Oh Dear. I have bent running gear...

[Steve562]

On a new (to me) 2006 28' Classic. Tires (Michium LTs) still have plenty of tread left but are 5 years old and the left rear is getting chewed. I saw somewhere in the paperwork an alignment was done on this trailer (for whatever that's worth) a number of years ago and hope that is all it needs now. Currently in San Diego and I understand there is a couple of shops here that do this. Next stop is Lake Havasu and since that is sort of an RV 'Mecca", I am wondering if I should wait to get there to deal with this. What would you guys do in this situation if you were up against this? Thanks in advance!

[r carl]

Find a truck shop that can bend trailer axles to align the wheels.

[GCinSC2]

Suggest raising that wheel off of the ground and feeling wheel bearings for slop, wiggle etc. If it's a bad bearing causing tire wear running it can make a bad thing a lot worse.

[PKI]

Rule #1 - fix the RV, before starting the trip. Doing repairs in exotic places in not nearly as exciting and satisfying as it sounds on first consideration. Pat

[Bill M.]

I would replace the 5 year old tires and check the wheel bearings and brakes asap. Then I would try to get the alignment checked and fixed. I think you have more potential problems than just the alignment. Even if it cost you an early replacement you still need new tires. And it could be a bad tire or brake causing the wear. It looks like you should be able to find a tire shop in San Diego that can do it all at once. If the alignment issue is not real bad you might just keep replacing that tire sooner than the rest like the PO must have been doing.

[Steve562]

Thanks all for the replies. I don't think I have wheel bearing problems. Pulled one off to repair a leak due to a nail. Checked the hub and the grease was brand new. Which verified what the previous owner said about having it done when the tires were replaced before it was parked. (it had been in storage for a couple of years when I bought it) I am a newbie in all of this. Have read somewhere also that it is a no no to heat the axle for bending. Is this true? Also would I be smarter to wait to leave CA to buy tires?

[r carl]

Originally Posted by Steve562

Thanks all for the replies. I don't think I have wheel bearing problems. Pulled one off to repair a leak due to a nail. Checked the hub and the grease was brand new. Which verified what the previous owner said about having it done when the tires were replaced before it was parked. (it had been in storage for a couple of years when I bought it) I am a newbie in all of this. Have read somewhere also that it is a no no to heat the axle for bending. Is this true? Also would I be smarter to wait to leave CA to buy tires?

They don't use heat to bend the axles.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by r carl

They don't use heat to bend the axles.

True.
And yes, it would be a BIG no-no to heat one for any reason. The torsion in the axle comes from rubber torsion rods inside the axle. Burn those up and the axle is ruined.

[Steve562]

That explains why the axles eventually wear out. Rubber degrades over time. Guess i need to count on replacing the shocks too.

[guskmg]

You don't describe what chewing a tire looks like. Go by a Michelin dealer and have him look at the wear pattern and tell you what is going on. The chewing description sounds odd unless it is caused by a bad shock or imbalance. Axle alignment would look like smooth , but deeper wear around the inside or out side edges of the tire. Wear on both inside and outside edges is due to under inflation. Wear in the center is due to over inflation. The tire could be defective, but I doubt it. Michelins almost never fail unless damaged by road hazard or low inflation. Critters have also been known to chew tires, but that is usually in the woods.
guskmg

[TouringDan]

I doubt you have bent axles. It would take an extremely strong force like an accident to bend the axles IMHO. Also misalignment is not possible as there is no way to adjust the axles.

I suspect a bearing problem. I agree that you should take it to a tire shop and see what their assessment is.

Dan

[turk123]

Don't wait to get to Lake Havasu! That is the worst place to get any work done. I was just there for a week. No one works in Lake Havasu!

We had an emergency with our dog. The animal hospital said we could bring her in at the end of the month 28 days later! It was an emergency!

Rant over. But seriously not the place to find qualified mechanics. More than half the population leaves during the summer. Find a qualified dealer in scottsdale.

[jrwayne]

Hi Steve,

I was your neighbor at Admiral Baker, SD. What was the prognosis on the tires and bearing?

[Steve562]

Thanks guys, all is good now.. East County Alignment in Santee gave it a clean bill of health other than one wheel bearing is a tad loose. Will watch it and have a full set of wheel bearings and seals on hand. Toe in was acceptable. Installed a new set of LTXs and it is good to go. Got to Lake Havasu today and plan to be here for a while. lol Renovations roadshow... Happy Trails Jodey All the best on your journeys!