[shablue55]

I own a 08 Ranger 4x4 and am noticing the inside of the tires are cupping, would a wheel alignment fix this problem. Everything on the front end is tight.

[ballengerb1]

Alignment and balancing would prevent the issue from happening and now it would stop it from getting worse. However, nothing is going to get the cupping off your current tire.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Shocks/struts may be the real culprit, where the tires are not being held firmly against the road--the result is bounce and cupping. Other causes of cupping are wheel alignment, worn wheel bearings, excessive tire or wheel runout, and worn balljoints.

[shablue55]

Balance is fine. I am going to make an appt for an alignment can't hurt.

[CaptainRich]

Many 4X4's are notorious for uneven wear on the front tires due to the restrictive nature of the front suspension. Alignment and tire balancing is critical to maintaining tire life but don't forget to rotate the tires following manufacturer's guideline. Some recommend cross-rotating while other recommend simple front-to-back. If your vehicle is equipped with a full-size spare on a matching wheel, you can extend tire life even further.
Check your owner's manual.

Here's some of what is industry approved:





The ultimate goal is to vary the load that each tire "sees" so that all the tires wear evenly. With improvements in tire construction, there is no need to worry about tire separation caussed by moving them from side to side or front to back.

For more, simply Google "tire rotaion guidelines"