On Sat, 8 Jul 2017 14:36:03 +0000 (UTC), Chaya Eve
wrote:

On Fri, 7 Jul 2017 14:19:04 +1000, Xeno wrote:

You have a solid live rear axle in that vehicle. There is no possibility
of a camber or toe adjustment at the rear. There is no change in camber
due to suspension deflections.

Thank you for confirming why the rear tires could wear flat while the front
tires seem to wear, as others said, on the outside edge (feathering) due
perhaps to the excessive camber due to the tires "rolling" on the downhill
20mph steep 10% many curves.

My "problem" with doing another alignment is that one was done two years
ago due to tires being 'wasted' but in this case, I don't want to waste an
entire brand-new tire just to doublecheck that alignment.

Checking the alignment does NOTHING to damage or waste a tire. Get it
in and have the alignment checked before the tires you moved from the
rear to the front get damaged, and then adjust your tire pressure up
to 5PSI higher than the plackard recommended pressure. Can almost
guarantee a confirmed good alignment and higher pressures WILL solve
the problem

I realize this is a philosophical issue but it seems to me to be a crime
that alignment costs are such that they waste one of the four things
they're designed to save. In the case of the 4Runner, they waste one of two
things they're trying to save (the front tires).

No they don't. Alignments SAVE the tires.

It's a philosophical issue though, because it's the same cost:benefit issue
you make when you decide to get a heart transplant or a back operation.

No, the heart transplant has, statistically, better than an 80% chance
of solving a heart problem, while back surgery has only something less
than 30% chance of fixing a back problem.

Assuming costs in my area are about $100 (on sale) for an alignment and
about $100 per tire (includes mounting), the philosophical issue is that
the alignment costs 1/2 of what you're trying to save.

If you are running $100 tires on a 4 runner you are not running the
right tires.

Philosophically, is it a smart decision to definitely kill half of what
you're trying to save, just to measure to see if it needs to be saved?
You are WAY out to lunch with your "philosophizing"

Just FIX it.