Why Do the Tires on a Dual Axle Trailer Wear Differently

Question

Question:

Why do the rear axle tires wear out more than the front ones. Also, if im only toeing 2,200 plus the trailer weight, what should the tire pressure be.

asked by: Des

0

Expert Reply:

If the rear axle trailer tires are supporting more of the weight of the trailer then they would wear out faster. There are couple of adjustments that could be made to try to even out the load on the trailer. The first would be to more evenly distribute the weight on the trailer, and secondly make sure that the trailer is being towed in a level position.

The first adjustment that you could make would be to redistribute the weight on your trailer. Ideally you would want to move some of the weight to the front of the trailer, near the tongue of the trailer, you can try to put heavier cargo in the front of the trailer, ahead of the trailers axle. When your trailer is hooked up this will help in evenly distributing the load of the weight on the trailer between the axles.

If the weight is too far back on the trailer it can act as leverage by angling the trailer tongue up. With this additional leverage, it maybe distributing more of the load on the rear tires, and that might be why the rear tires are wearing faster than the front tires.

Secondly, you would want to make sure that you are towing your trailer in a level position. If the trailer coupler is too high this can also place additional leverage on the rear axles, as opposed to evenly distributed on the axles. If you can check and make sure that you are towing the trailer in a level position this will help. You may need to lower the ball mount on your vehicle, and this can be done by using a drop style ball mount. I have included a link to a helpful article regarding measuring for the appropriate ball mount for your trailer.

For the best ride with the trailer, optimize mileage, and to reduce sway when using your trailer the tires should be always be inflated to the maximum pressure rating. For the Karrier ST205/75R15 Radial Trailer Tire that would be 50 psi. I have also linked a helpful article that explains tire pressures.

expert reply by: Rachael H

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Answer 1

If you have the weight in the trailer more towards the back then that could cause the rear axle tires to wear quicker. You will also want to check the suspension components to see if anything needs to be replaced. Worn suspension can lead to…

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Answer 2

When changing just a couple tires at a time on your trailer, you will want to keep the trailer raised up off the ground to keep weight off the remaining tires. You can use jack stands like #PTW41021 to stabilize the jacked up trailer or the…

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Answer 3

If the trailer wheels scrubbed (dragged and scrapped the ground instead of rolling) when jack knifed then it could have thrown something out of alignment or damaged something. First, inspect the suspension. Look for any elongated holes where…

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Answer 4

It looks like your 2014 Forest River R-Pod 179 travel trailer came with 14" wheels that have 5 on 4-1/2" lug pattern along with 205/75R14 tires. There is not a real benefit to upsizing your wheel size in this application, aside from looks…

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Answer 5

The Dexter Nev-R-Adjust electric trailer brakes can be manually adjusted. There are a couple teeth of the adjustment wheel that are exposed just under the lever that you referenced. I have attached a photo showing the teeth. You will likely need a…

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Answer 6

I would definitely replace all tires at the same time if possible but if you can't then put the new tires on the axle that has brakes, if either have brakes. If both have brakes then put them on the rear axle if it is a regular straight axle; but…

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Answer 7

For tandem axle trailers you really need the trailer sitting as level as possible to ensure all of the tires wear at the same rate. Otherwise you'll end up in a situation like what you have now where one axle's tires just seem to wear out…

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Answer 8

Increasing the tire and wheel size can increase the height of the trailer but it's usually quite minimal. Before you do anything else you should see if the pin box can be adjusted. Although you have to be careful here since This will lower the…

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Answer 9

When adjusting the height of a pin box such as #LC1191191 it is important to support the pin box when removing the bolts. I recommend 2 or 3 buddies to give you a hand and make sure no one is beneath the pin box while raising or lowering it. With the…

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Answer 10

To drop the front of the pin box and thus lower the front of the fifth wheel, you'd need to RAISE the pin box, not lower it. Lowering the pin box would raise the height of the fifth wheel at the front. If you have an available set of holes at the…

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Answer 11

I spoke with a representative of Dexter who told me that the 4 mounting flange bolts on the Dexter Nev-R-Adjust Electric Trailer Brake Assembly #K23-478-00 (left hand) and #K23-479-00 (right hand) who was unable to confirm the specific torque specs…

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Answer 12

Dexter 10-Inch Nev-R-Adjust electric drum brakes #23-468 and #23-469 have a star wheel for initial adjustment, just like regular brakes do, but with these self-adjusting brakes you'll mount them and install your wheel/tire and then rotate the…

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