Trailer Tire question. Wear pattern

  • Husker26
    Gretna, NE
    Posts: 143
    June 4, 2012 at 5:43 pm #1277561

    I just put on a new trailer tire and now after pulling it roughly 300-400 miles total, it’s completely worn down. The middle of the tire is almost completely bald and the outsides have almost no wear on them. Before taking the boat on the road trip, I aired the tires up to the proper tire psi. maybe even a little light by 5 lbs. This was a brand new Hi-run 4.8 x 12 tire from Tractor Supply. I just installed a new hub last year on both sides of the trailer and the other tire is completely fine. When I look at the trailer it looks completely straight so I’m not sure what could be happening? What could be causing this so I don’t ruin another tire after replacing it??? How do you check to see if the tires are in “alignment” besides looking at them?

    onestout
    Hudson, WI
    Posts: 2698
    June 4, 2012 at 5:52 pm #1073541

    it may have been a bad tire but wear in the middle is over inflation. Wear on the outside underinflation. alignment is usually inside or outside along with some cupping, from my experience anyway. The pressure on the side of the tire is the max pressure, not the recommended pressure. The recommended pressure is dependant on the load and trailer.

    Mudshark
    LaCrosse WI
    Posts: 2973
    June 4, 2012 at 5:58 pm #1073542

    Quote:

    it may have been a bad tire but wear in the middle is over inflation. Wear on the outside underinflation. alignment is usually inside or outside along with some cupping, from my experience anyway. The pressure on the side of the tire is the max pressure, not the recommended pressure. The recommended pressure is dependant on the load and trailer.

    X 2

    TheFamousGrouse
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 11517
    June 4, 2012 at 5:59 pm #1073544

    Given your wear pattern on the tire, my leading suspect would be overinflation or that the bearing on that side is binding or too tight and is “grabbing” and causing drag that’s wearing down the tire.

    I’d jack up that side of the trailer and spin the tire. The hub/wheel should rotate freely and come to a gradual stop. If it doesn’t, pull the cotter pin and loosen the castle retention nut by one position and try that. Obviously check for play in the bearings after doing this, too much free play will cause other problems.

    Have you felt the hubs after driving for 20-30 minutes? Are they warm or hot?

    You say you replace the hubs, but what was the codition of the axel on both sides? On close inspection was there pitting or other siginifcant wear on the side where you’re having the tire problems? Replacing hubs is only part of the equation, keep in mind the bearings are rolling on the axel, so new bearings on a pitted or worn axel doesn’t fix anything.

    I’d also check the leaf springs for anything unusual. Make sure the brackets that keep the leaf springs in alingment (springs are bolted in the front and in back there’s just a bracket to allow them to slide when flexed) aren’t broken.

    Grouse

    bigcrappie
    Blaine
    Posts: 4294
    June 4, 2012 at 8:01 pm #1073578

    Quote:

    it may have been a bad tire but wear in the middle is over inflation. Wear on the outside underinflation. alignment is usually inside or outside along with some cupping, from my experience anyway. The pressure on the side of the tire is the max pressure, not the recommended pressure. The recommended pressure is dependant on the load and trailer.



    I have just the opposite problem,mine are at 50 psi max and mine wear on the outside and the middle are like new? We could trade tires?

    Randy Wieland
    Lebanon. WI
    Posts: 13394
    June 4, 2012 at 8:10 pm #1073583

    FYI – I had the opposiet issue with under-inflating and the outside worn bad in less than 1,000 miles. Came down to a air gauge that was failing. Registered 50# when reality was only 41#. Few dollar gauge resulted in the cost of a pair of tires

    onestout
    Hudson, WI
    Posts: 2698
    June 4, 2012 at 8:35 pm #1073589

    Quote:

    Quote:

    it may have been a bad tire but wear in the middle is over inflation. Wear on the outside underinflation. alignment is usually inside or outside along with some cupping, from my experience anyway. The pressure on the side of the tire is the max pressure, not the recommended pressure. The recommended pressure is dependant on the load and trailer.


    I have just the opposite problem,mine are at 50 psi max and mine wear on the outside and the middle are like new? We could trade tires?

    I have seen this as well, it was with a boat that they were loading up with all the gear and going to canada. The boat wasn’t overweight until all the gear was packed in it. It is important to know how much weight the tire is rated for and how much everything actually weighs.

    Growing up we had a feed mill down the road that left the scale on 24/7, made it easy to run over and verify the weight of a verhicle or trailer. They had a nice big readout in the window so you didn’t even need to get out of the vehicle. I miss using that.

    carver
    West Metro
    Posts: 609
    June 4, 2012 at 8:36 pm #1073590

    I wish I would have taken some picks of mine. One side was worn from the outside in and the inside being good and the other tire was worn just on the inside.

    Came down to it…tires were not rated for the weight and were overheating. Took them to discount tire and got some good road tires put on….I think carlisle. 3 years not and little to no wear in them.

    FYI tires on the trailer were from the factory.

    Husker26
    Gretna, NE
    Posts: 143
    June 4, 2012 at 8:53 pm #1073594

    I appreciate the info. I will have to mess with it and see what the deal is. I think it was the overinflating part.

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