trailer issues

[pthein]

I am having some trailer issues and need repair advice. I have an older boat trailer, twin axle, drum brakes on the rear axle. I just towed from San Francisco to Los Angeles and had the right rear axle tire wear all tread off the inside of the tire down to the chord while leaving tread on the outside of the tire. Tires are E load rated tires. All tires were inflated to the max cold tire pressure prior to the tow. I found the rear axle to be one inch farther aft on the right side. Axle was centered on the spring but spacing was off and axles were not parallel. I assumed this was the source of tire wear. In order to make the axles parallel I had to offset the right rear axle on the spring. This made the axles parallel and seemed to significantly reduce the tire wear on the return trip home.



Questions –



What might have caused the axles to not be parallel even though they were centered on the springs? Bad springs? Hangers are spaced evenly.
Trailer continues to have some sway in it – What can be done to reduce sway?
How do I tell if I have a bent axle?
Tire wear on left front tire is feathering tread low on the inside of a tread and then high on the outside of the same tread. Again tire pressure is set to cold max inflation. The neighboring tread is then low and high across the tire. What is causing this? Axle alignment?

[SRE372]

Do not offset axle on the spring.This will cause the spring to work incorrectly.You have to move the whole carriage that the spring attaches to on that side.You may have gotton struck off the end of a ramp or in a hole and pulled that side out

[Bad Influence]

Its normal to have some inside tread wear. This happens when you make sharp turns. The tire bends over has it is draged around the turn. Don't believe me? Next time you back sharply into a driveway watch your tires closely. You will think they are coming off the rim. Thats just the way they work. I replace my tires every 4 years, and always keep a spare hub, bearings and wheel and tire.

[Mumblerone]

Talk to the boys at www.championtrailers.com they will be of great help. Not sure in your case; but sway is usually an indication of not enough weight on the ball. Try moving the whole boat foreward 6" if you can. Better yet, as long as you working with the axles...move them back 6". In any event, the axles have to be parallel to each other and perpendicular to the trailer frame. Is the trailer sized for the boat...maybe boat is too heavy? Just a guess; sounds like you whacked one axle somehow moving it out of parallel and bent the spindle in the process!

Boston Whaler, "MUMBLER", 24' Outrage, twin 175 HP Evinrude Ocean Pros. Snowball, the cat...

[chorn24]

I just picked up a new 7000lb torsion trailer with Kodiak stainless disks because of leef spring issues, I had my old trailer for three boats and it was time. I hope the torsions give better service.

[pthein]

SRE372-

I was worried about the axle being offset on the spring, but the spring hangers are spaced the same left and right. Also the hangers are welded so I am sure they didnt move. The front and rear spring are connected via the equalizer bar so one spring cant move fore or aft anyway (besides the fact that the hangers are welded not bolted). If I were to move the whole side of hangers fore or aft it wouldnt change the fact that the axles are not parallel to each other it would simply move the whole side. Cant change the spacing of the hangers.

Bad Influence -

I agree that the tires certainly look like they are going to pull off on sharp manuevering turns but I am talking about taking all the inside tread off of a tire after 400 miles of towing..



I am also sure the spindle and axles are not bent. With the axles perfectly parallel, the spindles are evenly spaced which tells me they are straight. I even used some string to look for a bent axle - they are straight.....

I sent an email to Chanpoin - hope to hear back from them and will let you guys know......