Odd tire wear

goducks10 wrote:
That's why the OP needs to get the alignment checked to rule out why the tire might have tread separation.

Some tire types installed on trailers seem to get separations all on their own. Chris

That's why the OP needs to get the alignment checked to rule out why the tire might have tread separation.

Or the tire has a ply separation!!!!! Chris

previous poster wrote:
A spring hanger that is too far forward or aft should be cut off and re-welded, not just bent into place.

Right...but only if TOO FAR FORWARD. If just slightly off, bending them will be fine. A good alignment shop knows when to bend and when to re-weld in a different position.

Lots of mis-information in some previous posts. Not by B.O. If the wheel is toe'd in on one side, and toe'd out on the other end of the axle. That is a tracking problem. Caused by the axle NOT being within perpendicular spec to the king pin. The trailer will "crab walk". One tire will wear inside. The other tire on that axle will wear on the outside.

But as said on the OP trailer in question, it would appear to be a bent spindle. Since that is the only tire that seems to be wearing unevenly.

BurbMan wrote:

B.O. Plenty wrote:
And that's all I have to say about this.

Congratulations you got the last word in. A spring hanger that is too far forward or aft should be cut off and re-welded, not just bent into place. Glad you think you got your $200.000 worth.

And, for the record, I never suggested that Correct Track would fix, or compensate for, a bent spindle. I can't imagine hitting a curb hard enough to bend a spindle, but I guess it's possible. Could be why the trailer is for sale, previous owner got tired frustrated towing it....

When the tech guy re-bent my axles he commented on how soft the axle material was. Might be why some bend and some don't. Lippert axles FWIW.

B.O. Plenty wrote:
And that's all I have to say about this.

Congratulations you got the last word in. A spring hanger that is too far forward or aft should be cut off and re-welded, not just bent into place. Glad you think you got your $200.000 worth.

And, for the record, I never suggested that Correct Track would fix, or compensate for, a bent spindle. I can't imagine hitting a curb hard enough to bend a spindle, but I guess it's possible. Could be why the trailer is for sale, previous owner got tired frustrated towing it....

Correct track won't fix an axle that has a bent spindle. Which ever way the axle is moved on one side will affect the other side with correct track.
When a shop is doing a fix for a bent axle they can do both toe in/out and they can adjust the camber. There is no caster adjustment period.
If you have only one tire wearing on the outside then IMO it's a bent spindle. Happens all the time. I went thru it on a new trailer. Alignment shop did both axles for $190.00 total.

I had a tire wearing on the outer edge. Took it to the dealer, they checked everything out and said it was the tire. (hoping for warranty help). Took the tire to the local GY dealer. He aid tires don't wear on the outside for no reason. He suggested a local alignment shop. They said the two spindles on the right side needed rebent.

Theres more of a chance for a bent axle vs tread separation IMO. Get the axles aligned then get new tires.

BurbMan wrote:

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Correct Track will NOT allow adjustment for toe or camber. It will only adjust tracking..You still will need to go to an alignment shop to get a real alignment. I think many people have a misconception about the Correct Track kit. It will only square up the axles with the frame (tracking) but it doesn't allow for anything else. One or more wheels could still be off.

B.O.

Tracking is the same as toe in/out on a trailer. There is no caster angle since the wheel is attached to a straight axle, and therefore no adjustment necessary. Camber is pre-set by the axle mfr. So the only alignment adjustment there is to make on a trailer is toe in/out, which is what you are calling tracking. If an axle loses camber it is usually replaced, re-bending it is no guarantee that it will retain its arc.

I think a lot of people have a misconception that aligning trailer axles is complicated that only a pro with a laser alignment jig can do it. Aligning a trailer is not complicated, anyone can do it at home following this post from forum member JBarca.

Sorry but I disagree on a couple points..Tracking, Both axles on my trailer were tracking to the left. It was because the the spring hangers were mounted incorrectly. Not by much but enough to shift both axles ahead on the curb side. In theory yes the toe was off. They were both toed out on the left side, and toed in on the right side. It was easily reset by giving it a pull on an alignment rack. The camber was off on one axle. The axles come from the factory with the camber present. The axle manufacturer does this by putting a bend in the center of the axle, the same way an alignment shop corrects the problem. There is no guarantee the replacement axle will be within specs. Just as there is no guarantee the trailer is withing specs when delivered new. Mine wasn't. The ONLY correct way to be sure your trailer is properly aligned is to load it up the way you would normally use it and bring it to a heavy Duty truck/trailer spring and alignment shop. They can check it and make the necessary adjustment by anchoring the frame and pulling or pushing the suspension into the proper specs. They do this all day long on trucks, trailers and even pickups with solid front axles. It's WAY more accurate than just hanging a new axle onto a set of springs and hangers that probably weren't attached accurately when it was built. And that's all I have to say about this. You can believe what you want..Best $200.00 I ever spent..

B.O.

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Correct Track will NOT allow adjustment for toe or camber. It will only adjust tracking..You still will need to go to an alignment shop to get a real alignment. I think many people have a misconception about the Correct Track kit. It will only square up the axles with the frame (tracking) but it doesn't allow for anything else. One or more wheels could still be off.

B.O.

Tracking is the same as toe in/out on a trailer. There is no caster angle since the wheel is attached to a straight axle, and therefore no adjustment necessary. Camber is pre-set by the axle mfr. So the only alignment adjustment there is to make on a trailer is toe in/out, which is what you are calling tracking. If an axle loses camber it is usually replaced, re-bending it is no guarantee that it will retain its arc.

I think a lot of people have a misconception that aligning trailer axles is complicated that only a pro with a laser alignment jig can do it. Aligning a trailer is not complicated, anyone can do it at home following this post from forum member JBarca.

There are a lot of bent axles out there. Could be caused by severe pot holes or curbing but I tend to think they leave the factory that way. Wear on one side of a tire generally means out of alignment. Too much or too little air pressure will wear both sides of a tire or the center area.

My 5th wheel and my tandem axle boat trailer had bent axles. I know for a fact that I did not curb either trailer nor do I remember ever hitting a horrific pot hole. It had to be a factory defect. Crossroads replaced my 5th wheel axle but my boat trailer was out of warranty before I realized it was wearing the outside tread area.