Bridgestone 694's wandering

Trev6
I have just fitted the same tyres to my prado (17") and have done 3000k on them including a quick trip to Lake Eyre via White Cliffs (28psi on the dirt) 35psi on the tar and am rapped with their handling. One complaint or perhaps the LT design is they tend to be noisy on short trips in the cold. Always had this trouble when I left the trucks loaded over night with a flat spot till they warmed up.
Also a little noisier than the originals but I can live with that for the more aggressive pattern.
Regards,
TTD1

Hi Trev

We have had them in both the normal and LT construction for a long time and they are a great tyre. Very quite on the road and have had no problems with them wanting to wander what so ever. Even though you have had a wheel alignment, I have found in the past there are some people that can not get it right and that could be the issue.

I hope you get it sorted out.


Cheers


Stephen

Hullo Trevor
Good tyre (except in mud)
No problems with them on our 80series
Cheers
Andrew

Hi Trev,

I’ve just had 694 LTs fitted on my Triton before a recent trip from Brissy to Perth and return. Compared to the original Bridgestone HTs there is a minor tendency to railroad on poorer country roads where there are visible grooves but nothing too dramatic or concerning. Don't know whether I've got use to them or they have worn in but I didn't notice the railroading tendency as much on my return from Perth. In fact it was your post that jolted my memory that they seemed a bit stiff when first fitted.

Geoff

So many people get sold a wheel alignment on an 80/105 series Landcruiser from a tyre shop, and all that is going to be looked and adjusted is the toe-in, and that part of the solid front axle is very solid anyway.

It can happen that the machine they use is not calibrated and they mis-adjust your toe-in mate.

I would be inclined to see what they say they did to your wheel alignment..(toe-in), was it out and did they toe it out a smidge, which can give you the road camber wandering you are mentioning now.

Hi Trev6
I have 694s fitted to my Navara and also run 673MTs and havent had that issue, it may be more about suspension & allingnment causing your problem than the tyre itself, did the tyre fitter do a wheeel allignment when you had the tyres fitted ?
Cheers

Dough Boy

Hi Trev. As has been said. Your front end is solid but it still can have camber/caster angles incorrect. If you are around Sydney way Narrellen truck align make offset swivel pins to suit cruisers. You need to have an aligner set it up and measure the inaccuracy (if it has it) It could be 1/2, 1 or 1.1/2 degree out. You then order the appropriate offset pin and instal and set up the toe in to suit. Cheers,Bob

Trev6,

I had handling problems when I first had the 694 LTs fitted. The handling was really twitchy. They tyre place dropped the pressures a bit (30 psi front 40 psi rear - I have a canopy on the back) and adjusted the front suspension. The torsion bars had been wound up too much. It handles excellently now.



Regards,
Bob

It seems like we had a win today, I droped the tyre pressure to 30 psi which stopped the wanders and the tyre place checked the alignment which helped with it wanting to pull to the left. He said it was only out 1mm , what ever he done it made a lot of difference, so it's now back to it's old self again only this time with a new set of shoes on.
I might play with the tyre pressures later on after a bit of running in time and see what happens

Trev6

30 psi..??.. on the blacktop..??.. to low in my opinion.

If it was a standard tyre shop, they would not be doing any wheel alignment alteration that would assist pulling left, all they do is the toe- in check on a solid front axle 4wd.

More likely they swapped your front tyres side to side which has eliminated the left pull, and murmered crap about adjusting the wheel alignment 1 mm... adjusted what..??.. toe-in is their only option, and 1mm isn't going to produce the result you feel you got.

If you want a true wheel alignment and axle correction on a solid front axle 4wd, go to a Wheel Alignment specialist that does all vehicles, including trucks, they have the knowledge, expertise and tools/equipment to do it correctly and properly.

The tyre shop drive on drive off so called wheel alignments are often just a tick and flick, with possibly a minor toe-in correction...and they often charge you a premium because it's a 4WD.

If your old tyres have worn near perfectly, then putting new tyres on does NOT alter your wheel alignment.

Ive got 30000klms and 2 years on my D694 235/85/16 and they are perfect.
I have them fitted to my HZJ75 ute and whether its fully loaded or empty,it drives (well Ill say it again)perfect.

The only way they have changed over time is when new they had a slight jelly rubber feel that mostly went away after a few months