axel alignment

Tabnero

I have 8200 miles on the current tires and notice that the ware on them is a little uneven. looks like the outside edge is mor warn than the inside edge. Getting new tires soon and want to know if there is an alignment adjustment that can be made. Thank you collective wisdom.

manyman297

There’s not really a way to align these axles. Typically when wear is uneven like that you’d need to look into an issue with the hubs, inflation (not likely) or a defective axle. There have been issues with Dexter torsion axles being defective and causing wear usually to the inner part of the tire. Outer wear I’m not so sure of.  

tphaggerty

Same happened to me but with significantly more miles. Only the passenger tire seemed to wear that way. Replaced them with Goodyear endurance tires and plan to rotate side to side every year or so. Going on 30k real miles on our tab, figured trying to do any axle alignment wasn't worth it. 

Having said that, the tire guy I spoke with thought maybe it could be done by shimming the bolts connecting the axle to the trailer since the wear is actually a toe in/out problem (excess toe in scrubs the outside of the tire, excess toe out scrubs the inside - or so I was told).

Mickerly

Measure from the hitch ball socket to the hub center. It should measure the same on both sides. If it measures the same, your problem is probably in the tires: inflation, balancing, manufacturing quality, etc. If the tire wear you see is even all the way around, there could be an axle issue. If it is a series of evenly spaced spots, have your tires balanced.

If the two measurements from above are different, find someone that works on trailers. It doesn't have to be an RV place. See what they think about options. You would also notice the trailer tracking off center. You can check the mirrors to see if you can see the same amount of trailer on both sides as you are towing. The trailer is old enough, you would have noticed this issue a long time ago.

There are no adjustments on this axle for toe in/out problems. You can measure from the center tire rib across the front and across the rear to the opposite center tire rib. The distances should be very close with the front being the same or slightly shorter. If the measurements are noticeably different or the rear measurement is shorter, the axle is probable bent.

The last measurement is the amount the bottom of the tire is canted in. Most people don't have the equipment to measure this. The ware pattern looks like incorrect toe in/out. There are no adjustments. Again, this is caused by a bent axle.

Curbs or big rocks/holes can bend the axle. It is a hollow tube and not designed for off road use.