Have a odd tire wear I can't figure out on tandem dual wheel trailer. Two tires on the right side front axle have inside shoulder wear so bad to point I changed a tire out and within 1000 miles it was worn down on the same shoulder and on rear axle it's the opposite wearing on outside shoulder and not as so fast but is prevalent. All 4 tires on left side have no premature wear. This is with a unloaded trailer all springs are good, no brakes dragging and I'm not doing donuts in the parking lot with it. There is a bolt right by the spring perch pad that looks to be an alignment adjustment if no one knows what I am talking about I will get a picture of it later, but what gets me is if the alignment was off on one side it would be for the other side. Bearings weren't ate up either, slight pitting on one yes but I have all 4 hubs off and all the bearings pulled everything felt tight. Lastly for replacing the brakes on each axle is $400 per a side, so figure $800 per axle then add in price of new bearings almost cheaper to buy new axles.
I'm to old to try to picture what's happening based on a description. First thing I'd do is set up a string line on both sides, about 1/4" from the outside of the tires at axle level, from the front of the trailer to the back. Like a 2x4 in a T stuck out the sides and weighted down with spare tires, and then a nail or screw to run the string off of. Then measure it up and it should show you what's happening.
It can show more wear on one side than the other. If one side has shifted and the other just rotated on the spring perch, the side that shifted usually {I say usually} shows more wear on the inside tire. The trailer needs to be aligned off the center of hitch pivot or king pin. That's how the pros do it, set the front axle then set rear axle to match front. Providing there is not a bent spindle or axle.
That's the part I overlooked, the hitch. So you could set up a batter board for the front of the stringlines, and measure to the center of the hitch to see how that lines up with your rims. Eyeball the clearance to the tires, but measure to the rims I figure.
Not going to be easy since it's a 40' deck trailer with no flat ground, but I will give it a try when I get the brakes and bearings in, in couple weeks due to Covid-19, holidays and any weather conditions happening.
Actually it's not easy on any trailer Spud--very time consuming setting it up.
Does the trailer seem to track straight behind the truck? Take note of that.
Yes it does as that's what I'm constantly looking at when driving, not for straight tracking but to see if anything came loose and can't help to look to see if it's off any. I can understand if all 4 tires on one side were rubbed smooth on same shoulder, but not on opposite shoulders.
Think of the axle as moved in a arc.
In my opinion as I can't prove this but I think when the person loading up the Peterbilt on my trailer and dropped it 6 ft in the air onto the opposite side of the trailer that has the tire problem is what did it. Frame looks fine and so does the decking.
I would agree with Truck Shop..... and it is a pain in the behind measuring from the pin, but it is the only way to be sure.
Basically fix one axle to help the other axle straighten out, got it.
If you have the hubs off, even better. measure those bare axles against each other and diagonally to the hitch or a measured point in the middle of the frame rails front and back.
Sure thing, let me lift it up on the rear to let them freely hang since I doubt they are sitting evenly due to uneven ground. Yeah they are down to the spindles. When I do something I go all in or don't at all, none of this replace one at a time I replace in sets.
At one shop we made a slip over Ring to hang on the kingpin just light steel but key holed so would stay in place, 50' tape to front axle spindles, set front then set rear to front axle. were rolling six Fruehauf 53 foot vans thru a night including re-aligns. if just checking and setting back outside no align was in and out in thirty minutes. One guy pulling caps, the other setting up measuring, did not pull tires, had Propar Axles with Fruehauf supplied axle extension tubes that screwed on the residual threads beyond the axle nut.
I think I'd prefer to set the axle blocking level and the trailer level front to back, but leave the springs to do their thing with the axles blocked level. Rather than let the axles hang from a level trailer. DMiller, I assume you did those trailer sitting flat, did you worry much about a perfectly level concrete slab?
Shop floors were not all that great but at length made little difference.
According to doing it with trailer uneven or twisted with axles hanging in the air freely or secured on blocks I have came out to half inch to quarter of a inch off on back axle. Measuring from back axle spindle center on the side with worn tires to king pin show a half inch measurement less than what was measured on other side of the good tires. Measuring from spindle to spindle center on side with worn tires it came out to quarter of inch less distance than side with non worn tires. So how would I correct that much difference, btw there is slipper springs on the rear axle too. Hate to try and do this with bottle jacks and chain.
One eye should be fixed on springs or has a torque arm. PHOTO Please!!
Should measure pin to Lead axle, then square back to lead.
I did that and it came out perfect on the front axle
Inadvertently found the problem and it can be summed up in one word, bushings. With axles freely hanging in the air I was able to freely move the springs on the eyelet side over half in and one of the bolts moved easily too.
That will do it Appears standard parts Any trailer supply shop will carry I use Etrailer with decent results Find the bad puck?
Redneck trailer supply is usually cheaper than etrailer, and they have a warehouse much nearer to you than etrailer. Just a disclaimer, I am a dealer for them, but they are good to deal with direct. If you have any trouble Id'ing what you need, I'll get you to take a few measurements and I can give you part numbers.
Just depends on source location Etrailer is 40 miles from me Can have usually next day free ship
Redneck has warehouses in Sikeston, and Springfield Missouri. Caldwell Idaho is probably the closest to Spud. Springfield is the corporate HQ, and central distribution center
Of all the bushings that came with all the axles that Rockwell makes and without measuring as I will do tomorrow, the axles I have, have rubber bushings and the others are all nylon which narrows it down to one part number 91413 which cross references to A8129 which Etrailer and Redneck don't have. Only place I found them was here https://www.standardaxle.ca/product/bushing-spring-10k-16k-rubber-2/ This is where I found my information https://www.rockwellamerican.com/sites/default/files/catalog/B-Suspensions.pdf
Apparently etrailer.com has my brakes and the bushings, they use the old part numbers, they will price match where I found them cheaper after I buy from them and will be here by Friday or Saturday.
Yeah, Rockwell American trailer axles are hard to get parts for by the numbers. I thought you had said it had Dexters. They are not affiliated with the Rockwell of old, they are a chinese owned company that used to be Polar Axle. It's funny though, they are such close copies of Dexter that all the brakes and hubs at least interchange, but neither one wants to admit it. You have to do it all by dimensions. I know some suspension parts will work that way too, but I haven't done much RA suspension work.
I got curious and went in by the dealer portal and poked around. Redneck doesn't have that 91413 but they have a 091413 that has exactly the same dimensions. It costs you $17.99 each, and Idaho has 17 in stock. Just in case you have trouble getting them.
Same problem I had with etrailer, so they are adding a 0 in there, wonder if they got the trailer brakes too, going to take a look and see what they priced at. You are correct on Dexter interchanging I found them and came out more expensive at least from what I have seen so far or they interchange back to Al-KO parts showing up instead of Dexter or Rockwall. Rather pay $17.99 than $24.99 for them, haven't had alcohol yet to really get researching these parts plus the trailer is 3 miles up the road, can't exactly walk outside and run a measurement or anything.
Yeah, it has been Hayes, Alko, Polar, and now Rockwell American.
That's a half ased Redneck company, have half the parts a trailer axle will need. Found brakes for one side but not the other side what did they do use them for wind chimes in their trailer park.
Believe it or not, RA has a warehouse 60 miles from me, I used to buy from them wholesale when they were Polar. Now that they are RA, they want a mortgage on my first born child and a pint of blood for a deposit to set me up as a dealer, and refuse to sell to me otherwise.
Well I never heard of them till I bought this trailer and now after seeing what I have seen on this website I found what their acronym stands for on PJ trailers Piece of Junk trailer. There is a dealer around Portland for RA but I'm sure they want the same for their parts from me. If this trailer were to be used as daily hauler for such distances I would toss the axles and put some Dexters on with better spring system.
https://shop.redneck-trailer.com/p-1933-al-ko-12-14in-9-12k-lh-elec-drum-brake-k23-528-00.aspx complete loaded backing plate left hand side, your cost $281. They have the parts of it in Redline aftermarket, but not complete assembly
Need whole assembly for the RH side minus backing plate and they don't have it. It's okay I found a set of Rockwell's themselves exact replacement for $379 a pair on Ebay right down to matching wire color. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-Ro...638074&hash=item4413b51fd6:g:vMoAAOSwImRYGluF Now I just need to find the short in the brake wires or wherever it may be since the brake controller is going nuts with the code. Some reason my meter zeros out on every wire in the junction box on the trailer with the rig disconnected. I put the negative lead on the ground on the trailer and positive lead on every wire and it zeros it out on every wire yet when I apply 12V to lights it doesn't activate the anything but the light I put it on. Though I do get nothing when I apply it to the brakes, they don't move. I must be missing something due to stress
Electro Magnets, will show ZERO Resistance but when apply power make the magnetic field and does not light a lamp as too much induced resistance.
The brakes won't move when you apply power. Power turns the electromagnet on, the magnet tries to grab the drum and the rotation of the drum moves the shoes.
Welp I measured the ohms two were out of spec, one hit 4 ohms other 0.2 and two of them hit 3.6 which is good. As for the bushings I will let the picture do the talking.
Them ain't bushings, them's trash.
Kinda like the pucks, would change them all.
Those are perfect, nice specimens, many miles left in them, rotate them a 1/4 turn and your {good to go} as they say on HEF. Fellers why are my tires only lasting 1000 miles?
The new brakes come with them, just bolt and go after wiring them up. Still haven't figured out that great mystery yet
Now these look like bushings, let’s see if USPS can deliver today too, if so it’s game on, on getting a trip in within few days. Too bad tire shop dragging arse, ordered Monday won’t be here till Tuesday next week as they told me today when I called
Got your can of Silicone Slickum handy to set these!!
Yep and I got them in the freezer
Be SO Much better when all back together.
From the manual they say to roll the hubs at least every two weeks to prevent damage from oxidation to the bearings and before I bought this trailer I knew this would be a factor. So looking further it appears I can later on switch to grease on these since I will not be long hauling after these two trips, all I need to do is drain and replace with grease. Supposed to use a special cap they made that is hard to find but I am sure extra grease won't hurt. Am I missing anything? Yes I know they will run hotter on grease than oil but not a concern when not hauling long distances often and if I decide to pull across the US on heavy load I can clean grease off inspect everything and fill up with oil.
Would stay with oil, less work to keep viable for other duties. Just pin up every couple weeks, exercise brakes and roll the hubs, also better on tires to roll them on occasion anyway.
Won't be any leaking on these, $586 later new bearings and seals going on, ouch this hurts.
After 24 hrs in -9 Fahrenheit freezer some Gel WD40 lubricate they went in so easy it was scary, couple taps with hammer and they went home.
Somehow in 10 miles the new brakes went out and now are shorting out on one hub. Got to take it back apart since there is no bare wires coming out the hub
And here is the aftermath... Didn’t want to wait till Tuesday afternoon to get the part so I drove 6 hrs to get it and drive home then rip the wheels off, hub off and replaced it in the dark.