uneven tire wear on dual axle - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-01-2019, 03:19 PM   #1
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Name: BJ
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21' Formerly 2015 Escape 19'
Wisconsin
Posts: 51
uneven tire wear on dual axle

We have a new Escape 21, and have gone about 5000 miles with it. We have noticed that on the passenger side, the forward tire is showing SIGNIFICANT wear, particularly when compared to its partner.

The tires on the driver side look even, with no wear that is out of the ordinary. The wear pattern on the questionable tire is even, all around, so it may not indicate an alignment problem.

Suggestions?????
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Old 08-01-2019, 03:50 PM   #2
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Trailer: Roamer 1
Smith Valley, Nevada
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That sounds like it could be a bent axle from an impact where the spindle is bent a bit. This would leave everything else where it was and only cause wear on that one tire.

First look for loose wheel bearings by jacking up the wheel in question and wiggling it, in and out, at the top. Look for play. Then make sure the wheel is not bent by spinning it. Does it run true?

Then look for a grabbing brake. This is caused by grease getting past the seal and onto the shoes. It makes the wheel lock up and wear the tire very fast. It skids at random spots on the tire, so the wear can appear even. It also causes the trailer to try and steer toward the grabbing side. This makes the tug steer in the opposite direction, a bit. Have you noticed any pulling to one side when stopping?

You can look for a locking wheel on a dirt road, where one wheel locks easier than the rest. Or, you can pull that drum off and look for a grease leak and contaminated shoes.

Maybe first, if you have the tool, I would lay a long straight edge against the side of the tires on the problem side and see if I could detect that the tires were not pointed in exactly the same line. A six foot level would work for this, and be placed at the center line of the tires. See if it isn't touching at any of the four places where passes the tires. Does it look like the bad tire is pointing out a bit? Look at the other side just for comparison.

If it is the rear tire, it is probably not an impact bend.

If none of this points to the problem, you'll have to go to an alignment shop and get their opinion.
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Old 08-01-2019, 03:54 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bjsmitty View Post
We have a new Escape 21, and have gone about 5000 miles with it. We have noticed that on the passenger side, the forward tire is showing SIGNIFICANT wear, particularly when compared to its partner.

The tires on the driver side look even, with no wear that is out of the ordinary. The wear pattern on the questionable tire is even, all around, so it may not indicate an alignment problem.

Suggestions?????
Is the wear in the inner or outer side of the tire?
Is the wear smooth or scalloped?
What is the axle type and capacity?
Remember that axle warrantyies are usually only one year.
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Old 08-01-2019, 04:00 PM   #4
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Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
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Escape uses Dexter torsion axles, 2 of them.

For sure, check the wheel bearings on that wheel. jack up the wheel, see if it has any wobble by grabbing the wheel at 3 and 9 oclock and rocking it, also at 12 and 6 oclock....
Then, spin it and see if the rim is bent or mounted crooked. eyeball the front and rear wheel, do they both look straight and aligned ?
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Old 08-01-2019, 04:33 PM   #5
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Trailer: 2019 Escape 21' Formerly 2015 Escape 19'
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the wear is even all the way around and side to side.
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Old 08-01-2019, 04:40 PM   #6
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then whats uneven about it?
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Old 08-01-2019, 04:48 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
then whats uneven about it?

If the trailer is tongue down I think one gets increased wear on the front tires.
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Old 08-01-2019, 04:56 PM   #8
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The tread is wearing down rapidly, but all over in an even pattern, particularly when compared to the rear tire which almost looks like it has no wear at all.
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Old 08-01-2019, 04:58 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
If the trailer is tongue down I think one gets increased wear on the front tires.
it would have to be pretty extreme for that to happen. a few inches above or below level at the tongue isn't going to make much difference on how much load is on the axles which are 32" apart 15' behind the tongue. I calculate 3" drop of the tongue translates to a 1/2" drop on my front axle relative to the rear.
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Old 08-01-2019, 05:00 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bjsmitty View Post
The tread is wearing down rapidly, but all over in an even pattern, particularly when compared to the rear tire which almost looks like it has no wear at all.
hitch the trailer to your tow vehicle, jack up the frame just behind the rear wheel so both wheels on that side are off the ground, are both wheels level when they are fully extended ? ?
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Old 08-01-2019, 05:04 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
If the trailer is tongue down I think one gets increased wear on the front tires.
Especially true with torsion axles that have no equalizer. But if that was the cause, it would probably be wearing both front tires. Sounds like there is a problem at that particular wheel.

Wasn't there a recent discussion about defective Dexter torsion axles that were out of alignment?
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Old 08-01-2019, 06:13 PM   #12
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King nut

Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
Escape uses Dexter torsion axles, 2 of them.

For sure, check the wheel bearings on that wheel. jack up the wheel, see if it has any wobble by grabbing the wheel at 3 and 9 oclock and rocking it, also at 12 and 6 oclock....
Then, spin it and see if the rim is bent or mounted crooked. eyeball the front and rear wheel, do they both look straight and aligned ?
Check the tightness of the king nut on the end of the spindle. Tighten it down to make sure the outer bearing and thrust washer are all the way seated then back it off till the brake drum turns freely. The put then funky nut keeper or cotter key, whichever you have back on. There should be no play. If no joy, tear the innards down and check for excessive (worn out) bearings.
That’s where I would and have in the past, started. It’s free! To start
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Old 08-02-2019, 01:38 PM   #13
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See if there is a huge difference in tire pressure on that side of the trailer?
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Old 08-02-2019, 09:10 PM   #14
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+1 Air pressure. The factory tires on my Escape 19 lasted over 40,000 miles and still looked good when I changed them prematurely (before my trip to AK).

+1 is your new Escape 19 4 years old? Like the brake idea below too!

When dealing with mechanical problems I have learned to do the simple free stuff first, even if the chances of it being the cause are low. Example, checking tire pressure. Two minute job. I check mine before departing on any trip, one time I had 40, 40, 40, 3. What?? Needless to say, that tire was flat. A lot easier to fix at home than on the side of the road.
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Old 08-02-2019, 09:58 PM   #15
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You indicate new trailer...is it a new to you 2015? Our 21's right front had excessive wear too when returning from pickup at the factory. Having high frequency hearing loss I could not hear the tire locking up just prior to coming to a stop. Check your brake adjustment. The right front is the most prone to locking up due to inertia and slope of the road.
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Old 08-07-2019, 02:37 PM   #16
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Trailer: 2018 Escape 21'
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I'll throw in my experience too. We have a 2018 Escape 21' that we picked up last June. I also noticed more wear on the tires on the front axle, and the front wheels just didn't seem to line up perfectly with the wheels on the rear axle. I thought I had it all tweaked just right and the camper towed level, but it still seemed like I had a misalignment and did see the strange wear I think you are talking about.
So...
I recently rotated the tires/wheels ( front to back, back to front) at 10K and put on a new hitch, which RAISED the front of the Escape. Well, that did the trick. Now the axles look lined up and my tire wear has been nice and identical so far (at around 15K miles on the camper).
When we picked up the trailer I remember the guy at Escape saying he liked the nose a little "up" on the trailer rather than down. I think he is correct.
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