Can A Bent Axle Cause Uneven Wear On Inside Of Tires?

Updated 08/05/2024 | Published 07/31/2024

Question:

I have a tandem boat trailer that I have owned since 1994. The rear tires are wearing badly on the inside and in fact it looks as though the tires are toed out. Can a boat axle bend in such a way as to indicate a severe toe problem. Thank you

asked by: Steve

Expert Reply:

Hello Steve; yes, a bent axle or spindle can indeed cause uneven tire wear. Excessive wear on the inside of the tire is most commonly cause by a bent or overloaded axle. Even a very small bend, like a fraction of a fraction of an inch can throw things off enough to cause damage like you are describing.

If your axle is bent, replacing it is recommended. If you can let me know the weight capacity and hub face length of your axle, I am happy to look into it and see if we have a replacement for you.

expert reply by: Jesse M

Steve

8/4/2024

Hi Jesse, Thank you for getting back to me. I measured the trailer axle today and here are the dimensions. Hub face 89", spring center 68", I measured the drop at 3" from the top of the spindle to the top of the axle, I think the capacity would be 3500lbs, the hole pattern is 5 on 5.5, and 4 bolts holding the drum brake backing plate. The springs mount on top of square 2x2 axle. I sure hope you can help, I'm not able to move the trailer until I fix the axle, it is eating the tires up! capacity. Also, the trailer is a tandem axle and the front axle is in good shape. Thank you, Steve

Jesse M.

8/5/2024

@Steve So, we do carry an 89" long 3,500 lb axle part # e53GR. Ours has a 4" drop on the spindle which is more of less the standard drop for a 3,500 lb trailer axle. If your axle truly is a 3" drop, I recommend replacing both axles so they are identical. The spring seats on our axle are at 74" so new spring seats # TRSS238 will need to be attached at 68". Also our axle is round and it sounds like yours is square. So our axle can certainly still be used for this application but it is not a direct replacement. The hub face length and weight capacity are a match so it can be made to work. If you choose to go with our axle, here are the rest of the parts you will need: - CE Smith U-Bolt Kit for Mounting 3,500-lb, Round Trailer Axles - 5-1/2" Long U-Bolts - Zinc # CE23002 - etrailer Electric Trailer Brakes - Self-Adjusting - 10" - Left/Right Hand Assemblies - 3.5K # AKEBRK-35-SA - Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly - 3,500-lb Axles - 10" Diameter - 5 on 5-1/2 - Pre-Greased # AKHD-555-35-K If you are in need of new tires just let me know your size and I am happy to make a recommendation. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Steve S.

8/5/2024

@JesseM hi Jesse, the spring perch mounts would need to be welded on correct? Is your shop able to do that? Can I use my drums or are the spindles different where I need to buy a new pair. I assume with easy grease set up, no more bearing buddy? Tires yes how much are they? 6 ply I think are good. And yes I’m sure it is a 4” drop, I wasn’t sure where the measurement location are recommended , so I used my own location. Thank you, Steve

Jesse M.

8/5/2024

@SteveS Yes the spring seats do need to be welded on. We can provide loose spring seats but we cannot do any welding here. The 3,500 lb axles do use a standard bearing combination, the # L68149 (1.378" inner diameter) inner bearing and # L44649 (1.063" inner diameter) outer bearing. Since your axle is 3.5K it very likely uses the same bearing sizes, meaning your hubs can be re-used. You can always pull a hub and measure the bearings to be sure. With the easy lube spindle there is really no need for bearing buddies. If you can let me know your tire size I can show you some options.