uneven wear in trailer tires

[Right Touch]

i just posted the thread on the trailer maintenance and it reminded me of another problem I have with my 8.5x20 dual axle. The tires always look like one is angled in and the other is angled out (on the same side). Is this just because they are independent axles? And the tires are wearing away down to the wires on the interior of the tires but still brand new on the exterior. any answers?

[topsites]

Yeah, you've either got bent axles due to overloading, you regularly
drive with too much load on the trailer, or you run too light-duty a tire.

That's the only reasons I know of why they would wear out on the inside,
they're not bias-plies are they?

I would be for checking the tires first, if they're the ones that came with the trailer
OR you bought another set just like those for it, they're likely cheapos.

Get some real tires, run you $400 for 4, why I have a single axle and reason number
13,963b (exception A, deferred amendment 104.y, see rule XCII, anno domini)
why I load light.

[Right Touch]

i was ignorant when I bought this trailer (used) and was told after the fact that the axles are only 7500lb gvwr. Should I fork out the $ and upgrade to 10,000lb axles?

[DiyDave]

The reason tires wear out on the inside is because the earth is round. You might want to also check for bent axle, or uneven loading, or check to see if the frame of the trailer is level. If you have it set too low in the front, loading is disproportionately on the front axle, and will cause the wear problem. There is also the chance that something could be bent frame-wise, or wear in springs, or an axle shifted sideways. Get a friend to follow to the left or right and see if its crabbing to one side or the other. Good luck!:laugh::laugh:

[topsites]

i was ignorant when I bought this trailer (used) and was told after the fact that the axles are only 7500lb gvwr. Should I fork out the $ and upgrade to 10,000lb axles?

I would make sure, after the trailer is unloaded, that the axle(s) aren't bent but on that note most
axles tend to have a little bow to them, so it's hard to say from just looking at it.

You will want to take it to a trailer dealer, that is where you'll get the tires for it, don't take it to an auto shop.
That way you can also ask them questions related to this.
Then it depends on cost, I run C Load-rated tires on mine, the LOWER the letter the tougher the tire, a C-rated tire is 6-ply...
Not sure if they come bias-ply but I insist on radials!
Yup, right about $100 a piece, that's installed too but I go 4-5 years or better on mine.

More than likely, what I would do is just buy some quality tires first and monitor them over the next 4-5,000 miles,
look at them at say 1,000 mile intervals and between keeping them properly inflated just see if they're still doing it.
Seeing how you have to replace those anyhow...
Take it from there, if after 5k they're gtg start checking them every 2,500 miles or once a month.
That also helps you spot trouble coming long before it hits the fan.
Then if they are still wearing bad you can consider the axles, but hopefully the right tire fixes it.

Also I am guessing you've become wiser on loading and heavy stuff, if it makes you feel any better the frame
on mine is bent some and I bought mine new but it just doesn't make that much of a difference.
Because my first set wore out like you're describing, in one low-mileage season to boot!
After I bought C-rated tires it has never worn them like that again, now I became
wiser as you did but my tires almost dry rot before they need replacing due to wear.
So they're well worth the expense.

[puppypaws]

i just posted the thread on the trailer maintenance and it reminded me of another problem I have with my 8.5x20 dual axle. The tires always look like one is angled in and the other is angled out (on the same side). Is this just because they are independent axles? And the tires are wearing away down to the wires on the interior of the tires but still brand new on the exterior. any answers?

If this started when the trailer was new it was not built with enough camber in the axles. Camber is bowing the axles up in the middle so the tires actually run more on the middle and outside when unloaded. When weight is added to trailer it bows the axles down to put the tires flat on the running surface.

If this was never a problem but has gotten bad over time the axles are either bent or have gradually fatigued from weight over time.

I have welded a piece of angle iron along the bottom of axles to make sure the camber did not reverse.

[TOOMUCHWALKING]

Measure center to center of the wheels and compare side to side-or just check the gaps between the tires