5th Wheel axle alingment, tire balanced

[sasquatch]

Is it necessary to have your axles alinged, and tires balanced, going on 5000 trip do not want tire wear, Have a 2013 Keystone Laredo 29RKS. If Keystone did it right the axles should be alinged, right? Can you check axle alignedment yourself and how

[JRTJH]

I think the reasonable answer to your question is this:

Yes, your tires should be balanced and kept at the correct tire pressure.

No, there is no reason to check your alignment unless you notice abnormal tire wear or damage or see that your RV is not tracking correctly behind your tow vehicle.

If Keystone did it right, then you'd expect that the axles are properly aligned and tracking true, however that may or may not be the actual condition. Your first indication of an alignment problem would probably be abnormal tire wear. Very few trailers are out of alignment so far that it would be noticeable when tracking behind your tow vehicle.

I'd advise keeping a close eye on your tires, use a depth gage, not just your eyes to measure the actual tire wear. Inspect the entire tire surface, front, back and the entire tread, not just a convenient place where you can see a bit of the tread. There often is wear or damage in one spot on the tire, if it's not in the exact spot where you were looking, it could easily be missed.

There are a number of sites online that give detailed procedures for aligning the trailer axles, but most "shadetree mechanics" don't have the capability to set it up the trailer or to do the measurements accurately. It's a bit more complex than just measuring from the hitch centerline to each axle hub and moving the axles until the measurements are equal. Most home toolboxes don't have the equipment to get consistent measurements during the process.

You can use Google or another search engine to find information on proper inspection and maintenance of your trailer's axles, wheels and tires.

There are a number of Youtube videos that address the "how to" of trailer axle alignment, Here is an E-how short article that touches on how:

http://www.ehow.com/how_8015256_align-trailer-wheels.html

What they address is centered on the need to check for wear/change out any damaged components instead of trying to actually bend metal/make adjustments to the running gear. I'd suggest a good visual inspection at home and if you find damage or wear of the suspension components beyond what you're comfortable replacing at home, find a reputable trailer repair shop and discuss the alignment with them.

There are a number of recent threads concerning replacement of the suspension bolts/bushings with "wet bolts" and bronze bushing. There are quite a few pictures of worn shackles, bolts and bushings that would lead to abnormal tire wear. Worn or damaged parts are most likely the source of the abnormal wear in more cases than the axle alignment. Often that wear is caused by a bent axle or worn suspension parts rather than an alignment problem. You can't usually straighten a bent axle, so replacement of the parts is most often the preferred repair.

Remember, the key to good tire performance begins with inspecting to see if there is a reason to think the alignment is not correct. In most cases, having the alignment checked and performed probably isn't needed, but the visual inspection is the start of that process.

[CPE]

A friend hit a large pot hole and it bent the axle; he took it to a shop and they straightened it for a reasonable fee. We were camping together and noticed the wheel out of alignment and tire wearing abnormally.

just info

[Chinomax]

Every trailer I have ever owned has had the axles out of alignment. The guys that weld these frames together are paid by the hour. I have not checked my Cougar yet but I'm sure it will need some work as well! Chino

[bobbecky]

Another check, besides making sure your bearings are properly maintained and adjusted, is make sure the u-bolts that connect your axles to the springs are torqued to the correct torque specs. If they are loose, you will definitely have alignment issues at some point, and possibly a failure while towing. Torques should be listed in your axle manual, whether it is Lippert, Dexter, or whoever else makes these axles and spring sets.