I have a 3h slant bumper pull. After only one year of use, my tires wear worn abnormally with passenger rear nearly bald on one side. The other 3 tires were also worn excessively on one side or the other with the drivers front having the most tread left. The manufacturer replaced the axles and tires. Now less than one year later the same thing is happening. He passenger rear is wearing more on the outside and the driver side rear has more wear on the inside. The manufacturer says the tires may need balanced and that bias ply tires just don't hold up well. But I don't think even a cheap tire should wear that bad? All my research says it's a camber issue? Any other ideas? The trailer pulls fine. No vibrations or anything weird. Why is it wearing tires like this?
Posted 2015-02-23 9:45 PM (#162670 - in reply to #162669) Subject: RE: Abnormal tire wear???
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
I would suspect an axle alignment problem, with the axles' mounting points being at fault, especially considering the same problem after an axle replacement.... Try having the alignment checked at a wheel alignment shop. You should also check the trailer's level point to discern if the hitch is set too high at the front. This can effect a higher load on the rear tires and cause premature wear. A lesser quality tire usually will exhibit wear more quickly than a more expensive one, but the wear patterns on the threads should be even, if the wheels' alignment and tires' pressures are correct. The alignment shop can measure all three axis of the individual wheels' rotations, and attribute a cause if there are any discrepancies. For maximum wear and ride comfort, the wheels and tires should be balanced, and run at the manufacturer's maximum tire pressure specifications.
Posted 2015-02-24 12:30 PM (#162679 - in reply to #162669) Subject: RE: Abnormal tire wear???
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
When an inner or outer rib wears faster than the rest of the tire, the need for wheel alignment is indicated. There is excessive camber in the axle, causing the wheel to lean too much to the inside or outside and putting too much load on one side of the tire. The trailer may simply need the wheels aligned, but misalignment could be due to sagging springs, overloaded trailer or an unbalanced load on multi axle trailers. Because load has a great affect on alignment, be sure the trailer is loaded to balance the weight on the axle or axles. Trailer should be towed level, this is particularly important with independent suspension trailers using torsion axles....the fact that the rear passenger side tire is most worn would tend to make one believe your trailer is NOT level when being towed, besides other issues...
Posted 2015-02-25 8:24 PM (#162690 - in reply to #162669) Subject: RE: Abnormal tire wear???
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
I agree that your trailer during travel is riding nose high. Level it under load, not empty, if leveling it empty isn't solving your problems. Your largest horse should ride in the second slant directly over the axles, not in the last slot. Are you leaving the first stall empty? Do you pack your rear tack full? You can try moving the rear tack items to the front tack or the first stall to see if this helps also. These will only help after you level the trailer with the proper hitch drop and will not help with the side wear on the tires, balancing should correct. If balancing the tires isn't correcting the tread wear then you might have a friend follow you to see if your trailer tracks like a hound-dog down the highway. If it's not tracking straight then you have major issues with axle alignment to deal with.
Abnormal tire wear???
