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CapriRacer · 07-14-2014, 04:49 AM

Just an FYI.

Tires aren't the cause of wear like this. The wear is being CAUSED in a tire - that is, one sided wear (which is what this is called) is caused by forces acting unevenly on the tire, typically camber. There is nothing in the tire itself that will cause this. I know it is surprising, but even severely off center belts won't cause one sided wear.

badkat · 07-14-2014, 08:32 AM

We will hook up tomorrow to go get tires replaced. Then we can see how level we are. No problems like this last year. We stop and are parked from Sept to Dec. All other times we are rolling every week or more and have been for a year and a half. So alignment will or will not help?

HowieE · 07-14-2014, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bel73

Why?

Because Jackson Center does not have the knowledge or equipment to align axles.

The Henschen axle has to be bent to align it. In bending an axle what ever you do to one side effects the other side. With that in mind you better have an individual that knows what he is doing before he starts.

The way a Henschen axle is mades does not lend itself to proper alingment from the factor. Most of these axles are used on vehicles that don't require accurate alignment, tanks, bobcats, bull dossers. Airstream just installs them and hopes for the best.

My 34 came from the factory with one axle out so much that tires lasted less than 5,000 miles. I had those axles aligned and when I replaced them years later I had the new axles aligned just after I installed them. That was in 1996 and the tires are dated 4906. The tire may have close to 100,000 miles on them and will be replaced because of age rather than ware.

Gene · 07-14-2014, 11:22 AM

The OP was going to Colorado Springs. Intermountain Coach used to be an Airstream dealer and may know how to fix the problem.

Gene

badkat · 07-14-2014, 11:40 AM

Since we have a Hensley hitch..can the truck stay attached to the trailer to change tires? Also we do have a tire ramp thingy..should they use that?

Now you know how rookie we are..LOL

HowieE · 07-14-2014, 11:53 AM

Yes the trailer can remain hitched while changing a tire.

What is a ramp thingy? If you mean an axle concentric that is placed under the axle just inside of the spring. NO that is designed for leaf spring application and you have torsion bar axles. The trailer has to be lifted at the frame to remove a tire.

If you are talking about a ramp that can be placed under one tire and driven on to a height enough to have the other axle clear the ground Yes. I doubt that such a ramp exists because of the incline it would have to have to lift the axle in that short of distance.

Gene · 07-14-2014, 12:27 PM

To raise one tire I have scrap 2 x 10 that I've cut a beveled edge on. Three of these, each one shorter than the last, work well. I've done it, no problem.

I think I've seen something advertised that does the same thing. Costs more than scrap lumber, but badkat probably doesn't have 2 x 10 and a miter saw with him.

Gene

badkat · 07-14-2014, 12:49 PM

The PO recommended this ramp to drive up on so not to jack frame or axle. Never been out of the box. It is called a trailer aid..traileraid.com.

r carl · 07-14-2014, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r carl

If something isn't worn you will have to get the axle bent to correct the camber and toe-in.

Like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS0na5TsDws

HowieE · 07-14-2014, 01:41 PM

The video illustrates the equipment and knowledge necessary to bend axles you should note that this video is for a spring axle and the only have to bend the tube. A torsion axle has a trailing arm between the axle tube and spindle. That makes the process quite a bit more complicated as they can not bend the spindle directly and the trailer frame has to bend also during alignment.

badkat · 07-14-2014, 02:09 PM

sounds scary!

badkat · 07-16-2014, 01:03 PM

Guess I am at square one.. so anyone know where I should go to find out what the problem is? Think we are heading towards Texas soon.

Might need new axle I guess.

blkmagikca · 07-16-2014, 03:23 PM

I have had my wheels aligned at JC - they adjusted the camber and toe-in. In my case, my axles are old (manufactured in 1986), so I am having new ones installed at JC next week.

The tires could also be a problem, particularly the ST tires. I have had weird wear and cupping caused by the tire belt shifting. I have also had the tread come loose at the edge, so that you could use the tip of your finger to stretch the tread away from the body of the tire and gaze down to see the row of steel belting. Those were Westlake tires (made in China).

For changing a flat tire, we use this: Trailer-Aid There are a number of similar "ramps". I can attest to the fact that they do work well - we had a blowout in May while on the 401 en route to Toronto (tire was a Goodyear Marathon). It took me a whole 15 minutes to do the wheel change.

JimGolden · 07-16-2014, 04:10 PM

Excessive Negative Camber will cause the inside edges to wear like that. Toe could maybe cause it, but my money would be on camber.

Camber is the in or out leaning of the tire in the vertical. As in, the tops of the tires leaning in toward the middle of the trailer is negative, leaning out is positive. Sports cars use a lot of negative camber so that the outside tire "plants" into the road rather than leaning outboard.

How could you get negative camber? Well, with one of these axles, if the axle were bent incorrectly, that could certainly cause it.

Toe is the horizontal relation ship of the tires. Toe in is when the fronts of the tires are pointing in toward the center of the trailer. Toe out is when the fronts are away from the center. Most cars use a little bit of toe-in because drag forces tend to toe them out a bit. So for steady state cruising, you'd like everything to be straight down the road. So maybe a wee bit of toe-in when it's parked will result in straight and true as you go down the road. But, I doubt it's toe.

It sounds to me like you really need to take it to a good shop and have them check things out.

badkat · 07-17-2014, 04:19 PM

We do not know where a good shop is. Now have new tires on the rear axle but know that we have a problem. The shop we were going to in Colorado Springs does not do torsion axles...so headed back south and still doing research on how to fix our problem. Any shop suggestions would be great...help!

Al and Missy · 07-17-2014, 04:22 PM

Any alignment shop that does trailers should be able to check it and you could compare their numbers to specs. They may not be able to fix it but they should be able to measure it for you.

HowieE · 07-17-2014, 06:46 PM

Stop at a truck terminal and ask the service manage who alines tractor trailer axles.

You might try any truck garage with the same question.

vinstream · 07-17-2014, 08:34 PM

I was told years ago that Dura Torque axles beam can not be straightened due to the square tube design. If the axle beam is bent it needs to be replaced (new axle). I have also been told that the trailing arms can not be heated up and bent do to the fact they come in contact with the rubber rods.... This info came from a service tech I spoke to from Henschen
"CAN" any one confirm or dispute these two claims?

I know many of the problems Airstream had with Dexter axles was they were out of alinemnet (attachment arms welded on poorly) right from the dexter factory and there was no way to fix the problem except for replacing the axles and to resolve the issues Airstream gave owners new tires which did not fix the problem.

I have replace several axles due to shot rubber rods (axle sag) and never have seen a single dura-torque axle bent! I have on the other hand seen a hand full of axles bolted on from the factory off by as much as 3/4" from the ball to spindle measurement, which should be done on all axle replacement jobs. This means one side of the trailers attachment holes needs to be fill welded and new ones drilled. The first time I came across this I thought it was the holes on the axle were drilled wrong and a spare axle proved that it was in fact the holes on the trailer frame! This could be your problem but I would think only one side would show tire wear rather than both sides.

I would think if no axle damage is found it would be the weight distributed in trailer or maybe how your weight distribution system is set up?!

HowieE · 07-18-2014, 02:31 PM

It is getting difficult to go much further with this discussion because he has not yet check the axles to tell us if they are in fact out. It is simple enough to hold a string across the center line of the tires and let us know what we are dealing with.

As far as someone saying you can not bend square beams I can't imagine why anyone in the axle business would say that. My original Square axles were bend to aline them and my new Square axles were bent to aline them.

The video posted above dealt with leaf spring axles. Short of road damage there should be no reason to ever have them alined as they can be produced in alinement. However the video does illustrate what has to be done during alinement.

The torsion axle even if produced in alinement can be deflected out of alinement when bolted to the frame. Most people don't travel enough to even know if the axles are alined or not. Those of us that do have to have our axles alined or replace tire far more often than than acceptable.

My current tires are dated 4906 so have been on my trailer close to 8 years and may have well over 75,000 miles on them. One tire, the rear drivers side was showing some abnormal ware so it has been move the the center position. The others are not even down to the ware marks.

J. Morgan · 07-18-2014, 02:56 PM

FWIW,,, I had one tire wearing on the inside edge. This prompted me to change the axles that needed changing anyway.

If I read right and your axles are 1986 vintage, save yourself the trouble of trying to fix what probably needs replacing anyway.

The wear on my tires stopped with new axles.

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