Tire wear

[MRS]

I was out this morning cleaning up the boat and doing some ajustments. I noticed the trailer tires are both worn on the inside tread only the rest of the tire looks great. What would cause the inside only to wear it is only the one tread on the inside both tires. I am going to check the wheel bearings and make sure the axle nut is ajusted right. Thanks for any advice......... P.S. I just got back from a trip wth the boat and they were not worn like this before I left. Trip was only 450 miles round trip?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Tire wear

Ayuh,... Sounds like a Bent or Overloaded axle....

 

[MRS]

Re: Tire wear

That is what I was thinking because everything else checked out. How can I check to see if it is bent this trailer was made for the boat. I am going to wet the driveway and run the tires thru the water and see what the tracks look like do you think that will show me something? We use to do that with trucks and cars to check for bent frames the ones you see going down the road with the rear ends going sideways. Thanks for any replys.........

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tire wear

Park the trailer on a large, flat parking lot. Position yourself about 20 feet or so in back of the trailer and squat down. Eyeball the very center of the axle. If it appears bent slightly downward, you have either an overloaded trailer or the axle is bent. While you are in that position, eyeball the wheels. If they appear tipped in on the top (toward the boat) that too indicates a bent axle or overloading. If the axle is straight but the wheels are tipped in that tends to point to a bent spindle. Just because the dealer provided a trailer with the boat does not mean the trailer was "built for the boat".

 

[MRS]

Re: Tire wear

Just because the dealer provided a trailer with the boat does not mean the trailer was "built for the boat".

That is true I just wanted to let everybody know it is not homemade. I will check it that way also thank you for the reply. I will probably check it tomorrow grandkids are here now and if they leave before dark I will check. But for now they have all my attention. Thanks again.............

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Tire wear

Sure sounds like a bent axle to me.

 

[MRS]

Re: Tire wear

Yup, bent is there a difference between square or round? Mine is sq. 2x2 4in. drop I would like to keep the square if I could because trailer is set at the perfect hight for launching now. Boat weighs 2,225lbs. dry I will be getting a #3500 single axle. Thanks again for any and all replys........

 

[highN'dry]

Re: Tire wear

If you don't have radials, get some. If that is the case, the wear will stop when you install the radials.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Tire wear

My tires are wearing on the outside treads just the opposite of yours.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tire wear

A70 -- you probably have a cambered axle which when loaded anywhere near its capacity tends to actually straighten which causes the wheels to stand perpendicular to the road which is perfectly normal and the way it should happen. However, if you have that setup and the boat is not very heavy, then the axle doesn't flex so the wheels are tipped out at the top. So you can have too heavy a trailer for a boat which causes the opposite effect of too heavy a boat for the trailer. On the other hand, you could have a cambered axle but is installed upside down (bending down in the center rather than bending upward).

 

[wwcj101]

Re: Tire wear

i agree with bondo sounds like a bent or overladed axle

 

[findinghomer]

Re: Tire wear

im having this exact same problem, only its only on one side!? i did mess with the axle alignment before i put the boat on it, i wonder if i messed something up? how can i check? thanx

 

[rbh]

Re: Tire wear

You have to ask yourself about tire inflation as well, to much and the only part of your tire on the pavement is the center tread.
to little and the outside treads get scrubbed.

 

[findinghomer]

Re: Tire wear

You have to ask yourself about tire inflation as well, to much and the only part of your tire on the pavement is the center tread.
to little and the outside treads get scrubbed.

pretty sure inflation is not an issue, im always keeping eye on that, and its not worn in center or outer, its inside. i have probably 2000 miles on brand new tires. well one is brand new (driver side), the other is older, but unused, they are same size, different brands. its wearing on the inside only. the brand new one is fine. my boat does always lean to one side, particularly away from from the worn tire. it always leans on to the good tire. tread is now worn about half way on the passenger tire. seems bent axle would wear both sides? so im thinking bent spindle, crappy tire, way the boat is loading, or i screwed up the alignment on the axle. tryin to rule some of these out.

 

[rbh]

Re: Tire wear

pretty sure inflation is not an issue, im always keeping eye on that, and its not worn in center or outer, its inside. i have probably 2000 miles on brand new tires. well one is brand new (driver side), the other is older, but unused, they are same size, different brands. its wearing on the inside only. the brand new one is fine. my boat does always lean to one side, particularly away from from the worn tire. it always leans on to the good tire. tread is now worn about half way on the passenger tire. seems bent axle would wear both sides? so im thinking bent spindle, crappy tire, way the boat is loading, or i screwed up the alignment on the axle. tryin to rule some of these out.

Hows the bearing, any wiggle in the tire

 

[findinghomer]

Re: Tire wear

Hows the bearing, any wiggle in the tire

hmmmm nice tip, ill check that tomorrow.

 

[MRS]

Re: Tire wear

Check your bearings and you really should run same brand and type of tires on trailer. If boat is leaning to one side more you got to center boat on trailer thats what I am doing now. If I have one tire go bad I always replace both and use the other tire for a spare if it is good shape. I do everything I can to not have a flat on my trailer but sometimes C**P happens anyhow.

 

[findinghomer]

Re: Tire wear

Check your bearings and you really should run same brand and type of tires on trailer. If boat is leaning to one side more you got to center boat on trailer thats what I am doing now. If I have one tire go bad I always replace both and use the other tire for a spare if it is good shape. I do everything I can to not have a flat on my trailer but sometimes C**P happens anyhow.

Yea, i know i need to replace that tire anyway, im hopin maybe its just a bad tire. do you think my boat leaning onto the good tire could be causing the balding tire to lean that way, and wear? i mean my boat ALWAYs leans this way, think its a bunker adjustment i just never really worried about, didnt think it would cause any issues. btw, checked for wiggle, no wiggle, does that mean bearings ok?

 

[MRS]

Re: Tire wear

My axle was bent wore inside of both tires out with probably less than 2000 miles on them. I would look at the wore wheel and see if the top of the wheel is leaning in towards the boat if it is you probably have a bent spindle on that side. If your boat is leaning more to oneside on the trailer you defenitly need to fix that. Bearings when was the last time they were changed and are they serviced yearly.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: Tire wear

Possible causes:

Bend Axle
Bent Spindle
Overloaded
Low Tire Pressure
Bearings not maintained
Hub not properly torqued

This is a start...