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Old 06-11-2016, 04:15 PM   #1
gearhead
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Alignment

Just home from 4 weeks and 4,000 miles on the road. About halfway into the trip, actually in Elkhart, IN., I noticed an unusual tire wear pattern. On the rear axle the inside of both tires was worn more than the rest of the tire. I had the tires rotated in Elkhart. I considered the possibilities, first being I am overloaded on the rear axle, or I'm out of alignment, camber wise. So after a long day of driving through Dallas traffic and on home I decided to weigh the axles while we were loaded up. They are Dexter 5200#. I was expecting the worst but I think I'm good on weight. From memory, the forward axle was 4400# and the rear 4700# give or take a few. The tires are 2+ years old and have around 8,000 miles on them. Never rotated until now. I'll probably replace the tires next spring. I found a Houston tire dealer (Strouhal) that says they can just check alignment for $75 and correct for a total of $150.
The wear isn't bad, some folks may not even notice.
My question is how do they check alignment and how do they re-bend the axle for correction? Is that price quote realistic?
I've spent 35 years dealing with rotating equipment alignment with dial indicators and lasers. I can easily over think this. LOL
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Old 06-12-2016, 04:58 AM   #2
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Have you either replaced the nylon bushings on your suspension shackles or installed wet bolts? You may have worn out the original cheap ones and that's causing your misalignment.
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Old 06-12-2016, 05:03 AM   #3
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Have you either replaced the nylon bushings on your suspension shackles or installed wet bolts? You may have worn out the original cheap ones and that's causing your misalignment.
Yes, I had a wet bolt kit installed fairly soon after I bought it.
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Old 06-12-2016, 09:21 AM   #4
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I had a similar wear pattern on a car hauler. Everything checked OK. The problem was the cheap, Jaxxon OEM tires. I see you wisely went with Maxxis, so I doubt the issue is with the tires themselves.
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Old 06-12-2016, 03:26 PM   #5
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When, or if, it ever quits raining I will roll under the 5th and do some measuring. I'm thinking distance from the driveway to the axle tube at the center, and close to the springs. I don't know how much they are supposed to be bent up at the center. I'll check for about the same measurements on both axles.
Start with a framing square and a level I think.
I don't believe it is a severe condition. Probably will be good until time to replace the tires. Just rotate more often on the next set.
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Old 06-12-2016, 05:11 PM   #6
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Measuring from the ground (the concrete surface) to the axle arch probably won't be very accurate. Concrete is seldom finished accurately. If you can find (or have) a 6' straight edge, place it on top of the axle, butted against the shackle plate on the driver's side, laying on top of the axle tube and measure the distance from the straight edge to the shackle plate on the passenger side of the axle. That will give you the arch of one axle, the other should be very close in measurement. I'd then measure with the straight edge against the shackle plate on the passenger's side to be sure the axle tube isn't bent on one side of the arch.

Next, place the straight edge along the face of each tire (both tires on the same side of the trailer) to be sure that both tires on each side are in alignment, you should have equal contact on both surfaces of each tire where the straight edge contacts the rubber. You can spin the tires with the straight edge against them to check for any wheel/tire wobble. Then measure from the closest margin of the forward rim to a central point on the forward part of the trailer. If you have a plumb, attach it to the pin and measure each side from the same contact point on each forward wheel. I use the straight edge and measure 18" from a point where the straight edge passes by the wheel lip on the forward axle. You should have the same distance to the plumbline. If you're concerned with one side of the aft axle being too far forward/aft, you can measure that with a square by placing the straight edge along both tires, measure (with the square) from the rear surface of the forward wheel to the rear surface of the aft wheel (where the straight edge contacts the wheel). That measurement should be the same on both sides. If it's not, then assuming the forward axle measurements to the plumbline are equal, the aft axle would be out of alignment.

If any of the measurements are not equal or very close to equal, on each side, I'd go ahead and have someone who has all the equipment to align and bend the axle tubes to put your trailer back in alignment.

My guess is that you'll probably find both axle arches are OK as are the contact surfaces on both tires on each side. Chances are that the abnormal wear you noted is either from weight differences at each wheel surface and/or towing stresses from the roadway not being flat (either from road contour or from tow vehicle/trailer height differences). But it never hurts to be sure nothing else has gone 'wrong"...
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Old 06-12-2016, 05:35 PM   #7
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We get a form to fill out for alignment issues. It involves measuring from corners to shackle hangers, and center points. There are about 10 or 12 figures entered into the form, and then it's sent to the factory. They send a report back after doing some math and tell us the fix if any.

If you'd like I can't to upload a picture of the form and measurements required.
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Old 06-12-2016, 06:16 PM   #8
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John....ehh...I'm not following the straight edge on top of the tube concept...more thinking...maybe you are saying measure the gap between the bottom of the straight edge and the tube. Yes, that would be a measure of the arch, or lack there of.

I'm towing just a bit nose high. Maybe a quarter of a bubble.

I think if I would have rotated more often I would have never noticed.
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Old 06-12-2016, 06:17 PM   #9
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We get a form to fill out for alignment issues. It involves measuring from corners to shackle hangers, and center points. There are about 10 or 12 figures entered into the form, and then it's sent to the factory. They send a report back after doing some math and tell us the fix if any.

If you'd like I can't to upload a picture of the form and measurements required.
Heck yeah. That'd be cool.
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Old 06-12-2016, 06:25 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
John....ehh...I'm not following the straight edge on top of the tube concept...more thinking...maybe you are saying measure the gap between the bottom of the straight edge and the tube. Yes, that would be a measure of the arch, or lack there of.

I'm towing just a bit nose high. Maybe a quarter of a bubble.

I think if I would have rotated more often I would have never noticed.
Yup, the distance from the straight edge to the opposite spring shackle is essentially the "axle arch". You'd need to measure that "height", measure the distance from end to end, divide by 2, use "algebra" (that math we never really liked) to determine the angle of the arch based on the straight edge height measurement and axle length. But, yeah, if the distance from the straight edge to the shackle is the same on both axles, the arch is the same on both axles.
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Old 06-12-2016, 06:33 PM   #11
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Yes, I'm having that conversation with the calculus teacher sitting in her recliner next to me.
I asked her if that was the hypotenuse? No just a leg.
All I can remember is the Navy lyric for opposite, angle, and hypotenuse. Not suitable for repeating. But I DO remember it.
Thanks for the help. Kick started my brain.
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Old 06-13-2016, 10:02 AM   #12
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I think I'm good. Before the afternoon rains set in I rolled under it this morning. Used a carpenters level on top of the axle and confirmed both axles are arched. Also put the level on the bottom of the axle and measured the gap on both axles at the eyeballed center. Both showed the same gap, 250" I think it was. (I did this 5 hours ago!)
Just for the heck of it I put the level on the driveway and it was fairly level, so I measured up to the axle tube near the springs on both axles, at the center, and at the opposite end and they were consistent.
So, unless I think up something else, I'm calling it good. I should have had a regular schedule of rotating the tires.
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Old 06-13-2016, 12:09 PM   #13
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If I were you, I'd put that carpenter's level (6 footer) against the tires on each side of the RV. Measure the distance from the wheel lip on the forward wheel to the wheel lip on the aft wheel. Then measure on the other side of the trailer. If the axles are "parallel" that measurement would be the same. If there's any "deviation" from parallel, the measurements will differ. Assuming both axles are parallel to each other, you can also "expect" that they are PROBABLY parallel to the trailer frame rails (meaning the axle alignment is OK).

When I do that measurement, I use a adjustable square and slide it along the carpenter's level until it contacts "metal on the wheel lip" and mark that spot, then do the same on the aft wheel. The distance between those two "metal contact points" (measured on the carpenter's level) should be equal on both sides of the trailer.

Here's a picture of the type square I use:
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Old 06-13-2016, 01:12 PM   #14
gearhead
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I've got a square like that.
My level isn't a 6ft., but I can use something else.
Before alignment lasers were common we would us kite string to align the sheaves of fans to motors. No other way. String and straightedge can do a lot.
Except not align a 80,000 HP turbine to 3 end to end centrifugal compressors.
More rain.
Thanks again, good info.
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