Before you replace your axle you should try taking your trailer to a shop that has experience in aligning trailer axles. It sounds like your axle just needs an alignment, or someone flipped the axle in an attempt to raise/lower the trailer not realizing there is a bow in the axle that doesn't allow axles to just be rotated 180 degrees. Instead you have to install new spring seats on the other side of the axle so that the bow stays facing down.
Since we cannot order in custom axles at this... view full answer...
It is definitely not recommended to add different size wheels to one of your axles on your triple axle trailer. There is likely a miscalculation in axle spacing that is causing that third axle to sit off the ground. That definitely is not ideal and needs to solved.
It is likely an equalizer, shackle strap, or hanger mismeasurement. Triple axle trailers do have different measurements than tandem axle trailers so you don't simply space the hangers out evenly. Based on your tire size,... view full answer...
One of the most common causes for shackle straps to break is over-tightening of the shackle bolts. If the shackle bolts are too tight, the shackle straps are not able to move with the suspension. This causes binding and it can bend or even brake the shackle straps, bolts and hangers.
The sliding that you are experiencing on the rear axle is common for tandem and triple axle trailers and it is usually called scrubbing. The rear axle scrubs because trailer axles are not steering axles,... view full answer...
If a trailer is swaying exclusively at certain speeds, rather than in response to passing traffic or gusts of wind, three possible culprits come immediately to mind.
First would be the loading of the trailer. If the trailer has insufficient tongue weight (not enough weight at the front of the trailer) sway can be caused. Try loading the trailer so that more of the weight is forward of the trailer axle. Secondly, a bent axle can cause the sway you are experiencing. This might not be very... view full answer...
Boat trailer tires that are wearing on the inside indicates they are bowing out at the bottoms. This usually means they are overloaded or it could also mean that the axle has been flipped.
A trailer axle will have a natural bow in it that is curved upward in the middle when not under load. When a load is placed on it, the axle will straighten out. If the the load is too heavy the axle will bow downward in the middle and push the bottoms of the tires out leading to excessive wear.
If the... view full answer...
I recommend checking the alignment of your spindles before purchasing a new axle. Unless there is something wrong with the system itself, it may only need to be realigned.
An easy way to check the alignment at home is to measure from the end of the spindle to the centerline of the trailer at the coupler. I have attached a diagram showing this measurement for you.
A trailer shop, or other fabrication shop, should be able to help you re-align the trailer by removing and repositioning... view full answer...
The axle bow as you referenced is designed to have the bow on the top so when weight is added the axle becomes more straight for best tire traction and level load support. Since your trailer axle has the bow towards the ground, I would first want to confirm the axle hasn't been damaged before just flipping it over. The spring seats should be an indicator of the way the axle was designed to function as they should be welded onto the bottom of the axle opposite the arch in the middle. ... view full answer...
If I am understanding you correctly it sounds like there is a center hanger mounted directly above the axle of your trailer (that is on top of your leaf springs) that is preventing the trailer suspension from being able to travel. If this is the case I would remove that hanger as it is preventing your trailer suspension from functioning.
If the springs are flat without any bow to them they might be overloaded or just worn out. If you look on the frame of your trailer there should be a... view full answer...
Many things can cause uneven tire wear, including a bent axle, an overloaded trailer, and worn or broken suspension components.
A trailer axle should be slightly arched, with the high spot in the center of the trailer and the spindles on either end being slightly lower. When the trailer is loaded the arch will flatten, placing the trailer tire treads in full contact with the road surface. A damaged axle may place the outside edge of the tires in greater contact with the road, rather than... view full answer...
The axle is self-aligned by the spring center bolt so there's no need to slide the axle. Axle manufacturers weld the spring seat in a specific location to align perfectly with the center bolt/nut on the leaf spring. Once all parts are assembled and installed this automatically aligns the axle. If your axle is out of alignment there is a possibility the axle is bent or one or more of the axle suspension components is damaged and needs to be replaced. Uneven tire wear (one being more worn... view full answer...
I assume by flip, you mean you moved the leaf springs to the top of the axle. If this is the case, then all of the springs should sit the same. There are a few things you can check to ensure everything is in place.
If you had to weld on new hangers to the trailer frame, then I would check and make sure they are attached properly. You will also have to weld new spring seats like # TRSS238 on the top of the axles for the leaf springs to sit on. You can also use a conversion kit like the... view full answer...
I recommend any trailer with a tandem axle setup use an equalizer regardless of the amount of leaves in the spring or if it is a double eye or slipper spring design. On a system like your trailer where each axle is mounted individually and not connected one axle will carry more of its share of the weight when one axle lowers due to road angles or unlevel trailer positioning. An equalizer setup like the Tandem-Axle Trailer Hanger Kit # APT3 will allow the suspension to continue to spread... view full answer...
If the wheels are getting caught up in the fenders then you could either add in a lift kit (depending on the specific torsion axles you have) or remove and raise the fenders. Depending on the age of the axles the inner cords could be worn and allowing the weight on the trailer to press further down, causing the wheels to touch the fenders.
Remove the axles and switching to zero suspension would give you a terribly rough ride so you'll most likely be looking at moving the fenders or replacing... view full answer...
Torsion axles use internal rubber cords to provide the suspension motion and they really are not practical to repair/rebuild. Certainly any axle that was damaged in an accident should be replaced purely for safety reasons. It is potentially possible that in certain cases the spindles can be replaced but that depends on the specific torsion axle and the specific damage.
We do not offer torsion axles but we do have axle-less suspension kits from Timbren that completely dispense with the... view full answer...
Tire wear just on the inside tread of the tires can indicate that the trailer is overloaded. Or it could mean that the axle has been flipped over (so the bow in the axle that is supposed to be pointed up would be pointed down) and this can cause the same issue. It also decreases the axle capacity.
Most trailers do not have adjustments for the camber except to adjust the position of the whole axle. To determine if the axle is not aligned properly measure from a single point on the trailer... view full answer...
Typically when only one tire on a trailer wears out on a tandem axle trailer the problem is axle alignment. That would be the first place I would start.
Other possible issues are damaged rim, damaged or worn suspension components, bent axle, bad wheel bearings, one brake assembly locking up when stopping and/or axle overloading. view full answer...
There could be 2 causes of the abnormal wear on the insides of your boat trailer tires; the most common is an overloaded trailer. The other potential cause is an improperly installed or bent axle.
Since this is a new axle, and it sounds like this problem has just surfaced since it was installed, I would make sure that the new axle was installed properly. Trailer axles will all have a bit of a bow to them, to compensate for the lack of adjustable camber. When installed, the bow should... view full answer...
There are a few different things that can cause the tires on the front axle of your tandem axle trailer to increase way more than the rear axle.
First if you have different size tires this can cause an issue by putting more load on the taller tire.
Next is if the trailer is not level then one axle may be supporting extra weight. Since you mentioned the front tires are getting higher air pressure when warm but the rear axle is not changing then this would be the trailer pointed nose down.
Lastly... view full answer...
The good news is that since you know that the GVWR of your trailer is 10,000 lbs it wouldn't be a huge deal to replace the axles if it came down to it; you would just need to get axles that have a slightly higher weight rating.
Trailer axles should actually have the weight capacity stamped into them somewhere. This is typically found towards the middle of the axle somewhere. If I had to guess I would say that it probably has 5,200 lb axles, but on a 30 year old trailer there is no telling... view full answer...
Your car hauler should have identical axles installed on it so since one is straight and one is cambered I'm concerned that your front one may be worn out. This can happen if you're adding quite a bit more front weight to your trailer - ideally you want your tongue weight to be 10-15% of the loaded trailer for a bumper pull or 20% of the loaded trailer for a 5th wheel/gooseneck setup.
Check the weight rating for your axles to ensure they have the same weight rating and then you'll want... view full answer...
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