Northwest only axle alignment?

[HJGyswyt]

Any one (In the Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Portland area) know of a reputable frame and alignment shop that can help with torsion axle alignment issues. Our Forest River trailer has started scrubbing the outside edge of the tires off and I don't know who has the equipment to check axle alignment. Hans

[Winterwolf227]

HJGyswyt wrote:

They would not allow me into the work area for liability reasons, so I couldn't take pictures of the fix.
Hans

Such Crap, they all use this excuse to keep you out of the mechanics area. Any shop that is proud of their work will allow you to see what is going on.

[TroyWa]

I cannot recall the name off my head but in Mt Vernon Wa there is a Frame and Axle shop. Bing it and it will come up. Brought our cattle trailer to him. Older kat whom is sharp and old skool kinda shop type. Few hundred to check our Featherlite out.

But.....looks like you got it done. Hope it works well.

[HJGyswyt]

Well, today I took my trailer to Kimballs Alignment in Tacoma WA. I had them check both axles. The rear axle was fine, but the front Axle had toe-in causing the curbside tire to scrub.

They would not allow me into the work area for liability reasons, so I couldn't take pictures of the fix. But it was explained to me that they cold bend the outer axle tube of the torsion axle to bring the trailing spindle back into alignment.

Time will tell if it is done right. I followed that up with a trip to my favorite tire store and had four new load range E tire mounted, so now we are hopefully set for many trouble free miles.

Alignment $260
Tires $620

Hans

[HJGyswyt]

Thanks everyone for your input so far. I did call Kimballs Aligment in Tacoma Wa as suggested and they advertise they align trailer axles, 1, 2 or 3 axle trailers. I was quite clear I had torsion axles and I was experiencing abnormal wear on one tire, and they told me they cold bend the outer tube while it is on the trailer to bring the spindle back into correct aligment. So this coming Tuesday I have the day off from work and will be their first customer of the day. I will repost and if they let me I will try and get pictures. I hope they know what they are doing. I was quoted $150 per axle. Now we will see.

[webwrangler]

I have a Forest River Rockwood with torsion axles, and after two "alignments" at two different shops, a third shop told me these axles can't be aligned. This was a major shop that aligned semi truck and trailer axles; the tech took me into the pit to show me why there was no way to align the axles on my trailer.

I haven't worried about it since. When the tires wear, I'll replace them.

[Winterwolf227]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Try a big truck/trailer suspension shop they should have a large enough rack to put it on. Don't waste your time at an RV dealer or auto repair shop. They won't be any help..

B.O.

X2

[Blazing_Zippers]

Poole Spring in Spokane did an alignment on our trailer several years ago. It cost a bit much, but worked well.

[mtofell1]

Not directly answering your question but, I've seen many trailers with excess wear on the outsides of the tires. I asked an RV tech once and he chalked it up to the trailers swaying a little bit back and forth constantly as they are being pulled. Also, the tires on TTs aren't exactly quality. Not to say it's a bad idea checking alignment... just thought I'd throw it out there.

[carringb]

What about going back to the Forest River factory in Dallas, OR?

[B_O__Plenty]

Try a big truck/trailer suspension shop they should have a large enough rack to put it on. Don't waste your time at an RV dealer or auto repair shop. They won't be any help..

B.O.

[i5trucker]

Les Schwab?

[msmith1_wa]

I would check with the Goodyear auto center in Fife or Kimball's Alignment in Tacoma.

[4X4Dodger]

You can check the axle alignment with a measuring tape. It's likely the way the shop will do it.

Measure from a fixed point on the tongue Like the leading edge of the hitch at the ball in the center, back at an angle to another fixed place on the first axle outboard near the wheel. Note the distance to the nearest sixteenth of an inch or less if possible. Repeat for each side of each axle and compare the distance. If they vary on any axle by more than a sixteenth it is out of alignment.

Now some axles can be aligned fairly easily but I am not familiar with your trailer.

While you may not be able to fix it your self this will tell you if alignment is the real problem.

As for shops there are many in the Seattle area. Try the big trailer dealers like Fruehauf, Dane etc but they are usually backed up with big trailers.

The phone book under TRUCK Alignment or TRAILER alignment will list the big shops. A web search will get you mostly Yelp and Yellowpages results that are not what you are really looking for.