Trailer tires

[Mark W]

First off - Happy New Year everyone. Big plans in the Wollner household this year. Take out Chinese, movie on Netflix or some other streaming service then to bed. BIG year this year......

I brought my Ducker to our cabin for storage this winter. Only place I had any garage space. I bought a relatively new trailer for it the brand I can't recall but it is quality and from Fleet Farm. When I got it there was no wear anywhere including the tires. When I got it to the cabin maybe 3 weeks back I noticed one of the tires is badly worn and the others looks brand new. I have put maybe at the every most 400 miles on it since owning it. The boat and motor and gear in it weighs 300 lbs max. Checked the tire pressure today at 30 deg, F and both sides were about 42psi. The left tire (looking from the rear of the trailer) is very worn in the middle

What can be wrong?

 

[Carl]

Looks like They are both more worn on the inside. Strange.

 

[Ed L.]

Carlisle? Unfortunately no trailer tire is warranted but Carlisle are the worse in my opinion. Then there is Loadrite. Both mine are weather checked but great treat.

 

[Steve Sanford]

First off - Happy New Year everyone. Big plans in the Wollner household this year. Take out Chinese, movie on Netflix or some other streaming service then to bed. BIG year this year......

I brought my Ducker to our cabin for storage this winter. Only place I had any garage space. I bought a relatively new trailer for it the brand I can't recall but it is quality and from Fleet Farm. When I got it there was no wear anywhere including the tires. When I got it to the cabin maybe 3 weeks back I noticed one of the tires is badly worn and the others looks brand new. I have put maybe at the every most 400 miles on it since owning it. The boat and motor and gear in it weighs 300 lbs max. Checked the tire pressure today at 30 deg, F and both sides were about 42psi. The left tire (looking from the rear of the trailer) is very worn in the middle

What can be wrong?

Mark~

Inner tire wear usually denotes over-inflation. Any chance the tires were filled a bit too much before the trip?

Nevertheless - Happy New Year!

SJS

 

[tod osier]

First off - Happy New Year everyone. Big plans in the Wollner household this year. Take out Chinese, movie on Netflix or some other streaming service then to bed. BIG year this year......

I brought my Ducker to our cabin for storage this winter. Only place I had any garage space. I bought a relatively new trailer for it the brand I can't recall but it is quality and from Fleet Farm. When I got it there was no wear anywhere including the tires. When I got it to the cabin maybe 3 weeks back I noticed one of the tires is badly worn and the others looks brand new. I have put maybe at the every most 400 miles on it since owning it. The boat and motor and gear in it weighs 300 lbs max. Checked the tire pressure today at 30 deg, F and both sides were about 42psi. The left tire (looking from the rear of the trailer) is very worn in the middle

What can be wrong?

Just really really lousy tires (soft rubber) would be my guess. If the trailer axle was horrifically poorly aligned on the frame I do not think you would get that wear pattern on the tires. I'd get new tires and watch those.

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Partially failed/seized bearings, or wire/rope wrapped around the axle will do that. May be worth checking bearings even though it's relatively new.

 

[Jmac]

If this is a tandem axle trailer, i would take a tape measure and measure from the center of the hub on the front axle to the center of the hub on the rear axle. Take that measurement and then measure on the right side tires the same way. They should have the same measurement. If not, you might have to loosen the u-bolts and either shift the axle to either the front or the back depending on what axle is showing the wear.

 

[Mark W]

To answer a few questions.

Tire inflation was right around 45 psi during the season and when the trailer was brought to the cabin for storage.

Single axle trailer.

Bearings were gone over before the season started and were good. Regressed at that time.

Trailer is manufactured by Karavan which is a very nice trailer. We have a Karavan for our Jetski and it has held up great for 7 years.

Prior pictures were looking at the tires from the rear. Only the left side is worn and it is in the middle of the tire, not the inside.

Here is a pic of the trailer with the boat on it.

 

[SJ Fairbank]

To answer a few questions.

Tire inflation was right around 45 psi during the season and when the trailer was brought to the cabin for storage.

Single axle trailer.

Bearings were gone over before the season started and were good. Regressed at that time.

Trailer is manufactured by Karavan which is a very nice trailer. We have a Karavan for our Jetski and it has held up great for 7 years.

Prior pictures were looking at the tires from the rear. Only the left side is worn and it is in the middle of the tire, not the inside.

Here is a pic of the trailer with the boat on it.

You should still check to ensure that the tire is spinning feely and without a wobble. Your tire wear resembles what I have observed when a tire is not spinning freely. Even though you checked them recently, it's easy to raise that tire off the ground and spin it to eliminate that possibility.

 

[Brian M Mcandrew]

Mark~

Inner tire wear usually denotes over-inflation. Any chance the tires were filled a bit too much before the trip?

Nevertheless - Happy New Year!

SJS

Very indicative of over inflation. 45 psi cold can easily become 50psi at highway speed in such a small tire. Much to high for such a light load in my experience. Yes there is a fine line between over inflated for the load and underinflated, with generates heat and causes many failures. Perform a chalk test and adjust accordingly. And if all things are equal refer to Tod's statement on quality. It is possible, and I have experienced significant differences in wear patterns from the same make and model of small trailer tires.
Best wishes for a great new year.

 

[Mark W]

Very indicative of over inflation. 45 psi cold can easily become 50psi at highway speed in such a small tire. Much to high for such a light load in my experience. Yes there is a fine line between over inflated for the load and underinflated, with generates heat and causes many failures. Perform a chalk test and adjust accordingly. And if all things are equal refer to Tod's statement on quality. It is possible, and I have experienced significant differences in wear patterns from the same make and model of small trailer tires.
Best wishes for a great new year.

But why then only one tire? Both were inflated to the same psi. Difference in tire quality between the two maybe? And what would be the correct pressure for this trailer that is carrying 3-350 pounds or so?

I did check for wobble and there wasn't any. I did not lift the tire off the ground and check for wheel spin. Next time I'm at the cabin I'll do so.

Mark

 

[Carl]

I’ve always run mine around 35# cold.

 

[Capt Rich Geminski]

Looks like over inflation to me. I put tubes in all my tires, if you pop a bead it will reseal. Check the axel alignment.

 

[Mark W]

Looks like over inflation to me. I put tubes in all my tires, if you pop a bead it will reseal. Check the axel alignment.

If it were over inflation wouldn't both tires be bad? They are inflated to the same psi. Just asking. Will check axle alignment when I figure our how to do it. Figure there must be videos out there.

 

[roy brewington]

Measuring is a good a way as any for proper axle alignment. I would think both tires would show drag wear though from axle not aligned. But in that short a time period axle not aligned would be my best guess.

 

[tod osier]

Agree that the overinflation is probably not the cause, but could contribute, especially since you have both inflated equally. The bad tire could have a crazy crown on it that lead to the wear aided by sidewall inflation and a minimal load.

Will check axle alignment when I figure our how to do it. Figure there must be videos out there.

Yes, you can do it with straightedge and a tape measure. Like Roy, I am having a hard time seeing how one would wear and one not wear with alignment problems. To generate the force to wear one the other must be generating the force.

I did buy a trailer and one of the bearings had the castle nut way to tight from the factory. I noticed it getting the trailer home, the hub was warm to the touch. I set it properly and it has been fine. The bearing would have to really be binding to generate that level of drag.

One last suggestion based on something I've seen on my trailers in the past. . Is there any chance of fender contact? If the tire contacts the fender when the springs are compressed (like from a bump) it could result is wear. The wearing surface would show marks, but you would also probably see/smell smoke/burning tire.

 

[Mark W]

Agree that the overinflation is probably not the cause, but could contribute, especially since you have both inflated equally. The bad tire could have a crazy crown on it that lead to the wear aided by sidewall inflation and a minimal load.



Yes, you can do it with straightedge and a tape measure. Like Roy, I am having a hard time seeing how one would wear and one not wear with alignment problems. To generate the force to wear one the other must be generating the force.

I did buy a trailer and one of the bearings had the castle nut way to tight from the factory. I noticed it getting the trailer home, the hub was warm to the touch. I set it properly and it has been fine. The bearing would have to really be binding to generate that level of drag.

One last suggestion based on something I've seen on my trailers in the past. . Is there any chance of fender contact? If the tire contacts the fender when the springs are compressed (like from a bump) it could result is wear. The wearing surface would show marks, but you would also probably see/smell smoke/burning tire.

Thanks for the info. When I get back to the cabin I'll check the rolling resistance of the tire if any. I don't think it would be fender contact as the trailer is designed for boats heavier than mine but one never knows. Maybe the leaf spring on that side is damaged.

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Thanks for the info. When I get back to the cabin I'll check the rolling resistance of the tire if any. I don't think it would be fender contact as the trailer is designed for boats heavier than mine but one never knows. Maybe the leaf spring on that side is damaged.

Tod's suggestion about rubbing on the fender, and your thought about the leaf spring remind me of my former drift boat trailer. When I went to sell it in summer 2023, the welded bracket holding the rear bolt attaching the leaf spring to the frame had broken free. That resulted in some scuffing on the tire from fender contact, but nothing like the damage to your tires. But that trailer was ten years old and regularly traveled gravel logging roads to the rivers.

I hope it's just an overinflation problem. So many possible causes, best of luck.

 

[Capt Rich Geminski]

Only way to check alignment on the trailer is to remove the boat. They are built in a jig and are pretty square. My axle was off [ used, too cheap to buy new ]. I took off tires, measured from tongue to each axle, also measure from tongue to each corner, tongue may be bent. While your the check the bearings, seals, lights etc.

 

[Todd Duncan Tennyson]

overinflated.