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Inside tire wear on driver side

Carvhors
Explorer
Explorer
Apologies for the long post. Suspension/wheel question: I have a 2017 Coleman 17FQ, single 3500 lb Dexter axle. Over the last two seasons Iโ€™ve had the door-side leaf spring flatten a bit more than the other causing the rig to slightly list to the door side. On the last trip of the season last year, coming home, the leaf totally flattened out. I replaced both leaf springs (2000 lbs) after taken the unit out of storage this year. Weโ€™re getting ready to go on our first long road trip next weekend (about 1,000 miles round trip), so I took the rig out for a test drive with the new springs. After getting back home I crawled underneath to double check the torque on the nuts/bolts, I noticed that the inside of the driverโ€™s side tire was extremely worn. Though the tires are Jaxxon China bombs theyโ€™ve actually worn very well for three years...until now. Could the listing have caused the wearing? I also noticed that the camber on that wheel is slightly off. The top of the tire/wheel tilts about 2 degrees inward. I adjusted the bearings...there was slight movement in that wheel, but itโ€™s snug now. Iโ€™m getting Goodyear Enduranceโ€™s installed on Friday. Should I be concerned with that wheel camber being slightly out for this trip? Am I going to screw up these new tires? Any productive opinions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
10 REPLIES 10

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Explorer III
Huntindog wrote:
Carvhors wrote:
I adjusted the bearings...there was slight movement in that wheel, but itโ€™s snug now.


How did you "adjust" the bearings?
There NEEDS to be a slight amount of play when the hub and bearing are cold. You can use a dial caliper to measure it, or follow the specific instruction of the axle manufacturer, which will result in the correct amount of play.
If there is no play when cold, then they will be tight when hot!
Too loose and too tight are both bad.


X2!

Don't drive it anywhere until you reset the bearings, you have them too tight if there is no slack and fix the axle and springs.

Trailer bearings unlike an automobile axle bearing IS allowed to have some slack and running zero slack means you have them too tight. Look up Dexter axles website, they have some very handy technical information available for maintenance which includes setting the bearings which applies to any axle manufacturer.

Since you have experienced damage to your axle springs and now the axle I suspect you are heavily overloaded on that side.

You need to get your rig weighed when loaded then adjust your gear inside to get some of the weight off of that side..

This maybe due to the interior design for your cabinets and may take some noodling to get it corrected.

Get the axle and springs fixed now, do not attempt to go as is..

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
JIMNLIN wrote:
Find a big rig trailer repair shop and let them R&R/reset the axle back in proper alignment.


Not likely an alignment issue if you re-read the OP's description of the symptoms.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Huntindog
Explorer
Explorer
Carvhors wrote:
I adjusted the bearings...there was slight movement in that wheel, but itโ€™s snug now.


How did you "adjust" the bearings?
There NEEDS to be a slight amount of play when the hub and bearing are cold. You can use a dial caliper to measure it, or follow the specific instruction of the axle manufacturer, which will result in the correct amount of play.
If there is no play when cold, then they will be tight when hot!
Too loose and too tight are both bad.
Huntindog
100% boondocking
2021 Grand Design Momentum 398M
2 bathrooms, no waiting
104 gal grey, 104 black,158 fresh
FullBodyPaint, 3,8Kaxles, DiscBrakes
17.5LRH commercial tires
1860watts solar,800 AH Battleborn batterys
2020 Silverado HighCountry CC DA 4X4 DRW

Huntindog
Explorer
Explorer
corvettekent wrote:
I would not take this on a 1,000 mile trip until you get the axle fixed.
X2 thst will just tear up a new tire.

Have you ever weighed it loaded for a trip?

This is a classic symptom of a bent axle, either from overloading or road hazard.

If a new axle is needed (they are quite affordable) I recomend up sizing it. You can get them custom made with larger and/or thicker tubes. And it doesn't add much to the cost.

Manufacturers tend to IMO, under axle trailers.
Huntindog
100% boondocking
2021 Grand Design Momentum 398M
2 bathrooms, no waiting
104 gal grey, 104 black,158 fresh
FullBodyPaint, 3,8Kaxles, DiscBrakes
17.5LRH commercial tires
1860watts solar,800 AH Battleborn batterys
2020 Silverado HighCountry CC DA 4X4 DRW

corvettekent
Explorer
Explorer
I would not take this on a 1,000 mile trip until you get the axle fixed.
2022 Silverado 3500 High Country CC/LB, SRW, L5P. B&W Companion Hitch with pucks. Hadley air horns.

2004 32' Carriage 5th wheel. 860 watts of solar MPPT, two SOK 206 ah LiFePO4 batteries. Samlex 2,000 watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter.

deltabravo
Nomad
Nomad
Likely have a bent axle, causing the camber problem.
2009 Silverado 3500HD Dually, D/A, CCLB 4x4 (bought new 8/30/09)
2018 Arctic Fox 992 with an Onan 2500i "quiet" model generator

Mike134
Explorer
Explorer
Carvhors wrote:
JIMNLIN wrote:
Find a big rig trailer repair shop and let them R&R/reset the axle back in proper alignment.


Yes, the plan is to have it checked out by a shop. In the meantime, do you think it would be safe to take this on our long distance camping trip this weekend (1000 mls round trip), or will I just mess up the new tires? The camber is only about 2 degrees inward at the top of the wheel


Safe yes but will wear the inside of the tire. Sounds like you have an axle problem.

http://www.dexterpartsonline.com/page/398255222

see question #6
2019 F150 4X4 1903 payload
2018 Adventurer 21RBS 7700 GVWR.

Carvhors
Explorer
Explorer
JIMNLIN wrote:
Find a big rig trailer repair shop and let them R&R/reset the axle back in proper alignment.


Yes, the plan is to have it checked out by a shop. In the meantime, do you think it would be safe to take this on our long distance camping trip this weekend (1000 mls round trip), or will I just mess up the new tires? The camber is only about 2 degrees inward at the top of the wheel

JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
Find a big rig trailer repair shop and let them R&R/reset the axle back in proper alignment.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Is the neg camber gone? Likely not. Bearing would have to be pretty loose to see camber and it would sit straight until stress on wheel.
My internet diagnosis is sacked out the springs means they were overloaded. (Not that you overloaded it. Camper may just be too heavy for axle and old springs.)
Overloaded axle = bent axle. Bent axle = neg camber in tire(s) because the axle is bent.
Neg camber = tire wear on in side.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold