Tire wears out in short order

[mhilley]

My right front tire wears out in short order. It will be down to the fabric in about 4,000 miles. I have not had the alignment checked but have replaced the brake backing plate and bearings. I have replaced the tire twice. The other three tires still look new. The tire is worn off about one third of the way from the outer edge but is not worn otherwise which I think is very strange. Suggestions please!

[TinTin]

It certainly sounds like an alignment or axle problem. Has it been this way since new?

Could indicate bent axle right side, perhaps hub-spindle problem. Right front is the most likely to be affected (curbs on right hand turns or when parking). If the front axle were out of alignment you'd expect wear on the left front tire as well.

[mhilley]

Thanks for your thought! I bought the 2000 trailer a couple of years ago so I don't know about it coming from the factory with the problem. The PO never went far from home. The alignment was checked with a trammel (yup - out of the 50's). The left front wears normally. Looking at the tire closely it does look a bit scuffed.

[cwf]

Alignment or the rear axle is not holding the load and the front is carrying too much.

If the trade was run over something that could cause distorted axle tubes. Have you liked at tubes? Any bend or crease?

[xrvr]

Bad wheel? Jim

[J. Morgan]

Bent or worn axle.....

[Bill M.]

Might just be worth it to have someone replace that axle.

[J. Morgan]

I would replace it. It is fourteen years old, while it could be realigned, i.e. Bent, but it is approaching the end of its service life anyway.

[HowieE]

If the tire is worn evenly across the tread I would concentrate on the brakes dragging.

If the tire is wearing from one side it is alinement.

Take an 8 ft florescent bulb and place it horizontally across the center of the wheels. The bulb should touch each edge of the tires.

[J. Morgan]

Just my take on the dragging brake.

If a brake is dragging enough to wear out a tire over four thousand miles, it is going to be very, very, hot. Maybe hot enough to catch fire.

99.5% you have an alignment problem.

The axle is either bent or failing. There is no means of adjustment other than having the axle bent.

[Alphonse]

Howie's suggestion is quick, easy and should give you a quick indication on the alignment. I don't believe the brakes dragging would cause this issue. It would overheat and toast the shoes before it would wear the tire out.

I have used Howie's tip to do a rough check on toe-in on car alignment and it gives a quick indication.

[geofrk]

We drove to Alaska 2 Summers ago from Houston. In Steamboat Springs, we noticed that both rear tires had a flat spot worn all the way down to fabric. We replaced the tires. This summer, we drove to Wyomings, and danged if the same two tires didn't have the same wear spot, about 8-9 inces across. What is causing this? ---Art

[dannydimitt]

Originally Posted by geofrk

We drove to Alaska 2 Summers ago from Houston. In Steamboat Springs, we noticed that both rear tires had a flat spot worn all the way down to fabric. We replaced the tires. This summer, we drove to Wyomings, and danged if the same two tires didn't have the same wear spot, about 8-9 inces across. What is causing this? ---Art

The brakes are locking up the rear wheels and dragging the non rotating tires along the pavement till they are badly flat spotted .

This might be caused by the front axle carrying quite a bit more weight than the rear one , as in a nose down towing configuration , or the front brakes not working or bad out of adjustment .

Do you recall having to shower down on the brakes because of a sudden stop ? The tires will start smoking badly very rapidly , but if your focusing on an event in front of you you might not see it in the mirror .

[dannydimitt]

Originally Posted by dannydimitt

The brakes are locking up the rear wheels and dragging the non rotating tires along the pavement till they are badly flat spotted .

This might be caused by the front axle carrying quite a bit more weight than the rear one , as in a nose down towing configuration , or the front brakes not working or bad out of adjustment .

Do you recall having to shower down on the brakes because of a sudden stop ? The tires will start smoking badly very rapidly , but if your focusing on an event in front of you you might not see it in the mirror .

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by geofrk

We drove to Alaska 2 Summers ago from Houston. In Steamboat Springs, we noticed that both rear tires had a flat spot worn all the way down to fabric. We replaced the tires. This summer, we drove to Wyomings, and danged if the same two tires didn't have the same wear spot, about 8-9 inces across. What is causing this? ---Art

You have a good one here. The wheels on a trailer are completely independent of one another and could not maintain the same position with respect to the road after the first turn if they were in fact rolling.

First thing I would do is jack up the rear and while holding the topand bottom of the tire try and shake it in and out. you should feel slight movement. If there is no movement I would assume the bearings are too tight and heating to the point of locking the drum to the spindle. If that is the case and you remove the wheel and drum the spindles may show noticeable discoloration, bluing.

I can't imagine you did not see smoke while driving or smell rubber just after stopping.

Is the trailer riding parallel to the ground?

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by mhilley

My right front tire wears out in short order. It will be down to the fabric in about 4,000 miles. I have not had the alignment checked but have replaced the brake backing plate and bearings. I have replaced the tire twice. The other three tires still look new. The tire is worn off about one third of the way from the outer edge but is not worn otherwise which I think is very strange. Suggestions please!

If you do the above test and find the axle out of alignment do not take it to an Airstream dealer or Jackson Center. They do not ave the equipment or knowledge to do anything other than take your money. You have to find a truck axle shop that can bend the axle and since that is a give and take operation you don' want some kid under there.

I found a shop in Chambersberg Pa. after a fruitless trip to JC.

[fraubear]

We had exactly the same problem. Turned out to be a bent axel. New axel installed and problem gone. Apparently the trailer had been lifted with the jack set improperly and it bent the axel.