Rear inside tire wear. Bent axel?

[Frznrth]

Hi
I have a 4 year old 30' bullet. I noticed that the inside of both rear tires are completely worn out - a bit on the outsides too but not nearly as bad. The fronts are wearing fine fand only maybe 1/3 gone. I read this can be from a bent axel. I do see a wow in the axle but have also been told that some bend is normal. True?? I don't remember doing anything that would have bent an axle. Replace the axle?

Am I good to replace the tears with new ones or do the fronts need to match?

Thanks for the time.

[Frznrth]

Likely best to upgrade but for the amount we use it now and in the foreseeable future I'll likely just go with whatever feeble piece of junk they have on there now. I will be watching a lot more carefully for potholes and curbs though.
Thanks for all the help.

[harley4275]

time2roll wrote:
I would not just replace the axle but upgrade the entire suspension with higher rated springs, greaseable HD suspension, next higher rated axles, and disk brakes. Good luck.

X2. That is exactly what I had done...under warranty also. Rides much better and quieter.

[JIMNLIN]

I do see a wow in the axle but have also been told that some bend is normal. True?? I don't remember doing anything that would have bent an axle. Replace the axle?

Am I good to replace the tears with new ones or do the fronts need to match?

Thanks for the time.

Axles today come OEM with a upward camber bow unlike our older trailer axles that were straight
A 4 year old trailer with a bent axle isn't a big deal.
Drop by a local big rig truck/trailer repair shop and have them check both axles out and give you professional advise. If the axle is bent their set up to bend the axle back into alignment with the axle on the trailer....or if you have the money they can replace the axle(s).

Axles on rv and commercial trailers get bent. I've bent a 10k axle on a flatdeck trailer on a worksite. A area big rig trailer repair shop near the worksite, hydraulically bent the axle back to specs.

[JIMNLIN]

delete...dble post...jim

[bartlettj]

Axles are light on purpose- to remove unsprung weight so they don't hop or ride poorly. If you've ever removed the gears and brakes from a truck axle and weighed it, you'll find it is quite light. Tubing is amazingly strong for the wall thickness. Overloading an undersized axle will definitely bend them though.

Think about your tow vehicle axle... usually over 5000 pound capacity per axle. Now think about how your trailer probably weighs as much as your tow vehicle but rides on axles that are probably 3500 each. It's no wonder they get bent.

[myredracer]

I don't agree the cause is because axles are "garbage". It's because some TT manufacturers, like Keystone, load the axles and tires up to within pounds of their ratings. Then it doesn't take much of a thump from a pothole(s) to over-stress axles.

Take a look at the sticker on the axles to find the axle rating. Assuming they're 2-3/8" 3500 lb axles, you can upgrade to a larger tube 3" dia. and higher rating and can order them with 5 lugs so you don't have to replace the wheels. Tires should have at least 15 percent reserve load capacity, and the more you can get, the better. We have around 30 percent on ours. When you replace the tires, I'd go up one load range and you'd probably be going from LRC to LRD.

If ordering a pair of higher rating axles, you can get larger dia. 12" drums which is a good upgrade to have. We upgraded to 5,000 lb axles on our TT and originally was 3500 lbs and have larger 12" brakes. No issues after thousands of miles all over the place on all sorts of road conditions.

All axles have a camber, an upward arch. They flatten out a bit when the weight of the TT is settled on them but still should have a camber. If the axle(s) appear flat, it/they need replacing. Some shops can re-arch them but for the small amount they cost, it's better to replace them.

A major problem I see with frames and axles is the complete lack of regulations and a TT and/or manufacturer can basically do what they want and to L*pp*rt if they break, it's "oh well" and your fault.

[time2roll]

I would not just replace the axle but upgrade the entire suspension with higher rated springs, greaseable HD suspension, next higher rated axles, and disk brakes. Good luck.

[mayo30]

I bought a 2012 Jayco white hawk 26rks last year and the dealer had put new tires on it saying they needed relacement.After doing some research I found that it was one of the original models and was known to have a problem.Jayco and dexter replaced the axles for the original owners under warranty if needed.Dexter offered me a very good price on replacements how ever freight and importing costs and dollar exchange were more then the axles.I went to Standens in Calgary and they made a whole set of axles,hubs,springs,hangers for me for less money.I now have 3" axles tubes instead of 2 3/8" thin wall.Most of the problem was because of the "wide stance"spread of the wheels,which is a pretty feeble sales ploy at best.Any kind of sharp movement,tight cornering, with this feature is extremely hard on hardware and tires.

[RCMAN46]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Yes, a slight arch is normal.

Most of todays axels are garbage as noted by the picture above. Most are thin as a beer can and can bend under normal wear and tear.

Very true. After my axle was removed for replacement and the hub and all of the other items removed I was looking at the axle. I could not believe how light the axle was. as said made out of beer can thick steel.

After that I understood why they say do not jack up a trailer on the axles.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Yes, a slight arch is normal.

Most of todays axels are garbage as noted by the picture above. Most are thin as a beer can and can bend under normal wear and tear.

Inside tire wear can be caused by quite a few things:
Bad tires.
Bad bearings or improperly set bearings.
Bent axel.
Bad spring hanger bushings.
Canted axel.
(The last one would cause the tire on one side to wear the inside and the other side of the trailer to wear the outside)

Good luck on the hunt. 🙂

[Frznrth]

Ouch. Glad to hear it was covered. I didn't notice anything like that but I'll have to have a better look at mine. If nothing is so obvious what else can I look for to know if the axle needs replacing? Am still wondering if the slight arc is normal.

[RCMAN46]

Here is what happened to my axle after many very very large chuckholes on I40 between California and Flagstaff Arizona about 8 years ago.

Notice the axle tube has collapsed.

Lippert did replace the axle under warranty.

[Frznrth]

Thanks. Strange with the upward arc. I see this on the rear axle that is wearing but not the front which isn't wearing. Is the arc supposed to be only on the rear?

[harley4275]

There should be an upward arc in the axle. If it weakened and is straight ,you will wear the inside of the tires. Mine did that and had both axles replaced with 4400# vs old 3500#.