Potential Causes for Uneven Wear on Trailer Tires

Question:

Hello, I have a 2015 tandem axel Glastron boat trailer. The trailer is made by Rec Boat Holdings. The max load capacity is 5845 lbs. At the most, with boat and supplies the load would be 4000 lbs. The trailer has approximately 3600 miles on it. I have just noticed that the outside tread on the front tire of the passenger side is quite worn. The rest of the tires do not have any obvious excessive wear. The tire pressure is good. The tires are Carlisle ST205/75D14D. Do you have suggestions as to why this is happening? Rim, tire, axel issues? Or is this a common occurrence. Thanks for your assistance.

asked by: Russ L

Expert Reply:

There are several potential causes for uneven trailer tire wear.

If BOTH tires on the axle wear more on the inside edges this usually indicates overloading. If the tires wear on both their inside and outside edges this often indicates under-inflation. If a tire wears more in the center of the tread than on the outsides this often indicates over-inflation.

But when only one tire wears only on its outside edge this would tend to indicate a bent spindle, one that is bent downward.

Spindles can be replaced by a qualified welder who has the welding equipment and necessary jigs to remove the old spindle and install the new spindle perfectly straight and concentric. If it happens that that one spindle has already been replaced then the tire wear issue you're seeing would typically indicate that the spindle was not installed correctly.

Since your trailer uses 3500-lb axles I have linked both our page for 3500-lb-rated spindles and for complete 89-inch 3500-lb axles.

expert reply by: Adam R