Trailer Tires on Pontoon Boat Trailer are Wearing On the Inside  

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Expert Reply:

If your boat trailer tires are wearing on the inside then that indicates that they are bowing out at the bottoms. This usually means they are overloaded or it could also mean that the axle has been flipped.

A trailer axle will have a natural bow in it that is curved upward in the middle when not under load. When a load is placed on it, the axle will straighten out. If the the load is too heavy the axle will bow downward in the middle and push the bottoms of the tires out leading to excessive wear.

If the axle is flipped then the natural bow will be facing down and that will lead to wear on the insides.

You will need to determine the axle capacity of the trailer and compare that to the weight of the boat when loaded and ready to tow. If the load is too great for the axle you will need to either reduce the weight to an acceptable level up to the axle capacity or replace the axle with a higher capacity axle.

Changing the tire size will not allow the trailer to carry more weight because you have to go by the lowest rated component in the system. So for example if the axle is rated lower, you have to go by the axle rating. Also, if you switch tire sizes, no matter what the size, if the axle is overloaded or flipped the tires will still be tow out at the bottom.

You will also want to make sure that your trailer tires are always inflated to the maximum psi as indicated on the tire. Trailer tires are built with a thicker side wall that can lead to excessive heat build up if not inflated to the maximum pressure.

expert reply by: Michael H

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