trailer tire wear

there was a post a while back about trailer tires and i commented on my tires wearing badly on the inside only. i suspected a bent axle or spindles. i pulled my tires and hubs and removed the axle yesterday after getting home. there is nothing completely obvious with the axle. after doing alot of reading and searching, this is a VERY common issue with boat trailers in particular. anyway im am gonna talk to surwic in mempho and see what they say. starting to think maybe the best thing to do is flip the tires on the rims when they wear and keep on trucking until i get all i can get out of a set.......................
Attachment 157156

That looks like a bad day waiting to happen. Sure, it's common, but not standard. Something is not right. I'd replace the axle assembly before I put a new set of tires on it.

Wannabe...

Okay, I'll say it again. Most boat trailer manufacturers put too light of an axle on their trailers to save a little money. They are rated just to carry the boat. The problem is when you add a motor, gear and everything else, the axle is overloaded. Combine that with the boat bouncing while going down the road and you are putting a bunch of down pressure on the axle. I had a Bear trailer under my G3 boat and was replacing tires every 6 months for wearing the same as yours are. A trailer manufacturer explained to me what was going on. I replaced my 1/2 ton axle with a 3/4 ton from Southwest Wheel. Problem solved!! I had the same set of tires for 2 years after that and they were still in great shape when I sold the boat.

My boat and trailer is about five years old and within the first year one tire wore completely bald on the outside about two inches in and other tire still has no wear at all. I'm still on both tires and it has not worn anymore. Weird

Like WB said those tires are a disaster waiting to happen. If you turn them around the bare spots are just waiting to pick up a screw,nail or sharp rock. Go have Serwicputt a new axle under it. Like Speck said most are to light for the job they are asked to do. If you loaded your boat and got under there and layed a straight edge across top of axle you would find you have a slight bow in center that gets worse as you go down the road.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cray

Like WB said those tires are a disaster waiting to happen. If you turn them around the bare spots are just waiting to pick up a screw,nail or sharp rock. Go have Serwicputt a new axle under it. Like Speck said most are to light for the job they are asked to do. If you loaded your boat and got under there and layed a straight edge across top of axle you would find you have a slight bow in center that gets worse as you go down the road.

---

Now go on and use up some of that money uncle Fred is giving you!!

Add a leaf in the springs. Sounds like the boat is to heavy for the springs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Speck

Okay, I'll say it again. Most boat trailer manufacturers put too light of an axle on their trailers to save a little money. They are rated just to carry the boat. The problem is when you add a motor, gear and everything else, the axle is overloaded. Combine that with the boat bouncing while going down the road and you are putting a bunch of down pressure on the axle. I had a Bear trailer under my G3 boat and was replacing tires every 6 months for wearing the same as yours are. A trailer manufacturer explained to me what was going on. I replaced my 1/2 ton axle with a 3/4 ton from Southwest Wheel. Problem solved!! I had the same set of tires for 2 years after that and they were still in great shape when I sold the boat.

---

I ve got a Bear Trailer with a G3 on it and I put new tires on it last spring and its been to sippi 3 times and to my trailer almost every weekend all summer and that would be around 5000 miles total and I cant even tell that they are worn. I think the key to it is keeping the max air pressure in them and also getting them balanced when you get them put on.

and those tires are past rotating

Low pressure in a tire gives a different wear pattern than what the picture shows. Inside wear usually is from a bent axle, or a weak spring system. The boat is to heavy for the trailer springs if the axle isn't bent. The trailer should have a camber to the axle when the boat is off of it. The axle should have a rating sticker or stamp on it also. Even with a relatively light 3500lb axle, I doubt your boat weighs that much.

Oh yea, those tires are dangerous. They are Shot.

Just like the guys have said you have to light of an axle for you boat. I had the same exact problem. Went from a 2000lb axle to a 3500lb axle and problems were solved.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Handicrappie

Just like the guys have said you have to light of an axle for you boat. I had the same exact problem. Went from a 2000lb axle to a 3500lb axle and problems were solved.

---

Yea, that 2000lb axle is really lite duty.

How much we talking on a new axle? I've seen the same on my Bear trailer

Either the axles are not heavy enough for the weight or the springs are letting the axle flex instead of taking up the load!Just a guess!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by feather

How much we talking on a new axle? I've seen the same on my Bear trailer

---

I think mine cost about $110. Less than $150 total to have it shipped from Texas
http://www.trailerpart.com/35ktraileraxle.htm

That's a whole lot cheaper than buying new tires every 6 months

My bear trailer for my G3 has a 3500 axle in it now.

A way to tell is the 2000# is 1.750 dia. and the 3500# is 2.375 dia.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Speck

Okay, I'll say it again. Most boat trailer manufacturers put too light of an axle on their trailers to save a little money. They are rated just to carry the boat. The problem is when you add a motor, gear and everything else, the axle is overloaded. Combine that with the boat bouncing while going down the road and you are putting a bunch of down pressure on the axle. I had a Bear trailer under my G3 boat and was replacing tires every 6 months for wearing the same as yours are. A trailer manufacturer explained to me what was going on. I replaced my 1/2 ton axle with a 3/4 ton from Southwest Wheel. Problem solved!! I had the same set of tires for 2 years after that and they were still in great shape when I sold the boat.

---

Ditto on this. My buddy just did the exact same thing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by clfarms1

My bear trailer for my G3 has a 3500 axle in it now.

---

That's probably why you don't have the same tire wear problem

Speck
Did your 3500 axle have the same size spindles or were they bigger? Did you have to get different hubs? My 2000 has straight 1 1/16 spindles and I have a brand new spare Hub and bearing kit that I keep in my tool box.

Think I found my own answer. New 3500 comes with tapered spindle so I would have to have new hubs and bearings as well. And weld the seats on myself also. Is that right?

Here is a good place to start if you want to do it yourself. You will have to get your measurements.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...7475_200317475

This is a 3500 kit.

Surwic is 300$ out the door. 3500lb axle with hubs, installed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mississippi

Surwic is 300$ out the door. 3500lb axle with hubs, installed.

---

Ain't nothing for yo pockets! Bwahaha

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mississippi

Speck
Did your 3500 axle have the same size spindles or were they bigger? Did you have to get different hubs? My 2000 has straight 1 1/16 spindles and I have a brand new spare Hub and bearing kit that I keep in my tool box.

---

That one came with the hubs included I think. I may have used the hubs off the other axel. Can't remember now

If I was going to invest in a new axle....I believe I would get one complete with springs too to match the axle

I looked at southwest wheel. Axle was 120. Three hubs and a u-bolt kit was 75. Shipping was 55. 250$. Didn't see a complete set with hubs included.

Surwic is the best deal going. He has put axles under 2 friends boat trailers and one under another buddies commercial trailer. Get him to do it and post your spare hub on here. Shouldn't have any trouble selling it. Just have him get you one to match your axle. The money saved on tires will off set cost over time.

Speck your are correct. Hubs come with. I was on iPhone when I looked the first time.

Over the years I've had two different boat trailers to wear out the tires on the inside like the picture above. I had a man at the machine shop teach me how to check to see if you have a bad axle. Take axel out from under trailer , remove the tires, take axel out in yard step on both hubs push them down in the ground where hubs will not move. Take your foot & roll the shaft with hubs not moving. If one of the hubs wobbles while you roll the shaft you have a bad axel needs to be replaced!! On both my trailers that the hub wobbled I replaced the axel & I had no more tire trouble. This tip works try it!!

Got my new axle on today. Thanks speck for the tip on southwest wheel. 210$ shipped with a spare hub. And the spindles are eZlube as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by "G"

If I was going to invest in a new axle....I believe I would get one complete with springs too to match the axle

---

and oil bath set-up.......... why ever do it again ?

Call Vortex. They have a 100k mile warranty.