Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Pedrick
Last spring I installed the new rear axle and all new wet bolts. Only did one 200 mile trip all summer. Was putting the rig away for the winter and noticed one slanted wheel on the "FRONT" axle. Crawled under and compared the new rear axle to the front axle and low and behold!! Not the same! the front existing axle must be bent also. I'am going to go thru all the motions again. Not even 2500 miles on the trailer. Good axles have a normal upward angle in the center. when I compared the angles on both axles, the front axle is almost flat. I've done way too many improvements to this rig to just get rid of it. At 70yrs old I wanted this to be my last. Here we go!
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If you were to place your trailer on a flat/level surface you actually could place a hydraulic jack under the center of the front axle and jack the trailer up. Proceed in steps so axle flexes some then release. Check to see if the axle is now bent upward the same amount as the rear. If not, try again, bending it a little more. In the alignment industry we used a tape measure while jacking. You have to first take the spring out of the axle tube before it bends so you want to "sneak up on it" thus the need to use the tape measure. As you get close it's a good idea to move the trailer forward and back a few feet to relieve any side pressure on tires that might be keeping the axle from showing a true height. In a shop they'd be using some plates with ball bearings between them so this pressure is relieved as the bend is made.
FWIW, sometimes axles like this loose the camber the bend in the middle provides due to being operated over their rated load and/or hitting some severe road "heaves" at speed while loaded at rated weight. It's the shock loading that causes the problem.
If the tires aren't wearing with a sawtooth pattern, sharp on one edge of the tread elements and smooth/rounded on the other, merely adding some camber like I described will solve your problem. If wearing with sawtooth pattern then either an alignment shop with proper gauges and bending equipment or a new axle will be necessary.
Look at the bright side, at least you won't have to install wet bolts again
BTW, if you decide to do this yourself, put a piece of 2X4 on the top of the jack so the jack head doesn't dimple the axle tube.
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