Trailer tires - uneven wear

[TheBigGuy]

Hi guys.

I recently purchased a 18' aluminum Harbercraft boat & single axle trailer. The tires looked fine upon first glance from the outside. When I was looking from the back side I realized both were quite worn, but only on the insides of the tires. What is causing this uneven tread wear on the trailer tires, and is there an easy solution for it.

The current tires are Maxxis steel belted radials ST75/80 R13. Does any one have experience with this brand of tires. Are they a good quality tire, or do you think the tires themselves may be part of the issue?

What tires would you recommend for this type of application. Also how many guys actually bother to have their trailer tires balanced. I have read posts that said the boat rides much smoother with the tires balanced, but next to nobody seems to bother doing this. What do you guys think.

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[Gunsmith]

Seems to me from what you describe that the trailor has been overloaded or fatigued. You can take it to a sop and have the stubs and axle re-aligned. Or replace the axle.

 

[ReelAffair]

quote:Originally posted by Gunsmith

Seems to me from what you describe that the trailor has been overloaded or fatigued. You can take it to a sop and have the stubs and axle re-aligned. Or replace the axle.

X2...overloaded

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Radials?? Not on my trailer, they are not recommended for it. But must admit, my spare is a radial.[:I]...BB

 

[Charlie]

X3... I'd be looking at those 'wheel bearings', also?

 

[TheBigGuy]

New bearings and tires are definitely on the to do list very soon. I thought possibly the axle might have been out of alignment. Didn't think I'd be looking for a new axle though. If I were looking to upgrade to a higher capacity axle, would it be better to look at possibly converting it to a tandem axle trailer. The trailer is a Karavan and the axle seems like it could easily be repositioned for a tandem setup.

I live in Vancouver, anyone have recommendations for a good trailer shop in the lower mainland. I have used different shops in Burnaby and Richmond in the past, but wasn't thrilled with their work.

Thanks for the quick responses.

 

[AlK]

The tag on the trailer should tell you what the carrying capacity is of the trailer. If you go to a truck scale you can get your boat weighed and then you will know whether you are overloaded. My guess is that you are overloaded.

 

[Lipripper]

X4... Put a straight edge on the axel. If it was bearings, you might have figured it out before the tires wore.

 

[wildwest]

When I changed the axle on my trailer,the fellow at Highliner Trailers mentioned that axles have a SLIGHT BOW in them.Can't recall why we got on that subject! Put a long straight-edge on it [loaded and unloaded]

 

[Gunsmith]

Yes they do, this is to allow for flex when loaded.When overloaded the bend is on the wrong side.

 

[flytyer]

If you need new tires, go over to any Goodyear store and ask then for some "U-Haul" bias ply tires. These are the highest rated tires availible in 13- 15 inch rubber, no other tire even radial will get this close> i have them on mine( thanks Luke) and they were the answer i needed. Draw back, lumpy on cold mornings

 

[264winmag]

x 5

also run your trl. tires at max tire rated psi it should be listed on the tire, good luck.

Rum Chum

 

[TheBigGuy]

Went to Kal tire to check on new tires for my truck and trailer yesterday. They said bias ply weren't even sold anymore for trailers. They recommended the same tires that were already on the trailer. Any recommendations for what type of trailer tire you've found reliable.

 

[TheBigGuy]

Went to Fountain tire today and got a pair of Karrier LoadStar ST175/80 R13 8 ply radials for the trailer. They seem like a much better tire than the Maxxis brand tires that were on there when I bought the boat. The tire that were on there had a distinct bulge to them, these ones ride nice and high the way a railer tire should. Even the ride was noticeably better on the drive home. I will monitor the tread wear for unevenness before I decide if an upgrade to the trailer is required.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

 

[Alberta Mad Dog]

I had a simmilar experience and found some interesting facts:

My tires were radials but not steel belted. They were made with Nylon belts and are prone to streching resulting in this wear. cheap cheap cheap!!!!

The big one is tire have a date on them when they are produced. If they sit for a year or 2 prior to being used they are deadly. There was a huge news article on this and how these tires blow.. Major law suite in the states on this. be careful on these tires sales as you might be getting useless tires. There is no legislation preventing tire dealers from selling these and they post them as new tires. Ask your dealer to show you the manufacture date before you buy them.

Happy trails guys

 

[TheBigGuy]

The problem with these cheap tires is most of them are now being produced in China. We all know what there quality control procedures are like. To make matters worse the tire guys were telling me that most of the big name brands are going to be switching there production facilities to China within a few years. I guess there's going to be a whole lot more burst rubber littering our highways when that happens.