neccessarily in the order of importance)

1) bad shocks 2) bad suspension parts 3) worn or mis-adjusted wheel bearings ( yes, I've seen the condition happen on forklift solid rubber tires ( trail axle, mostly) with loose wheel bearings and forklift tires normally wear down evenly)
Reply to
C.L. "Budd" Cochran

43K on GSAs? Not likely!

Some times, and as well alignment can do it.

IMHO, no. Figure an hour labor at least.

I'm sure htere is an online converter for this... I've seen several.

Reply to
PeterD

According to the calculator at

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cross reference is 240/80/R15 Stuart H.

1988 Jeep MJ 4X4
Reply to
Stuart H.

All of the above is true. One other cause for cupping is failure to properly maintain them by having the regularly rotated and balanced and maintining correct air pressure.

Reply to
Kate

Is cupping and chopping the same thing ??

James

Reply to
James

As far as I know it is.

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There is another they don't mention and that's a sawtooth. Run your hand along the tire from front to back and you will notice a definite edge, similar to the teeth on a saw. This is the first thing you feel before cupping and generally indicates toe-in. But it can be caused by bad balljoints or worn bushings.

Reply to
DougW

No, they are different but the causes can be similar. Cupping has smooth edges while chopping one side will have a sharp edge.

Reply to
PeterD

Improper toe adjustment.

Reply to
GGinn

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