First post here, so if I do something wrong please let me know! So I have a 1999 Cherokee XJ with 204,000 miles on it. This thing has been through a lot, and recently was looking at the tires to check wear, and they all looked good and even except for the front right tire (BF goodrich all terrains) and the outside edge of the tire is almost down completely, but the inside is pretty good, although lower than the tread on the other three. It has had tire hop on really tight turns for pretty much as long as I can remember, and I don't know what to do. Here is my current game plan, any suggestions would be MUCH appreciated. I had it aligned in late 2013 at Sears.

1. Make sure its not in 4WD. I am 99% sure it isn't, but I will double check. I plan to jack up the front and try to spin the wheels with the tranny in park. If I can't spin them, its in 4WD. If I can, it is in 2WD. Is that correct?
2. Check steering linkages, don't really know what I am looking for, but just check around and make sure that nothing is very obviously loose. Some bushings look dried out and like they are cracking, but they still look intact. Now here is where it gets interesting. When I am driving and turn the wheel left, the car reacts almost immediately. When I turn it right, it takes pretty much double the amount of turning the wheel before the car reacts. It has done this too for almost as long as I can remember. (had the car since 2010 or 2011 ish). I checked the steering box the other day and it didn't budge.
3. Try to check the toe on the tires. Not entirely sure the process but I saw a few people mention it on other forum posts. Something about a tape measure and measuring different points on the tires. Maybe just take it to a place (not sears) to get the alignment checked?
4. Change the u-joints. I checked the u-joint at the wheel the other day a few times when I had a knocking and it didn't have any play (the knocking ended up being a loose center cap. I spent 3 hours checking u-joints again and again and again )
5. Mechanic. Poor college kid here, so this is a really desperate option.

Once I find the problem, should I just go to local junkyards and try to find a tire with treadwear matching or pretty similar to the other 3? I have had them pretty much as long as I have had the car, so 3 or 4 years, and I feel it would be stupid to put a single new tire on.

Thanks so much in advance, and sorry for so much writing!! Just wanted to show I have researched it and just looking for a little guidance!

 

Extra comment to add! About two years ago I was driving and slid off the road into a ditch and I think the front passenger wheel may have taken the brunt of the hit, could this be the cause of this?

 

Cross-rotate all 4 tires, then have your alignment checked. Alert the tech to what you have done with the tires. Let him check it on the rack for loose parts, then get it aligned.

I wouldn't wear him out with a lot of stories. Just let him do his job.

 

Sounds like you could have potentially bent the c where the knuckle mounts to.

 

put 2 tires on it,(new) make the good one u take off a spare.tires have a shelf life and more then 10 yrs old isnt recommended, can you do it? sure, if you never drive on the highway, but if you do you run an increased risk of blowout due to tread seperation https://www.google.com/search?q=are+...a&channel=fflb

 

He doesn't need to buy tires yet. When he does, he will buy all 4 at the same time.

Why? Because it's a 4x4.

 

while i agree i guess i was just responding to his one tire comment, plus since 4wd is only SUPPOSED to be used on loose pavement small variations(keyword small) in tire diameter shouldnt be too much of an issue provided he purchases the same tire size

 

Is there a way to check that?

 

It would show up on an alignment printout which are usually free.

 

When you take it in for an alignment the tech will/should check the entire front end, just ask him to please check everything for problems.

When you slide into the ditch sounds very much like where the problems started with something bent or knocked out of alignment. When you first noticed this you should have taken it in to have it checked before you ruined your tire.

As for buying tires I have had 4wd trucks in business use for 40 yrs first in towing/recovery in CO. and Grounds Landscaping for the last 25. The 1/3/4 and 1/2 ton trucks all have gotten 2 tires many times when drivers do not take them in for rotation when they should. On 1/2 and 3/4 ton's the rear tires were swapped to the front and new tires in the rear, so no big deal.

On my personal cars every 3,000 mi. rotated on the XJ every 1500.

 

I took it in for an alignment and balance, twice on the following months! They must just not have not done a good job!

 

Sounds like it to me. Ask for shop recommendations from people you trust.

About 6months ago I hit the pothole from H*** with the wife's Blazer(front right). Never gave it much thought until I saw the tire starting to wear and act just like yours. A proper alignment fixed things with no parts needing replaced.

 

+1 everything these guys said, except for the hoppin which indeed is probably a result of being stuck in 4WD.

When you get the front end up what you're looking for is whether the front drive shaft will turn with the rear end on the ground. Stock front axles have open differentials, so regardless of what setting the transfer case is in, turn one wheel and the other will turn the opposite direction.

In 4WD the front and rear driveshafts are locked together. So what I'd do is jack up the front and try turning the front shaft. If you can turn it freely, the hopping is quite possibly U joints in the front axle. If not, do a search on here for transfer case linkage adjustment.

 

If I drop the front axle and drive, it should tell me if that is the problem, correct? As in if the hopping stops without the axle then its u-joints or the linkage?

 

Aannnnddd that was one of the stupidest things I have ever said. I meant front drive shaft.