Uneven tire tread wear- not sure of trailer manufacturer if need new Axle

[tresvatos1]

I have new tires on my trailer and just late last season and one short 100 mile trip this season I have one tire that looks new and other in wearing very badly on the inside. I would suspect a slightly bent axle, or could be camber play ?? does any one here know what make trailer I have from my pics..? The OEM Label Plate was removed when I had a new paint job on the trailer.. thanks. greg

 

[rob91bob]

Have you checked your wheel bearings?

 

[tresvatos1]

no i have not.. As a matter of fact, they have only been greased, not replaced since I've had the rig.. Do you think this would be a good starting point..? I just don't want to replace bearings if I am going to wind up needing a new Axle..

 

[rob91bob]

Jack up the one side of the trailer and check to see if there is any movement in the bearings, spin them to see if they are making any strange noise.

 

[Wadayanuts]

I agree with Bob. And that's the easiest way to check. It's either the bearing which is an relatively easy fix or the axle is bent. We're the old tires wearing the same way? This is a long shot - but is the wheel tight?

 

[tresvatos1]

Sorry for late reply- yes the old tires were wearin the same - i think i am going to tackle the bearing replacement ASAP as this needs to be done regardless.

 

[tresvatos1]

Well I used my day before the 4th, which was supposed to be on the lake, replacing bearings.. Also found a broken U bolt around leaf springs.. Couldn't find a U bolt that size local, so had to extended it with another 1/2 bolt. Hopefully I have my uneven tire wear issue resolved.. I hope..

 

[RXz71]

Our customers boat trailer was doing that. The Axle was backwards from the factory. Where'd you get those wheels?

 

[biffdotorg]

I thought I would chime in on this thread. Sounds like tire wear can point at a number of things. Seems like the trailer shops have a good idea of the cause based on wear.

My tires were both wearing on the outer edges rather than down the middle. I took it in and had the bearings serviced and the axle checked. They inform me that the tires were underinflated causing the wear.

So since my tires were cracked and worn funny, I ordered two Goodyear Marathons from Sam's club. Sams would not take my trailer in the shop, so I either had to bring in the wheels or take it to a tire shop. The local shop had no issues doing the swap.

When I picked up the trailer, I asked them, "I want to try to avoid this again, what pressure should I run these at to avoid unusual wear" He said that trailer tires like this should be run at full pressure. Or just slightly less than the max load/pressure rating on the tire.

Since the tires were a bit squashed standing there, I asked what they were at right now, He said 50lbs. I almost called Bull$#@, but towed it home. I got it in the driveway and tested the tires to find they were both at about 38lbs. I took them right up to 49lbs and it has been towing nicely.

Good luck!