Why do trailer tires wear on the outside

Boat trailers, for example, are made with stiff, solid axles with loose springs, which causes them to jump a lot when not weighed down. Over time, this scuffs off tiny parts of the tread, creating odd wear patterns. If all four tires are wearing heavily on the inside , the trailer is probably overloaded. Trailer axles are built with a slight upward curve in the middle. When the trailer is unloaded, the tops of the tires lean slightly outward toed-out, or duck-footed.

When the load is too heavy, the axle bows downward in the middle, causing the tires to roll pigeon-toed more on the inside shoulder of the tires. Another possibility is the axle has been flipped over the bow in the axle that is supposed to be pointed up is actually pointed down.

If only one tire is wearing faster on the inside, you may have a bent suspension part, like a spindle. This can cause one tire to skid rather than roll smoothly down the road, creating heat and friction that wears out the rubber.

If you see faster wear on the outer tread , this may be a case of an under-loaded trailer: The trailer weight is too light to straighten out the axle. Or, outer tread wear on just one side may be a symptom of a worn suspension component. If you notice tire cupping — a bulge on one area of the tire — the belts or plies inside the strong cords of steel and nylon that give the tire its strength are failing. It can also result from excessive heat caused by going over the speed rating of your tires.

Tires on a trailer parked for a long time can develop flattened spots in the area that contacts the ground. Correctly reading and interpreting tire wear can save you money, enhance safety and alleviate maintenance headaches. Truck and trailer tires provide a wealth of data to a technician who knows how to interpret the information being presented. Tires are similar. All drivers should include a comprehensive tire examination in their pre- and post-trip inspections.

There also might be a more personal reason for drivers to monitor tire wear, because tires can expose bad driving habits and their own poor tire care.

Tires easily can indicate driver practices such as high-power or jackrabbit starts, brake skids or lack of regular inflation. The tires go through a lot of scrubbing in all those tight turns.

If mismatched, many times the tire, and sometimes the vehicle, will show the results. If a truck has an air pressure monitoring system that warns of slow or sudden air pressure loss, the driver should pull over as soon as possible to prevent further tire damage — as well as potential damage to the truck or nearby cars.

The bottom line? Not taking the time to examine tires — or ignoring the problems the tires are identifying — not only increases tire acquisition and replacement costs but also allows vehicle issues to get out of hand and become safety issues.

For most fleets, tires are their third highest expense behind salary and fuel. Identifying common types of tread wear — and the problems behind them. Diagonal wear typically shows up as localized flat spots that cross the tread of a tire in a diagonal pattern.

Diagonal wear generally is inflicted by mechanical forces from the drivetrain affecting the tire. Because they repeat in a frequency, they continually show up in the same locations on the tire. Some examples could be worn or improperly adjusted bearings, or differing overall tire diameters combined in the dual position; this could be a mismatch or improper inflation. Diagonal wear often is slow to develop and can be aggravated by alignment issues.

Thrust angle tends to show itself when one steer tire is worn on its inside and the other is worn on the outside. Accelerated wear is found on the outside of one drive tire, and on the inside of the opposite drive tire. Scrub comes into play when one of the axles is not parallel to the other axle.

So a tire on one side of the vehicle is rolling in a larger diameter than on the other side, causing the vehicle to attempt to turn in circles, creating an extremely tortuous condition for the tire in question. When it comes to trailers, the same argument can be made: trailer tires are the most important part of the trailer itself because they allow you to safely and effectively transport your cargo from Point A to Point B. Before you hitch up your trailer for another adventure, make sure to check the condition of your tires and treads.

Identifying the common types of trailer tire wear above can be the difference between getting to your destination safely and ending up on the side of the road, waiting for a tow! Created with Sketch. Login or Sign Up.