How do you replace a tire?

[M1970]

Hard to believe but I cannot figure it out and my level of frustration is increasing.

I have a 1970 single axle. I took off some worn out 15/7.00 L tires, they were a bit tough to get off - the side wall was dragging on the wheel well.


Initially the shop gave me 225/75 tires but I couldn't get them in the wheel well so I went back and they put on 15/7.00 LT tires. I cannot get these back in the wheel well either What am I doing wrong? Is the problem that I have LT not L?

I feel a little better. I take the dog for a walk and maybe I'll feel much better.

[RickDavis]

The wheel wells are very tight on these. ( I have a 70 globetrotter) You will have to jack up the trailer fairly high to get a better angle.
It might also help to hold a piece of sheet metal between the tire and the wheel well to make it slide across the rivets that stick through.
It also may be that the arm the hub is on is not dropping down as far as it used to due to age.
Last resort is to deflate the tires and then reinflate them after installation

[easyride]

Sounds like your axle is shot,not dropping down to give you good clearance,it may help to let the air out the tire until you get it mounted. Also have a helper pull out on the wheel well. Dave

[M1970]

Thanks for the tips. At the moment the jacks are under the axle - would another location be better?

What does a shot axle mean (other than a repair bill) - can I still pull it?

[Ganaraska]

If the axle is bad there is no suspension. The hard ride can shake your trailer to pieces. Loose rivets, fatigue cracks in body and frame etc.

There are threads on this. Once you see pictures of a trailer with good axles, and one with worn out axles, the difference is obvious. When the axles are worn out the trailer sits much lower.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by M1970

Thanks for the tips. At the moment the jacks are under the axle - would another location be better?

What does a shot axle mean (other than a repair bill) - can I still pull it?

NEVER, EVER, put jacks on the axle. You can ruin the axle or throw it out of alignment, by doing so.

All 1974 and prior axles will fail due to the incorrect composition of rubber that was used.

The other thing that kills the rubber rods, is to park the trailer for an extended time, with all the weight on the tires.

There is an axle article in the Airstream Central section of this Forums, that will teach you how to check it out yourself.

Andy

[47WeeWind]

By placing the jack on the axle, you are pushing the axle up into the wheel well to lift the trailer, making changing a tire much more difficult. Move the jack to go underneath the frame rail that runs front-to-rear just inside of the wheel well, so the trailer lifts and the axle droops.

The frame rail is above and inside the belly pan, thus hidden from view, so you will have to feel for it by hand when placing the jack underneath it. Sometimes a jacking point is marked on the belly pan by a small square of aluminum attached to the belly pan. The jack should be just forward or rear of the wheel well underneath the frame rail, to give you room to wiggle the tire and wheel assembly. Once the trailer is raised, ALSO put a jack stand under the frame rail at the other end of the wheel well, so you have the trailer raised at two points for redundant safety. Sometime I use large stacked timbers instead of a jack stand.

Finally, remove the round small (~2" diameter) grease cap from the outer end of the axle. That should get you a bit more clearance on the axle end to squeeze the tire and wheel up past the axle. Good luck!

[cruiser54]

I call up to my garage service..

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by 47WeeWind

By placing the jack on the axle, you are pushing the axle up into the wheel well to lift the trailer, making changing a tire much more difficult. Move the jack to go underneath the frame rail

I don't think jacking on the axle cross bar on a Duratorque axle will push it any further up into the wheel well. On a Leaf spring axle it will.

Regardless, it is not the best place to jack from as if it slips it will go through the belly pan at a minimum. A better place is jacking under the frame or the fish plate the axle is bolted to.

[elfirebob]

M1970
Pretty much saw this same movie on my own 70 Safari, rig.
Shot axle on and already tight wheel well. As covered in the previous threads, to at least get going, let the air out of the tire, jack up from the frame, look just aft of the axle on the under belly skin, look for the square lift points plate with the rivet at the center. lift there. I lifted as high as I safely could, then lifted the nose a bit , used cribbing for safety.
bolt up your rim and re-inflate to pressure.
A shot axle will not come down, nor up, virtually no movement and this expains your difficulty. I just replaced my axle with a new one from Inland, no more tire install problems and I added about 3 plush inches to hight.
Good luck with your rig, great size and layout...

[68 TWind]

Axles are most likely shot. New tires and long trip in your trailer with no suspension will be bad on lots of things. Check the axles and replace if you find you have no suspension. Had the same issue on my Trade Wind with the original axles. They had exactly ZERO movement, torsion arms were frozen in place.