Alignment required when replacing tires on a 2021 Ram Limited rolling in 22’s with 15.5k miles?

[Rocket]

After spending a couple of months researching tires, I have ordered Continental Terraincontact H/T’s from a Ram dealer using the buy 3, get 1 for a $1 deal. What I am trying to decide now is whether the alignment that they are pushing is really required. The tires on the truck currently show no uneven wear on the front tires. The rears however are worn almost to the wear bars in the middle but have more than 5/32’s tread on the shoulders.

All of my research says that tire wear in the middle is caused by over inflation, however I’m skeptical of that being the case because I check tire pressures regularly and there was never an indication of overinflation. The truck even with the less than ideal condition of the tires, tracks true and rides smooth even up to extra legal speeds.

So back to the question: do I need to spring for an alignment along with the new tires?

 

[Richard320]

Short answer: No.

But it sounds like you need to rotate the tires more often.

 

[Snofire]

I agree totally with above. The dealership is in the business to upsell services and get you to do it. I would advise against getting the wheel alignment UNLESS your vehicle is pulling to 1 direction.

Even though you keep up on the tire pressure get your tires balanced / rotated more to help with even wear.

 

[djevox]

There’s no way any of us could know if you need an alignment or not. You could drive 2 miles from the dealer lot with a brand new truck, hit a big pothole, and be out of alignment with 2 miles on the truck. Of course, the mileage is exaggerated to make a point, but that could happen. The only way you can truly know is if you never drove the truck after taking delivery or you hook it up to an alignment machine and check the specs.

With that being said, there are some guys that can run their hand across a tire and tell you exactly how your alignment is out, but they are few and far between.

Edit: If you have a truly flat surface on your wheel, you can use a digital level to see if your camber is out. Caster and toe are much more difficult to get a proper reading without equipment, but it can be done. The old timers used to use measuring rods/tape and levels.

 

[HSKR R/T]

After spending a couple of months researching tires, I have ordered Continental Terraincontact H/T’s from a Ram dealer using the buy 3, get 1 for a $1 deal. What I am trying to decide now is whether the alignment that they are pushing is really required. The tires on the truck currently show no uneven wear on the front tires. The rears however are worn almost to the wear bars in the middle but have more than 5/32’s tread on the shoulders.

All of my research says that tire wear in the middle is caused by over inflation, however I’m skeptical of that being the case because I check tire pressures regularly and there was never an indication of overinflation. The truck even with the less than ideal condition of the tires, tracks true and rides smooth even up to extra legal speeds.

So back to the question: do I need to spring for an alignment along with the new tires?

Your rear tires are definitely over inflated if you wore out the center before the shoulders. The pressure listed on door jam sticker is recommended pressure, doesn't mean it's the ideal pressure to run. And now thst you are changing to a different tire, the pressure will most likely need to be adjusted for that specific tire.

 

[OCD Solutions]

Rated tire pressure may also consider carrying a certain amount of load. If you run empty 99% of the time, rated pressure may be to high. Chalk test is the best to determine proper inflation for your exact vehicle and setup.

IMO, an alignment is cheap insurance and I would typically opt for one with a brand new set of tires. However, I'm typically in need of tires and an alignment when I'm shopping so it's usually a no-brainer. I miss my Tire Kingdom 3yr unlimited rotate, balance and alignment package for $149.99.

 

[Shots]

I was going to mention load too.
Keep in mind the front tires and rear tires are carrying different loads due to the weight distribution on trucks. Yet the general person keeps all 4 tires at the same pressure. The front of a truck is obviously heavier than the rear, so if the front tires are good at a given psi, the back is probably overinflated at the same psi.
I run all 4 tires at the same pressure. Actually all 5, because I run a matched spare that I rotate in. I chalk tested the front tires to select my pressure, then rotations every 3K-4K miles. Nice even tread wear.

As for alignment. Don't spend too much at the dealer. I bought lifetime alignments at Firestone for around $200. Most tire places and/or manufacturers recommend an alignment at least once a year. For my one time purchase of $200, I can go every spring and fall (or more frequently if I want) for as long as I own the truck.
Do yourself a favor and buy a lifetime alignment somewhere. It'll cost about the same as 1 time at the dealership.

 

[Rocket]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I have decided not to purchase an alignment at the dealer for now. I will look for a coupon at a local tire place and get it done at some point.
As for the tire pressures, I will continue to do more research and do some trial and error with varying the pressure if it starts wearing unevenly again.
I sort of wonder if a lack of traction and throttle applications causing a bit of spin at the rear wheels can cause this condition too.

 

[smashweights]

You picked good tires. I have liked mine so far. Did you get SL or XL rated?

 

[Rocket]

You picked good tires. I have liked mine so far. Did you get SL or XL rated?

Thank you, I’m glad to hear about positive first hand experiences with these tires. I bought the XL rated tires and put about a hundred miles on the new tires today on dry roads. So far, they are a tremendous improvement over the stock Goodyears. The Continentals seem to be a bit stiffer while being more compliant and comfortable. (How can that be?)
I am hoping for decent wet and snow traction on them as I am not planning on running dedicated winter tires.

 

[Idahoktm]

You picked good tires. I have liked mine so far. Did you get SL or XL rated? View attachment 141947

It looks like the sidewalls are curb proof too.

 

[smashweights]

Thank you, I’m glad to hear about positive first hand experiences with these tires. I bought the XL rated tires and put about a hundred miles on the new tires today on dry roads. So far, they are a tremendous improvement over the stock Goodyears. The Continentals seem to be a bit stiffer while being more compliant and comfortable. (How can that be?)
I am hoping for decent wet and snow traction on them as I am not planning on running dedicated winter tires.

I have a few thousand miles on them, XL as well. They are great in dry and wet and they are definitely better handling and shaper with steering as my stock Bridgestones felt soggy when turning. They haven't, and probably won't, see any snow where we live. I have found they do seem to like being at higher inflation levels. If I get much below 36psi (door sticker rec) I get some vibration around 50 mph. So I run them around 38psi.

It looks like the sidewalls are curb proof too.

Huh? They definitely stick out over the rim lip a touch, which should protect the rims a bit

 

[Idahoktm]

I have a few thousand miles on them, XL as well. They are great in dry and wet and they are definitely better handling and shaper with steering as my stock Bridgestones felt soggy when turning. They haven't, and probably won't, see any snow where we live. I have found they do seem to like being at higher inflation levels. If I get much below 36psi (door sticker rec) I get some vibration around 50 mph. So I run them around 38psi.


Huh? They definitely stick out over the rim lip a touch, which should protect the rims a bit

I agree based on the curb rash.

 

[Bpebler]

@Rocket @smashweights

Do you guys ever tow anything with your XL’s? Just curious bc I just picked up some Defenders that are SL’s but I’ll need something similar in XL or maybe even E for when we tow wood or haul the camper in the future.

 

[Rocket]

@Rocket @smashweights

Do you guys ever tow anything with your XL’s? Just curious bc I just picked up some Defenders that are SL’s but I’ll need something similar in XL or maybe even E for when we tow wood or haul the camper in the future.

I do not tow much, but the price difference between the SL’s and XL’s was negligible, so I went with the tires with the recommended load rating.

 

[Bpebler]

I hear ya. Price to me is unimportant when they are good tires anyway. I’m usually doing 5k per month on the highway (mainly unloaded minus personal stuff & maybe a ladder or 2 on occasion) which is why I went with the lighter rating. I still haven’t figured out if I want a whole second set of wheels/tires for winter/towing yet but wanted to get some new tires with the wheels before our vacation drive.

 

[m.hamner]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I have decided not to purchase an alignment at the dealer for now. I will look for a coupon at a local tire place and get it done at some point.
As for the tire pressures, I will continue to do more research and do some trial and error with varying the pressure if it starts wearing unevenly again.
I sort of wonder if a lack of traction and throttle applications causing a bit of spin at the rear wheels can cause this condition too.

Rocket, what's the verdict on these Continental TerrainContact H/T's? Consumer reports has them rated #1 at the moment. Lots of people seem to be happy with them, but I don't know many ram owners with them.