Trailer wheel and tire service covers flat repair, tire replacement, bent or cracked rims, and alignment checks when a trailer wears tires unevenly or follows the truck at an angle. Keep Them Rolling Trailer Repair handles it where the trailer stopped: a driveway, a yard or a safe pull-off in Morris, Sussex, Warren or Hunterdon County. Owner Brad Smith takes tire calls at (973) 651-1045.
Your tires are a diagnostic tool
A worn trailer tire is a record of how the trailer has been running. Before Brad replaces one, he reads it, because a new tire on a trailer with a bent axle only gets you a second ruined tire.
What the wear pattern usually means:
- Worn on one edge only. The wheel is tilted, or pointed slightly in or out. Common causes are a bent axle, a spring that has shifted on the axle, or overloading.
- Worn on both outer edges. Running underinflated, which also builds heat and leads to blowouts.
- Worn down the center. Running with more pressure than the load needs.
- Cupped or scalloped patches. Something is letting the wheel bounce or wobble: loose bearings, a worn suspension part or an out-of-balance wheel.
- Flat spots. A brake locking up, or a trailer that sat in one spot for a long time.
- Cracks in the sidewall or between the tread blocks. Age and sun. The rubber is drying out, whatever the tread depth.
Tires and flat repair
Most calls start with a flat or a tire that has plainly had enough. Brad repairs punctures that can be safely repaired, replaces tires that can’t, and makes sure the replacement is a proper trailer tire with the right load range for your axles. See trailer tire repair and replacement for how he decides between a repair and a new tire, how ST and LT tires differ, and why lug nuts need a re-check after the first few miles.
Wheels and rims
Rims get bent by potholes and curbs, cracked around the lug holes, and corroded at the bead seat until the tire won’t hold air. Running even a short distance on a flat can bend a rim beyond saving and damage the studs behind it. A replacement wheel has to match the trailer’s bolt pattern, center bore, offset and load rating, or it will vibrate, rub a fender or overload the hub. Wheel and rim replacement is covered on the tire page too, since the two jobs so often happen together.
Alignment checks
Trailer axles are simpler than car axles. Most trailers have no adjustable toe or camber at the wheel. Alignment instead means the axle sits square to the frame and, on a tandem, the two axles sit parallel to each other. When they don’t, the trailer runs slightly sideways behind the truck, known as dog tracking, and the tires scrub rubber off with every mile.
Common causes of misalignment:
- A bent axle from a curb strike, a deep pothole or overloading
- A leaf spring that has shifted on the axle after a broken center bolt or loose U-bolts
- Worn spring hanger bushings or equalizer parts on a tandem
- Loose or damaged mounting brackets on a torsion axle
- A replacement axle installed slightly out of square
To check it, Brad measures from a fixed point at the front of the trailer, typically the coupler, back to matching points on each end of the axle. Those two measurements should be equal. On a tandem he also compares the spacing between the axles on both sides. The tire wear should agree with what the tape shows, and if it doesn’t, he keeps looking.
Corrections depend on the cause. A shifted spring gets reset on the axle with new U-bolts or a new center bolt. Worn hangers and bushings get replaced. A bent axle generally gets replaced, covered under trailer axle repair and replacement, and the alignment is checked again afterward.
Related work
Hub, bearing, brake and suspension problems all show up as tire wear, so this work often overlaps with trailer brake and suspension repair. Tire and wheel jobs are also a big part of our mobile and roadside trailer repair, from homes and farms to job sites in Warren County and beyond. Browse the rest of what Brad handles under trailer repair services, or request wheel and tire service online.
Common questions
What causes uneven tire wear on a trailer?
The most common causes are a bent axle, an axle that has slipped on its leaf springs, tire pressure that is too low or too high, and overloading. Wear on one edge usually points to alignment or a bent axle. Wear on both edges points to underinflation. Cupped or scalloped wear suggests loose bearings, worn suspension parts or a wheel out of balance, and flat spots come from a brake locking up. Fixing the cause matters as much as replacing the tire.
How often should trailer tires be replaced?
Trailer tires usually age out before they wear out. Common guidance is to replace them every three to five years whatever the tread looks like, because sun, heat and long stretches of sitting break down the rubber. Check the four-digit date code on the sidewall: the first two digits are the week and the last two are the year the tire was made. Replace any tire sooner if it shows sidewall cracks, bulges, cuts or tread worn to the wear bars.
Can a trailer axle be out of alignment?
Yes. A trailer axle is out of alignment when it is no longer square to the frame, or when the two axles on a tandem are no longer parallel. Curb strikes, potholes and overloading can bend an axle, and a broken spring center bolt or loose U-bolts can let an axle shift on its springs. Signs include wear on one edge of a tire and a trailer that runs off-center behind the truck. It is checked by measuring from the coupler to both ends of each axle.