Tire Wear Outside Edge Street Side Rear

[ftelliott]

Hello Everyone!

2021 FC25RB. Factory Goodyear Endurance tires with approx 20K miles, TPMS monitored 80 psi periodically checked with digital tire gauge.

The street-side rear tire is showing significant uniform wear on the outside rim. A photo is (hopefully) attached.

The issue appears to be the same as this thread:
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f43...el-210424.html

I've tried to eyeball the alignment and yeah maybe the bad wheel may be out of alignment when I try to eyeball the other side the same way. Unfortunately, I am on the road in CA and home is Arkansas. I use Discount Tire regularly and can pop into one in Chico tomorrow. At a minimum I think I'll have them mount the spare.

How concerned should I be about this? Can I make it to Arkansas safely on the spare and deal with this over the winter or do I need to make meaningful repairs as soon as practical here in CA?

Thanks!

[Jim J]

With just one tire wearing out like that, I suspect it may be a loose axle nut. I wore out a tire in 3000 miles when I had that problem on my 25.

It should be easy to raise your trailer up on the good tire so the bad one is free to rotate.

Once it is up, grab it from the edge of the tire and check the play, there should not be any discernable play. If there is, tighten up your axle nut. Check other threads on this topic to learn how to do it. Too loose is bad but too tight is also bad.

If you have the nev-r- lub bearings, go to a Dexter Service center (There are ones in Sacramento, Fresno, and Mira Loma, CA) and have them check the axle nut torque. They will have the correct tools and technique to handle this task.

[ftelliott]

Thanks Jim

I'm having trouble pinpointing a Dexter Service Center using Google. Can you help me with that? I see lots of listings for the mfg and distribution centers.

Thanks!

[Jim J]

865 Stillwater Road, Unit 14
West Sacramento, CA, 95605, United States
Ph: (888) 847-4348

Sells retail

[Jim J]

Capitol Clutch & Brake
3100 Duluth Street
West Sacramento, CA, 95691, United States
Ph: (800) 727-3376
Ph: (916) 371-5970
www.capitol-clutch.com

Sells Retail
Sells Wholesale
Sells To Dealers

[ftelliott]

Okay! So this morning I got the FC up on some blocks and found no play in the bearing. None nada zip. So I mounted the spare and took it to a nearby Les Schwab. They also concluded the bearing appeared to be okay.

There is a slight amount of brake pad noise when you spin the wheel.

Drove to Visalia on the spare. No apparent problem yet. We'll be in San Diego for three days and I'll try to get in to the Airstream dealer while we're there. I'll post any update.

Thanks!

[Thiss]

My 2023 FC 28 is at the dealer now for the same issue.

I had no bearing play, but the brakes were way out of adjustment when I checked.

Haven’t heard from the dealer yet to see what they have found.

[4RXLA]

The axle is out of alignment and needs to be bent back into alignment. I have the same issue but not as severe tire wear on the outside. Keep an eye on the tread wear and rotate tires every 5,000 miles.

[ftelliott]

Originally Posted by 4RXLA

The axle is out of alignment and needs to be bent back into alignment. I have the same issue but not as severe tire wear on the outside. Keep an eye on the tread wear and rotate tires every 5,000 miles.

Did the dealer solve this problem for you?

[4RXLA]

Originally Posted by ftelliott

Did the dealer solve this problem for you?

My trailer is 45 years old and the replacement axles were both out of alignment. Not all Airstream dealers/repair facilities have the equipment to align torsion axles. Your best bet would be to try to get the axle replaced under warranty if you can prove you didn’t hit a curb or something that could have damaged it.

[Boxite]

Yes, it’s a wheel / axle alignment issue. You can remedy it in the short-term by having Discount Tire remount the tire on the wheel by reversing it… so that the other edge wears similarly…thereby evening-out the wear…which will get you back to AR.

(Your spare is likely not the same quality/age and/or the wheel/rim is different than that being replaced…unless you’re having them move the spare tire onto that wheel at that end of the axle. IN that case, you’ll also wear-out your spare tire similarly…and you’ll have TWO tires worn improperly.)

After your trip, you can get an axle shop to bend/align your axle properly.

[ftelliott]

Thank you 4RXLA and Boxite for your help. I have appointment with Discount Tire in San Diego on Monday and I'll have them reverse and remount the worn tire.

I just now got a piece of string and tightly stretched it horizontally across the tires just above the hubs.

Starboard side: tires are parallel to each other but the rear tire is offset inboard by approx 1/2". No obvious tire wear.

Port side (the one with the bad tire): Using the good front tire as the reference, the rear tire is outboard approx 3/4" on front edge and 1/2" on the back edge. It is clearly not aligned with the front tire in any way.

This seems like a lot of misalignment to me for just 20K miles back and forth from Arkansas area and the PNW. I do not recall hitting anything major but I'm not going to deny some of our country's roads are in terrible condition.

I should also add our AS is a Seattle Dealer model. They had it for a year before we bought it.

[Major_Tom]

I had the same problem. First with street side then with curb side. I contacted my dealer and they had me submit a claim to Dexter. You need to submit the axle model/serial number. It is located on the axle. I had to crawl under the trailer to find it. I also submitted photos of the tires and receipts of the replacement tires cost. Dexter replaced the axle under warranty, paid the dealer to install and reimbursed my cost for the tires.

[Life is a Highway]

For a stop gap rotate tires. JC service realigned our 30ft 21 FLyingCloud the toe and camber were out of specs same as yours

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by ftelliott

Hello Everyone!

2021 FC25RB. Factory Goodyear Endurance tires with approx 20K miles, TPMS monitored 80 psi periodically checked with digital tire gauge.

The street-side rear tire is showing significant uniform wear on the outside rim. A photo is (hopefully) attached.

The issue appears to be the same as this thread:
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f43...el-210424.html

I've tried to eyeball the alignment and yeah maybe the bad wheel may be out of alignment when I try to eyeball the other side the same way. Unfortunately, I am on the road in CA and home is Arkansas. I use Discount Tire regularly and can pop into one in Chico tomorrow. At a minimum I think I'll have them mount the spare.

How concerned should I be about this? Can I make it to Arkansas safely on the spare and deal with this over the winter or do I need to make meaningful repairs as soon as practical here in CA?

Thanks!

I would check Alignment (Camber) if the wear is the same 360° around that tire.

[BarrettArt]

If you can get to Vinnie’s in Sacramento, he’s truly the best for diagnosing any AS issue. And a great guy.

Originally Posted by ftelliott

Hello Everyone!

2021 FC25RB. Factory Goodyear Endurance tires with approx 20K miles, TPMS monitored 80 psi periodically checked with digital tire gauge.

The street-side rear tire is showing significant uniform wear on the outside rim. A photo is (hopefully) attached.

The issue appears to be the same as this thread:
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f43...el-210424.html

I've tried to eyeball the alignment and yeah maybe the bad wheel may be out of alignment when I try to eyeball the other side the same way. Unfortunately, I am on the road in CA and home is Arkansas. I use Discount Tire regularly and can pop into one in Chico tomorrow. At a minimum I think I'll have them mount the spare.

How concerned should I be about this? Can I make it to Arkansas safely on the spare and deal with this over the winter or do I need to make meaningful repairs as soon as practical here in CA?

Thanks!

[DAVSCH]

Both my axles on my 2023 27’ International are being replaced. Alignment is WAY out. Less than 10K in mileage. Can’t be straightened either mounted or unmounted. I noticed a bit of extra tire wear on the front axle when I brought it home new, but figured it was the front axle, it always wears harder than the rear. I have NEVER hit a curb. Worst roads I was on this year was I-80 between Chicago and Michigan City. HORRIBLE stretch, avoid at all costs!!!! Bounced my head off the driver’s window twice due to unaligned road repairs.
I do have to say, if an alignment job always takes an axle replacement, I’ll have an Airstream for sale real cheap here.

[btsmoots]

I had a similar issue and did what you are thinking of doing and had Discount Tire put on the spare. In the end it was a bent axle which Dexter via my local Airstream Dealer replace under warranty.