Bent Axle, or spindle welded on crooked?
Cross posting this to get more answers... Tire_Wear_Pic I just returned from a 2600 mile trip out west towing our Venture Sonic 170VBH. The camper has about 5000 miles on the OEM*Trailer King ST205/...
Forum Discussion
The wear pattern in your pic, can come from the wheel being in an excessive toe angle condition. And I think it may be excessive tow in on yours. Tow in meaning, the wheel is tipped inward pointing towards the camper. Basically, the wheel is at an angle too far from spec and the tire is scrubbing the road with the trailer going straight.
By eye, you said the other tires look OK, but they too may be wearing wrong if you measure the wear close enough, they just are not as bad yet. Tires start out true even in tread depth when new. And measuring the thread depth across the face of the tire tells how good or bad the wheels are in or out of alignment. Knowing all 4 tires in tread depth can tell a story on how the axle alignment is at all wheels.
There are other reasons beyond the end of the spindle being bent or welded on wrong that can create that condition. The axle could of been made on the high end of spec for toe in, the rear hanger on that side and or the opposite side can be welded to the frame out of location, the U bolts were tightened with the axle seat and axle pin favoring tow in (there is clearance between the pin and the hole in the axle seat), and or the leaf spring can be made wrong with the hole location for the center pin. Or a little of all 4 adding up against you.
Pending what tools you have to work with, and if you have the means and want to figure this out yourself, it can be done at home. Even gross checks to see where the problem may be.
See this pic, this wear is like yours, just it is excessive tow out, and not toe in like yours. In my case, I had axle tubes made wrong from day one and I had hangers welded on in the wrong location.
If you want to try and sort this out yourself, this post may help.
TT axle alignment & install - Detailed (long lot's of pics)
I looked up your camper, if this it?
https://www.venture-rv.com/2016-products/sonic-travel-trailers/2016-specifications-sonic.html
A 2016 170VBH? It lists a 4,000# GVWR, 21 ft long, with a 680# cargo capacity. And I'm assuming it is tandem axle.
680# is not a lot of cargo capacity for a 21 ft camper, while you are checking things, have you weighed the camper? Ideally you can get individual wheel weights, or at least each axle weight. Need to rule out a wheel loading situation.
There are trailer shops that bend the axle tube to put it back into alignment. I myself am not a fan of that, but it is done often. The ideal first thing to do is, to find out what is wrong. Are the hangers welded on wrong, that wheel location too heavy, the axle made wrong etc. Once you know what is wrong, you can make better choices on how to fix it and not have this come back in the future. Bending an axle tube to correct a welded on hanger in the wrong location or other issue beyond the axle tube, is not the right fix.
Hope this helps and let us know how you make out.
John
By eye, you said the other tires look OK, but they too may be wearing wrong if you measure the wear close enough, they just are not as bad yet. Tires start out true even in tread depth when new. And measuring the thread depth across the face of the tire tells how good or bad the wheels are in or out of alignment. Knowing all 4 tires in tread depth can tell a story on how the axle alignment is at all wheels.
There are other reasons beyond the end of the spindle being bent or welded on wrong that can create that condition. The axle could of been made on the high end of spec for toe in, the rear hanger on that side and or the opposite side can be welded to the frame out of location, the U bolts were tightened with the axle seat and axle pin favoring tow in (there is clearance between the pin and the hole in the axle seat), and or the leaf spring can be made wrong with the hole location for the center pin. Or a little of all 4 adding up against you.
Pending what tools you have to work with, and if you have the means and want to figure this out yourself, it can be done at home. Even gross checks to see where the problem may be.
See this pic, this wear is like yours, just it is excessive tow out, and not toe in like yours. In my case, I had axle tubes made wrong from day one and I had hangers welded on in the wrong location.
If you want to try and sort this out yourself, this post may help.
TT axle alignment & install - Detailed (long lot's of pics)
I looked up your camper, if this it?
https://www.venture-rv.com/2016-products/sonic-travel-trailers/2016-specifications-sonic.html
A 2016 170VBH? It lists a 4,000# GVWR, 21 ft long, with a 680# cargo capacity. And I'm assuming it is tandem axle.
680# is not a lot of cargo capacity for a 21 ft camper, while you are checking things, have you weighed the camper? Ideally you can get individual wheel weights, or at least each axle weight. Need to rule out a wheel loading situation.
There are trailer shops that bend the axle tube to put it back into alignment. I myself am not a fan of that, but it is done often. The ideal first thing to do is, to find out what is wrong. Are the hangers welded on wrong, that wheel location too heavy, the axle made wrong etc. Once you know what is wrong, you can make better choices on how to fix it and not have this come back in the future. Bending an axle tube to correct a welded on hanger in the wrong location or other issue beyond the axle tube, is not the right fix.
Hope this helps and let us know how you make out.
John
