Outside tire wear

[Drb]

We had the same issue when we bought our pop up. Turns out we had a bent axle. $1200 to get a new one

 

[RobertDivine]

I have a single axle trailer and on both tires the outside tread is worn smooth. I always (try) to run at max pressure. I have put a lot of miles on the tires. I try to run as light as I can but wonder if that is why the outsides of the tires are wearing. Would towing with the trailer closer to it’s gvwr “even” out the tires and have more even wear? Or is there something else causing this?

I would guess that the outside tread wear is at least partially caused by trailer sway putting more pressure on the outside as the trailer moves from side to side. Noticed on our Fleetwood Niagara tires at about 13,000 miles (five years), even with use of sway bar. Wheel bearings re-packed annually. Usually loaded to max GVWR, 3,770. Replaced improper load range C tires with top quality D tires, added WD hitch which resulted in very minimum sway. Did not check axle camber. Only about 2,000 miles since the changes, but all seems well thus far. I would not expect to go 40,00 miles on any trailer tires!

 

[Mtlangst]

It might just be from a lot of miles. I have never noticed sway or anything. The trailer has always seemed to track well.

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

40k miles - nothing to complain about. The solid axle camber system is rudimentary as loads vary but camber is fixed, don't expect perfection.

 

[Mtlangst]

I would guess that the outside tread wear is at least partially caused by trailer sway putting more pressure on the outside as the trailer moves from side to side. Noticed on our Fleetwood Niagara tires at about 13,000 miles (five years), even with use of sway bar. Wheel bearings re-packed annually. Usually loaded to max GVWR, 3,770. Replaced improper load range C tires with top quality D tires, added WD hitch which resulted in very minimum sway. Did not check axle camber. Only about 2,000 miles since the changes, but all seems well thus far. I would not expect to go 40,00 miles on any trailer tires!

Curious what were your top quality rated D tire you used?

 

[ChiefHart]

Radial tires. I have AL-KO axles. I went out and measured and it does have camber to it. The camber is correct from what i can tell.

When getting new tires for my '93 Chesapeake PUC, most tire suppliers recommended bias tires over radial tires. The reasn is that the trailer does not nee the side to side motion that radial tires provide, and the bias tires are more supportive in the vertical moments. I suggest researching just to confirm that logic. So I am recommending that you change to bias tires and that might correct the problem.

 

[JiffyPopJunkie]

I would guess that the outside tread wear is at least partially caused by trailer sway putting more pressure on the outside as the trailer moves from side to side.

Im going with this more than anything else. If you had any mechanical issues, problems would present themselves WAY before 40,000 miles. Just get new rubber and smile knowing that you probably hold the record for miles traveled on trailer tires!

 

[Mtlangst]

Can you feel trailer sway? On the interstate i will go 70mph and have never felt any issues. I have a 1-ton van though so might not feel it if it was.

 

[Mtlangst]

 

[Mtlangst]

I am repacking my wheel-bearings. Is this pitting bad and what is the aqua blue color on the otherside?

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

If you have 40,000 miles on the bearings, maybe spring for a new set. Its easy as a DIY item.