Where to Take a Trailer With Excessive Inner Tire Wear For Tire and Axle Maintenance

Question:

Ive excessive wear on the inner side of both tires, and have seen a few forums saying the toe in, camber and a tracking need to be checked. Thats fine, but Ive no idea where to go. Their suggestion is a frame and alignment shop. Id be happy to go, but I have no idea where to find one of these shops. Is this an auto body shop, a diesel tractor trailer shop, a car wheel and alignment shop, or something else entirely? Can you tell me how I can find one of these shops? Thanks!

asked by: Shawn

Expert Reply:

Excessive inner wear on both tires typically means that the trailer is being overloaded. When your trailer is overloaded for an extended amount of time the axle could be bent which means that it is not holding your load appropriately resulting in the excessive wear on the inside of your tires.

Another possibility is that the axle is flipped. Generally, an axle is flipped to gain more height, however, the natural bow that is in the trailer that helps support the load will be facing the wrong way and the tires will naturally tilt in at the top resulting in inner tire wear.

Camber is defined by the measurement of degree difference between the wheel vertical alignment perpendicular to the surface. Your tires will have a negative camber if your trailer is overloaded which will result in excessive wear on the inner sides of your tires. Toe in is when your tires face slightly inward which is typically on an automobile and not a trailer.

Of course having your trailer checked is a good idea to verify there are no broken parts such as the axle or springs.

Your best bet is looking for a company that sells trailers and/or RVs and has a service department. These guys will probably have the most comprehensive hands on experience with your issue. The other option is going to an automobile alignment shop. I would call ahead to make sure someone there is knowledgeable about trailers.

expert reply by: Lori W