1 or 2 axles?

[rspeirn]

May have bent an axle. 1998 Excella 25'. The driver side front tire tread on the inside has worn severly in 100 miles. If I replace the bent axle do I need to replace the other? If just the spindle and arm are bent can I replace them and save the axle? Thanks in advance for replies and advice.

[n2916s]

You will have to replace the axle as the spindle is not a separate assembly.

You should replace both.

I would look hard at the wheel assembly, which may well be the culprit.

[rspeirn]

Thanks for the reply.

Can you tell me what I should look for in the wheel assembley?

[TG Twinkie]

Get the tire off the ground while still on the coach. Spin the tire and check for run out or wobble. You may have bent the rim to the point where it doesn't rotate in a straight line.

[Isuzusweet]

Very good advice in previous posts. Start with the cheap and easy and work your way up.


1) Is the wheel mounted properly on the hub and lug nuts properly tightened? If not, remount wheel but probably will have to replace tire.

2) Has the tire thrown a belt causing a deformation in the tread leading to the uneven wear pattern? If so, replace tire.

3) Raise wheel, grasping the wheel pull and tug towards you, side to side and top to bottom. If the wheel moves in any plane other than turning and feels loose; check hub, bearings and races for excessive play.

4) Is the rim bent causing the wheel excessive run out as you spin the wheel? Replace rim and tire.

5) Now check your spindle and axle.

Cheers
Tony

[rspeirn]

Thanks TG Twinkle and Isuzusweet. I am proceeding as you have suggested.

[CDONA]

There are trailer alignment shops that can fix correctable issues, from big rig stuff to light landscaping rigs.
Look in towns with a fairly big truckstop/highway hub.

[Jacob D]

Originally Posted by rspeirn

May have bent an axle. 1998 Excella 25'. The driver side front tire tread on the inside has worn severly in 100 miles. If I replace the bent axle do I need to replace the other? If just the spindle and arm are bent can I replace them and save the axle? Thanks in advance for replies and advice.

You didn't say why you think you may have a bent axle. I thought so too after a near crash in a very rough construction zone. A tire began to wear on one edge after a few hundred more miles. Rotating tires did not change things and inspection by a trailer repair shop revealed no misalignment. Then I signed onto this forum for the first time and learned the useful life of trailer tires is only 6 or 7 years. Mine were 13 years old. A new set of tires resolved the issue. By all means have an alignment shop check your rig. Any good alignment man can do it for you. In most cases misalignment can be corrected, but old tires can only be corrected by new tires.

[n2916s]

The only way to adjust the alignment of an Airstream axle is to bend it. There are very, very few shops that have the knowledge or equipment to do this.

The tire wear is indicative of a problem but it is unlikely that it is the axle.