Broken Wheels

[Thurbersfolks]

I just finished a 8000 mile road trip around the US. Broke all of the original wheels at the weld on the rim to lug center. I was running 6 lug 15" wheels and weighed in at 10400 lbs. which was the max on the wheels. Each was stamped 2600 lbs. I was able to go to an 8 lug hub on the same axle. I checked with the Company, AL-CO, and they said that would be fine if total trailer weight did not exceed GVW on the tag. After changing out to bigger , heavier wheels, drums, tires everything now is fine. I feel Forest River undersized the wheels. Trailer just a year old. Who gets the bill? I do because knowone will except responsibility.

[Thurbersfolks]

Many times. Always like to know loaded weights.

[64thunderbolt]

have you put it on a scale?

[Thurbersfolks]

Yes, that's correct. So, with 10400 on the ground and 1180 on the tongue puts me at the 11480+ OR- a few for variables in the TT. I don't want any more weight. The TT is rated at 11800.

[64thunderbolt]

Thurbersfolks wrote:
If the trailer is rated to carry 11,800 lbs and the wheels are rated at 2600 ea. that comes to 10,400. I'm just saying there is no room for error. A better wheel should be in order.

Figure in the tongue wgt. take that off the axles.

[Thurbersfolks]

Thank you mapguy. The only thing I have been interested in is to have a safe wheel and stay within the TT GVW and all other specs on the TT. Since I was told the 8 lug was ok to use on the existing axle, that is what I have done. I do not believe I have been overloaded. After traveling the 8000 miles loaded the axles and frame are all fine. Just the wheels were the issue. I do appreciate the info you linked me to. I have been across a number of scales and have tickets to show weights. All seemed within the 5200 lb.axle limits or right at the GVW.I have not bee trying to make the TT a 7000 lb. axle. Going from a 2600 lb. wheel to a 3500 lb wheel solved the problem.

[mapguy]

Thurbersfolks wrote:
It is my understanding that AL-KO used the same 3" tube on their 2000, 5200, and 7000 lb rated axles. That is what they told me today. I still have to be aware of the 11800 GVW of the trailer.

Not entirely correct or fully disclosed. True Al-KO T44/D44, T52/D52, T60/D60 and T70/D70 all have 3" tube axles, but each series has a different tube thickness. The T70/D70 is 0.250 wall thickness and the others are thinner.

Same is true on Dexter axles......if you compare apples to apples.

http://www.al-ko.us/download/5200-7000IbLeaf.pdf
http://www.al-ko.us/download/4000-4400IbLeaf.pdf

Have you weighed the rig fully loaded? To ensure the wheels are not overloaded? A scale ticket that gives all the info in the Bridgestone RV Weight Guide would be great evidence or problem solving tool. With component values seemingly within a whisker of full capacity knowing individual wheel weights maybe really important. Not uncommon to find a wheel position or side to have a great variation in weight from the factory.

http://www.trucktires.com/bridgestone/us_eng/press/zip/WeighForm.pdf

[Thurbersfolks]

There was no indication anything was wrong except that the tires would slowly go flat. The first rim to break was not suspect until Les Schwab immersed the whole wheel and tire into their water bath and saw the tiny pinhole leak from the inner part of the rim. After that when tires were going flat that was the first area to check-rim welds.

[TRIPLE8]

riven1950 wrote:
Ok Dumb question here. How did / do you know if a weld in your wheel breaks? I am guessing it throws you out of balance and does a wobble thing, or is it worse than that? Just wondering in case ....

Hi, In my case one wheel was wobbeling real bad, almost looked like it was going to fly off the trailer, the 2nd had just started with an air leak.

[JIMNLIN]

Trailer wheels are lug centered. The center hole is for clearance issues only unlike the wheels on our trucks where the center hole carries the load and locates the wheel.

Balancing a trailer wheel that is lug centered require a adapter to be used.

[big_buford]

I mounted some tires for a friend a couple years ago. Stamped chrome steel wheels. I remember i couldnt balance the due to the fact the center hole was not centered to the mounting holes. Very poor quality told him he should get new rims.

[BobWanderer]

Thurbersfolks wrote:
These wheels all created a slow pinhole leak at the end of a weld and would take a number of hours to go down. After driving for 4 or 5 hours we would stop for the day or have get gas and I would check tires. Shure enough a tire was going down. At one point I had two at the same time go flat overnight while in a RV park in Junction, Texas. Fortunately the RV park owner brought his compressor over and pumped up tires and I got to a small tire shop in that little berg. I feel fortunate that we were always able to get to a shop or get pumped up long enough to find a shop close. All of the brakes were with a 20 day period March 20th to May 10th this past two months.

Same here with 2 of the wheels, slow leak.

[Thurbersfolks]

It is my understanding that AL-KO used the same 3" tube on their 2000, 5200, and 7000 lb rated axles. That is what they told me today. I still have to be aware of the 11800 GVW of the trailer.

[Thurbersfolks]

These wheels all created a slow pinhole leak at the end of a weld and would take a number of hours to go down. After driving for 4 or 5 hours we would stop for the day or have get gas and I would check tires. Shure enough a tire was going down. At one point I had two at the same time go flat overnight while in a RV park in Junction, Texas. Fortunately the RV park owner brought his compressor over and pumped up tires and I got to a small tire shop in that little berg. I feel fortunate that we were always able to get to a shop or get pumped up long enough to find a shop close. All of the brakes were with a 20 day period March 20th to May 10th this past two months.

[scott1]

Thurbersfolks wrote:
If the trailer is rated to carry 11,800 lbs and the wheels are rated at 2600 ea. that comes to 10,400. I'm just saying there is no room for error. A better wheel should be in order.

Well I do believe that the axles are 5200lb axles. So in order to get any leeway they would also of had to upgrade the axles too. Bottomline to me anyway is the rims are defective, if you weren't over the 2600 lb per wheel limit. FR and the rim manufacturer should take care of the problem though.

[Bedlam]

Most of the manufacturers add the tongue weight into their GVWR rating. So even if the axles are rated for more, they lower the standard of the rims and tires expecting the TW will make up the difference. They do not take variations in left to right or forward to rear loading into consideration.