Axle Alignment
Anyone know of a good place to get an axle alignment near Lapeer Michigan?
Forum Discussion
11 Replies
hddecker wrote:
michael8rc wrote:
Anyone know of a good place to get an axle alignment near Lapeer Michigan?
You might want to check this out. http://lippertcomponents.com/correct-track-ii
This setup will put some adjustability into your axles.
It gets pretty old pretty fast having misaligned axles scrubbing your tires off near as fast as you can get them on.
Should have said click the Aftermarket tab for the retrofit setup.michael8rc wrote:
Anyone know of a good place to get an axle alignment near Lapeer Michigan?
You might want to check this out. http://lippertcomponents.com/correct-track-ii
This setup will put some adjustability into your axles.
It gets pretty old pretty fast having misaligned axles scrubbing your tires off near as fast as you can get them on.- There is a Richfield trailer in Flint that may be able to align. I have always bought axles, brakes, and anything else I need for our trailers from them.
- My OEM tires wore unevenly I suspect from the wide axle placement and my cul-de-sac I frequently turn around in.. I had to replace them last spring after 3 seasons. I also had a frame shop in Novi re-align/bend at $100/axle. The new tires are wearing much better. So look up frame repair places near Lapeer and call for quotes.
B.O. Plenty wrote:
No you are not an outcast, I too use LT tires and tow at 75 MPH. My tire wear is perfect as well.
There is no guaranty a new axle will be straight or that the tracking is correct as manufactured. I had mine aligned at a professional shop that had done hundreds of RVs. My tracking was off on both axles, my camber was off on one axle and my toe was off on the other axle. I have pulled it about 5,000 miles since this was done last year. Zero problems, tire wear is perfect. Pulls really nice. I couldn't care less what others decide to do. I will get an alignment again in a heartbeat! I have about 25,000 miles om my LT tires also. I guess I'm just an outcast..LOL
B.O.
You just chose a route to get that result that I wouldn't.
Happy Camping- There is no guaranty a new axle will be straight or that the tracking is correct as manufactured. I had mine aligned at a professional shop that had done hundreds of RVs. My tracking was off on both axles, my camber was off on one axle and my toe was off on the other axle. I have pulled it about 5,000 miles since this was done last year. Zero problems, tire wear is perfect. Pulls really nice. I couldn't care less what others decide to do. I will get an alignment again in a heartbeat! I have about 25,000 miles om my LT tires also. I guess I'm just an outcast..LOL
B.O. - That axle bending video makes me cringe. The way he is bending it, is not even close to the way it is bent from the factory.
And he says he will be doing this for 3-4 hours!
As for the cost of axles.. They are cheap. I paid 105.00 for a standard 3500# axle with the 2 3/8" tube. 118.00 for a upgraded one with a heavy duty 3" tube. Of course the TT manufacturers would rather pocket the price difference which over thousands of units adds up to a tidy sum. - If you have abnormal tire wear on one of more tires, it may be due to a bent axle tube, bent spindle or spring hangers welded on incorrectly at the factory. This info. from Lippert shows likely causes of abnormal tire wear: tire wear causes
You can check alignment yourself with a tape measure and long straightedge. Here is some info. on how to do it: checking alignment Check all spring hangers to ensure they are vertical and not to one side or the other at the bottom. Have seen some out of vertical by as much as 5/8" top to bottom.
Here is Lippert info. on how to measure frame & axle alignment: Lip Sheet 0088 Lip Sheet 0143 Ssomewhere there is info. on what the tolerance is for the frame measurements but I couldn't find when I just looked.
This is how they straighten a bent axle on a TT (or FW). It's not something I would want to get done either. New axles are surprisingly inexpensive and not that terribly difficult to install if you have space and tools. Keep in mind that axles have a camber, or "arch" in them so that when the weight of the trailer is on them, they straighten out. You could take a long straightedge and see how straight they are and how the two axle tubes compare.
straightening bent axles - There really is not a way to align TT axles... At least not in a normal configuration.
There are no shims and adjusting bolts, tie rods etc.
The alignment is set when the axle hangers are welded onto the frame. IF, and that is a BIG IF this was done right, then the axles will be in alignment. The only way this will change is if something gets bent. Unfortunatly TT builders like to save a few dollars and often install axles that are BARELY strong enough for the job. This can mean that a common everyday occurrence such as a pothole or train tracks can cause an axle to become bent.....
So one really needs to determine just why the alignment is off, and then weigh the different pros and cons and methods of fixing it.
Axles can be bent to align them. I am NOT a fan of this. First off, because these are not the super heavy duty components that the big rigs have. I don't feel that our lightweight axles are a suitable candidate for bending to achieve alignment. Especially if they became unaligned by being bent in the first place. In that case I would put the money towards a heavier axle.... That way the fix is more likely to be permanent.
If the alignment is off because the hangers were welded on wrong, then bending them to align them to the improperly positioned hangers has a different disadvantage. If such a custom bent axle ever needs to be replaced, such as for a spun bearing etc... Then the new replacement axle will have to be bent to match the old bent axle.. If the spring hangers were cut off and welded on in the right position, then not only will the original axle not need to be bent, but any replacements later won't need to be bent either... And visits to the alignment shop won't ever be necessary.
OTOH, pulling into the alignment shop and paying to have it aligned is real easy.... They will be glad to take your money, and you just might become a regular customer. - A good heavy duty alignment shop that does semi tractors and trailers is where I would look. They can adjust tracking, toe in or out and camber. I've spent most of my life in the automotive service business and don't know of any possible way to adjust all these items at home. Had mine done last year. Money VERY well spent. Those XPS Ribs and other quality tires don't come cheap...
B.O.
