> >and scrubbing flat spots on the second most inner tread block causing a
> > >thum thum thum at 30mph+. this is the second set Ive been through in 85k
> > >miles. I am told this is normal wear and tear but I have heard it is really
> > >a need for heavy duty shocks and an FE alignment.
Usually this kind of wear is an error in "toe," but I bet it's a camber issue. Get several feet out in front of your vehicle and carefully look at a front tire. Does it look like the bottom of the tire sits further out than the top? If so, you need to replace the eccentric camber bushings with ones with more range in adjustment. You also need someone willing to do a GOOD alignment job and not one that's just within specs.