Reason for New Tires on Boat Trailer Wearing on Inside

Updated 03/28/2018 | Published 03/27/2018

Question:

I just put two new tires on my boat trailer made a trip that covered about 700miles round trip both tires were worn on the inside about an inch and a half on each tire. looking from the back of the boat the top of the tires are slanted in can you help me trailer is a 2013 with very few miles

asked by: John H

Expert Reply:

When a trailer tire is wearing just on the inside of the tire, this can be an indication that the axle is being overloaded. Axles will have a natural arch in them that arches up, so when they are under a load they become horizontal and you will have even wear on the tires. Overloading the axle means that it will instead arch toward the ground, which is what would cause inside wear on the tires.

I recommend simply checking the axle capacity on your trailer to make sure you are not exceeding its limits. This information is usually stamped on the axle itself or may be listed on the main trailer tag toward the coupler.

If you find that you are operating under the axle's capacity, the inside tire wear might also indicate that something on the trailer itself, like the spindle, is bent or something is out of alignment. You can take your trailer up to a local alignment shop to see if they can inspect the trailer for any issues.

expert reply by: Chris R