Tire wear issues.. not sure why

[007matman]

Hello all.

I noticed something wired on our 5000 Mike trip last week.

The insides of my 1-year old ( purchased from Costco) Green ball Towmaster SS tires on the front axle seem to be wearing faster than any other part of the tire. So much that I was nervous driving the trailer home the last 2000 miles.

It appears that the inside edge of both tires is wearing really fast. The rear tires are just fine and appear to be wearing normally. Can something like Camber or Toe be adjusted on a travel trailer?

I think I have Alko axles.. they claim there is no maintenance with those (except the bearings).

Interested in your thoughts.. what would cause this?

[SeaDog]

I think I would check tire pressure first just to make sure they are at the sidewall rating and then I would service the bearings and see if there is any change.

[DAISY BOYKIN]

Could be both bearings are going bad. Had this to happen to one of my tires then other tire did the same thing. Wore both tires on the inside because of faulty adjustment of race nut on bearing. If it is the adjustment,
you need to replace both bearings, seals, repack with grease and proper bearing adjustment.

GOOD LUCK

[007matman]

Thanks guys. I did service them ( filled them with grease) last fall but it is probably a possibility that they need to be replaced being that the camper is 10 yrs old now.

I'll check it out.

[donniedu]

Tire wear on one edge equals either overloaded or bent axle. Tire inflation has nothing to do with it. If you had an inflation issue you would have wear either on both edges or in the center of the tires.
First thing you need to do is be sure your towing level. Second is get it weighed. Third with the info from the first two is take it to a semi trailer alignment shop and have them correct the alignment issue.

[jaherbst]

What he said!

Jack

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by 007matman

Thanks guys. I did service them ( filled them with grease) last fall but it is probably a possibility that they need to be replaced being that the camper is 10 yrs old now.

I'll check it out.

The front axle may be shall I say BENDING? The front axle always seems to get the beating. Ride low in front, too much weight shift to front axle. Rough road impacts FRPNT AXLE the hardest. Etc. And of course weight. Weigh the thing. Weight is usually a factor.

I actually had to heat and bent a front axle once to "Re-allign" it. Long story, but not that hard to do.

First, after you check physical condition of bearings et al.. Go old school. You can check allignment with common tools. Park I'd on the flatest pavement you can find. Level it and start with strings, string levels and really long ones like a mason uses, at a framing square and tape measure. You can see allignment with a little effort. Look at vertical level of each tire. Run plumb line accross outer edge of tires the way a mason plumbs a row of block. Etc.

Good luck. Tom

[A32Deuce]

Originally Posted by 007matman

Thanks guys. I did service them ( filled them with grease) last fall but it is probably a possibility that they need to be replaced being that the camper is 10 yrs old now.

I'll check it out.

Ten years old, I would replace all the bushings in the suspension. Had that happen on mine and all the bushings were gone, bottom half. Just my thoughts.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by 007matman

Can something like Camber or Toe be adjusted on a travel trailer?

I think I have Alko axles.. they claim there is no maintenance with those (except the bearings).

Interested in your thoughts.. what would cause this?

Either excessive negative Camber (top of tire/wheel leaning in) or excessive Toe Out. If the wheels don't wobble when you jack up axle then take it to a truck alignment shop where they have the equipment to "adjust" (actually bend) the axles.

Only other alternative is to replace axle, again assuming the bearings are tight.

Since the axle is solid and holds both wheels in alignment with each other suspension issues are not likely. Somewhere along the life of that axle it was most likely subjected to excessive loading like a deep pothole or bump.

One thing certain, get this fixed before putting on new tires or they'll just be eaten up.

[JimMorrell]

Its been said already....1st thing I would do is take it to a reputable axle alignment shop and have everything checked. They will tell you what's wrong. Guaranteed...its not tire pressure.

[mustardjim]

I also had one tire on left hand side show inside wear. It was a bent axle, and was easy fix for a trailer repair shop. Cost was around 200 Canadian. The place that I bought and serviced the trailer gave me the name off shop that straighten out axels.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by A32Deuce

Ten years old, I would replace all the bushings in the suspension. Had that happen on mine and all the bushings were gone, bottom half. Just my thoughts.

Guys lets get real. They are straight metal (or God knows what if they are torsion axles) BARS with wheels on the end. If the wheel bearings are not allowing sag or misalignment then it is the axles. If they are out of alignment, themselves they are bent or misaligned at the frame mounts.

I saw one where the front axle had pushed rearward on one side, CURB SIDE SO PROBABLY from bashing curbs.

The springs had distorted to the point that the gap between the street side wheels was about five inches on the curb side and was about three. Discovered it with tape measure and then BINGO it was obvious to the eye. Fixed it by force with long long pry bar (ten foot pipe) and tape measure
Alignment is not microscopic you can measure it and see it with help of simple tools

[PenJoe]

Bearings would cause unusual wear on the insides of the tires. A combination of low tire pressure and the TT tipping forward would put excessive weight on the front axle.

[007matman]

I used a straight edge on the tires and can tell there is something going on there. I'm going to try and find a trailer alignment shop and go from there.


Thanks guys. I didn't think they could be bent easily.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by Tom48

Guys lets get real. They are straight metal (or God knows what if they are torsion axles) BARS with wheels on the end.

No...trailer axles are not straight, but are bowed with the center being high.

If the axles are flat, then the tires will wear out on the inside edges.

Or, as the axle gurus will say..."It has lost it's camber!".

I know this because I've had massive axle issues with two separate RV's, both brand new and both had the issues already when purchased!

Anyway, I just recently took my current 5'ver in to get new tires, the wheel bearings checked and repacked, axles aligned...and brakes and suspension parts checked and adjusted.

Everything was OK, but...

I took it to a trailer axle shop in Denver that myself and several others that I know have been using for years, and when I also asked to have them 'align' the axles...

Are you ready for this...?

They told me that trailer axle alignments are no longer done...even with Correct Track axles, which I have!

I asked "Just you? Who can I get to do this for me?".

To which they replied...nobody does this anymore.

This coming from the top axle shop in Denver!

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by 007matman

I used a straight edge on the tires and can tell there is something going on there. I'm going to try and find a trailer alignment shop and go from there.


Thanks guys. I didn't think they could be bent easily.

It isn't easy for you and me...

But an axle shop can do it for you easily!

I'm told it can only be done once...then you need to replace the axle.

[007matman]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

It isn't easy for you and me...

But an axle shop can do it for you easily!

I'm told it can only be done once...then you need to replace the axle.

Hope so! I bet an axle is expensive.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

I'm told it can only be done once...then you need to replace the axle.

If you get it done once, and need to have it aligned again, either you are finding all the curbs and potholes, are overloading, or the axle itself is "weak".

Once should be enough.

Have you checked with this Co?

www.TrailerWest.com Sales 8-7 M-F 9-6 Sat, Service & Parts 7-6 M-S. 20 miles North of Denver. Two miles North of Highway 52 & I-25 Interchange on the East Frontage Rd. Exit 235 or 240 ph. 303-684-3400 local or 800-909-7071

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

If you get it done once, and need to have it aligned again, either you are finding all the curbs and potholes, are overloading, or the axle itself is "weak".

Once should be enough.

Have you checked with this Co?

www.TrailerWest.com Sales 8-7 M-F 9-6 Sat, Service & Parts 7-6 M-S. 20 miles North of Denver. Two miles North of Highway 52 & I-25 Interchange on the East Frontage Rd. Exit 235 or 240 ph. 303-684-3400 local or 800-909-7071

Last time I called them they didn't do alignments or axle replacements.

They are the ones that gave me the name of the shop I just used!

I'm not in Denver anymore so I guess it no longer matters.

[Tom48]

[QUOTE=JohnD10;1782620]No...trailer axles are not straight, but are bowed with the center being high.

If the axles are flat, then the tires will wear out on the inside edges.



OK you got me. I was being too simple. The Axle itself is curved with what I believe is called a PRE LOAD. The net result is the two end spindles are on one straight line. That can be seen in the Tires being parallel on vertical and horizontal planes.

But then I defensively digress

Sorry Tom