Travel Trailer Wheel Allignment Question

I have never had uneven wear and thus have never had it done. It can be done if required to correct a problem. As noted uneven wear may not be an alignment problem but rather a symptom of other issues as well.

Actually, you can align your axles. Lippert sells an aftermarket device called Correct Track. clicky

Don't blame all bad trailer tire wear to axle misalignment.

I had to pull my trailer on I59 in North ALA for several trips in a roll one season. The bad concrete sections on the Interstate road eventually bounced out my wheel balance weights on one side and really did a number on that tire which I had to replace.

Don't know if I59 in North ALA ever got fixed or not...

Roy Ken

Tennessee_Nomad wrote:
Just wondering... Do any of you folks have your TT wheels aligned... much like you would with a car/truck front end alignment?

That cannot be done.

A vehicle front end has multiple places to adjust toe in angle, camber, and caster. Six possible adjustments for each wheel/ tire.

Rear ends of such vehicles also have multiple adjustments possible.

A TT or 5er suspension has no similar adjustment points (nor any other type of similar built trailer).

Since the TT / 5er alignment cannot be easily adjusted - we have to resort to more costly means to correct any issues.

The trailer frame and axle attachment are supposed to have been put together initially at the perfect alignment for the tires to track correctly.

As mentioned above there is a possibility for some parts in the suspension to wear and need to be replaced to maintain alignment.

The normal cause of TT and 5er tires getting out of alignment is striking a curb hard enough to bend a spindle or axle.

The first sign of mis-alignment is abnormal tire wear.

Don't worry about it until you see signs of a strange tire wear pattern. Then go to a heavy truck frame shop. They have the tools and knowledge to find and fix the problem.

RV dealerships do not.

Tennessee_Nomad wrote:
Just wondering... Do any of you folks have your TT wheels aligned... much like you would with a car/truck front end alignment?

I just figured you would watch the tires for uneven wear, which hasn't happened yet, but I also thought, if you could alleviate the problem before it starts... all the better?

No I don't as its simply too expensive to have a trailer alignment checked just because and no tire wear issues.

I watch my trailers tire wear. When a odd wear pattern sets in then is the time to find out why.

The usual culprits can be worn pins/bushings/equalizer bar/spring hangers/side links/etc that allow the wheel to not track correctly.

A car or truck can be set up and its alignment quickly checked and simple adjusted much cheaper than a trailer.

There's only a few things that can cause misalignment on a trailer. Bent axles or the spring mounts were welded on wrong. If an axle is bent, it needs to be replaced. The only way to fix the other issue is to cut the spring mounts off and reweld them. There might be a bit of adjustment where the u-bolts are, but usually not as there is an alignment pin/hole on the spring perch on the axle.

Bending the spindles sounds like a very scary deal. If that weakens the metal there, they could now be prone to breaking.

I have uneven tire wear on one side. Took it to a shop specializing in heavy trucks. They had to bend the spindles and though it is definitely better, they are still out a bit. Will be interested to hear what success you have with yours.

If you have uneven wear then there is a problem....such as a bent axle....and it needs to be repaired. If not leave it alone. I have trailered over 250,000 miles and never had to have wheels aligned. Also only one tire failure and that was caused by a massive pot hole.

Nope, they don't need to be aligned!

WoodGlue