SUBJECT: # 13065: Trailer Alignment

Submitted by Allan (128.158.38.176) from ALABAMA on 5/5/2008 11:52:00 AM

Several Years ago, a car clipped my trailer fender as I was turning a corner. It dented the fender, and I thought that was all (as if that wasn't bad enough). Well, shortly after, my tires begin to wear unevenly. I took it to an allegedly reputable frame shop to have the tires aligned. Long story short, my tires are still wearing on the outside two treads at an increible rate. I think I either need to get them aligned, or replace the axle. Does anyone know someone in the Huntsville Alabama area that can align trailer tires or help me resolve this problem????

Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Allan

1. 5/5/2008 5:43:00 PM Submitted by Beartrap from GA says question
   are you running goodyear marathons?...this has happened to me twice on previous boats and there wasn't anything wrong with my trailer alignment..changed brands of tires and problem went away.......

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2. 5/5/2008 5:45:00 PM Submitted by 5keepers #10346 from AL says Beartrap
   What brand do you go to? Thanks

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3. 5/5/2008 5:46:00 PM Submitted by 5keepers #10346 from AL says did you go to?
   Nm

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4. 5/5/2008 8:18:00 PM Submitted by Beartrap from GA says 5 keepers
   I went to Kelly chargers...good friend and fellow tourny angler owns kelly Tires here...been running them for years with no problems as do most of guys around here...don't fish as many BFL/BASS tournys as i used to but still tow my boat to mexico each year and put ton of miles on it each year fishing....

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5. 5/5/2008 8:39:00 PM Submitted by Alex from GA #10518 from GA says Any shop....
   ....that can align a Ford with twin I beam axles can check your trailer.

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6. 5/6/2008 7:18:00 AM Submitted by fishsmart #10374 from TX says Axle(s)
   Sounds like the axle(s) may be bent upward in the middle.

   Charles

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7. 5/6/2008 8:23:00 AM Submitted by MikeF from FL says get it checked
   Before you guess the tires are bad just because someone else had a similar problem you need to have the trailer checked by someone who knows what they're doing.

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8. 5/6/2008 4:36:00 PM Submitted by FreeOnBoard from TX says You can do a fairly good check yourself
   Allan, if you put a good straight board against the outside of the tires and measure the distance to the trailer frame front and back, you may be able to tell if that alignment shop set it up with some toe-in. To check that the tires are running plumb, get rid of the bottom bulge by blocking up the axle the same height on both sides (on a level surface, of course) and hold a spirit level against the outside of each tire. Before taking a chance on wearing out a new set of tires, I'd want to be fairly confidant that there's nothing amiss with the axle. Good luck.

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9. 5/6/2008 11:16:00 PM Submitted by Steve P #13351 from FL says Mike F.
   You're always the voice of reason here. Sometimes I wish you were my cousin or uncle or something that I could call for advice!!!LMAO!! Seriously!!

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10. 5/7/2008 8:45:00 AM Submitted by MikeF from FL says thank you
    You know what they say; good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgement. Been there...

    But people throwing parts at problems has got to be one of my top pet peeves. The other one is doing it with inferior parts.

    But then there are a lot of things that irritate the living crap out of me. That's why I don't carry. LOL

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11. 5/7/2008 6:35:00 PM Submitted by Beartrap from GA says mike f-ordinarily your advice would be good
    however in this case,the guy has already been to an alignment shop and they didn't find anything wrong....this has happened to me several times over past 35 years of towing boats and to several of my friends.....bias ply tires especially on a single axle trailer are gonna develop wear patterns unless they are balanced,inflated perfectly and not out of round(and most of them ain't)...unless he has knocked hell out of that trailer since the alignment shop checked it,I'm willing to bet that putting radial passenger car/truck tires on it will cure the problem.....

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12. 5/7/2008 7:28:00 PM Submitted by MikeF from FL says assume
    Your answer assumes that the first shop correctly aligned the trailer. They may have but neither you nor I know that for a fact. All I did was to tell him what I would do under the same circumstance. If it was my trailer I would have the alignment checked (and look at the reading while it's on the machine) and then replace the tires and have them balanced.

    The part of his post that leads me to suspect the alignment is: "a car clipped my trailer... shortly after, my tires begin to wear unevenly". I wouldn't do anything until I was convinced the alignment was correct. But the choice is his and the advice was free.

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