trailer tire question

[bow slayer]

why are my trailer tires wearing more on the inside of the tire then the rest of the tire? And yes i have checked tire pressure. They also seem to be wearing on the outside more then the middle also. The bearings are good,tires are newer 3 rd season,and are the right tires for the trailer,and no i do not overload the boat,usually just some gear. So what gives? Is it an alignment problem? If so how do you correct? thanks

Edited June 5, 2012 by bowslayer

[whiskywizard]

Strange. The wear you're describing is that of under-inflation, not misalignment. You say you've checked pressure, so I'll toss out some ideas...

 

Is it possible your pressure guage is out of calibration?

 

Is it possible your pressure is good now but you've operated with low pressure in the past, maybe caused by cold weather?

[smally21]

i would have to agree the wear pattern fits under inflation. it could also be an alignment issue is the wear is excessive either on the inside or the outside, one more pronounced than the other,and matching on both tires..if you get my meaning.

 

improper camber of the axle can cause this, and also, if the axles are adjustable are they square to the frame? measure from the rear cross member to the axle tube on each side, make sure the same...have come across (and mistakenly installed) axles out of square to the frame.

[SBCregal]

underinflation will wear out BOTH outer edges not just the inside edge (over inflation will wear out the center). a camber issue definitely would wear out the inner edge (or outer, depending on which way it is out)

[SlowPoke]

Its likely an under inflation issue. The tire pressure indicated on the sidewall is just a safe guideline. To establish proper pressure, a pyrometer should be used to take temperatures across the tread (inner, middle, outer). Once you have a baseline reading, adjust your pressure so you have similar temps across the tread.

 

A very useful tool and will pay for itself if you use it around the house to find drafts/heat loss. http://www.hrpworld.com/index.cfm?tpc=AccuTech-Infrared-Laser-Pyrometer-600º&form_prod_id=4739&action=product

[spincast]

are the tires bias ply? If so check the speed rating My link, and the weight rating. Exceeding either or both of these can damage a set pretty quickly.

I toasted a set a couple years go on a trip to Cochrane and back. They were rated for 80 or 90 ks (previous owner chose to save some bucks when he replaced them I guess) and I averaged above that. Came back, inner and outer edges were worn, middle was still at full tread. I had checked the pressure every day and night on the trip. You will find that even when properly inflated if you exceed the speed they run hot as well.

Likewise, overloading them can damage them

 

Get a set of radial tires to replace them, and make sure you have the appropriate speed & weight rating. Not only will you have a smoother ride, the speed rating is not an issue. I put a set on after the trip and I constantly trailer at the current going highway speed, including a trip to Gowganda, Haliburton and back and have had no issues. Also recommend you use a tire store to source them. The extra $10 or $20 per tire is worht not having to be the guy on the side of the highway with the blown trailer tire.

 

 

 

[bigbuck]

I picked up a spare from a tire shop here in Oakville for $125 for rim and tire. Just the tire alone at CT was that much. The tire is a Hercules and the guy at the shop guaranteed me that I won't have a problem with it. He never had any come back. Run proper inflation for the load and you'll be fine. 9 times out of 10 when someone blows out a tire on their trailer the tire was either in poor condition to begin with OR wasn't inflated properly.

As for your wear, double check the pressure WITH AN ACCURATE GUAGE. A $5 guage isn't very accurate, you need to spend $30 for a good one. Take a look on the Iboats.com forums. There is a good section on trailers and trailering.

[bow slayer]

well after buying a quality gauge the tire pressure is down from the cheap gauge. The tires are the right speed rating and weight rating(ST 175 80 D 13) that is not the issue. It seems they were running about 10lbs under the guideline. They are bias ply tires but when i replace them i will spend the extra and go with radials. For now i will fill the tires to right pressure and hopefully all will be good. The tires are only in their third season and have less then 2500 kms on them.