Where to go for tires, alignment around Langley, BC?

[dylanear]

I'm not sure which area is best to ask this, so I'm putting it here in General Chat until I know better?

I plan to get my 2001 13' Scamp out of the storage lot it's been sitting in ignored for around a decade and back on the road. It's more or less intact and without major issues last I saw it over a year ago. Some signs there was minor leaking, moisture issues, but no fundamental damage from that I could find. Very musty to be sure, but no signs of significant mold or horrors of that nature. But more motivation to replace the rat fur, a job on the to do list since I bought it!

But, before I get too off topic giving context, the most essential things I need to do are get new tires as the ones on it are from 2012ish and became quite scalloped over the maybe 5000miles I put on them. Thus I want the alignment checked and adjusted if need be.

There's the oh so universal Canadian answer, Canadian Tire and maybe that's the best option?! But if there's a really well respected and still fair prices trailer specialist around the Langley area, I'd love to know about them.

It didn't pull to one side or the other, and I don't even know if there is a "toe" adjustment on the Dexter axles I put on it, but the toe angle is something that comes to mind when I try to imagine why that pretty bad scalloping developed over not all that many miles?

Maybe it was a resonance thing with the tongue bouncing up and down a lot due to the stiff nature of the tow vehicle's suspension, short wheelbase? I have a different tow vehicle now with a much longer wheelbase with a much smoother ride, so perhaps that alone will prevent the strange tire wear without any other changes to the trailer? Maybe the particular tire pressure I was using was a factor? Maybe the tire wear should be it's own post.

The basic purpose of this post, the TLDR, is just that I need some good tires at a fair price, don't want to go far from where it's stored to get them, and it'd be great to have the axle and it's alignment checked/adjusted at the same time as getting the tires.

Now, maybe the safest thing to do would be to put the trailer on stands and remove the wheels and tires to have new tires put on and not even try towing on the old tires for even a short distance and then tow the trailer as far as needed to an ideal trailer axle shop?

[Iowa Dave]

If it were my trailer I’d probably jack it up and change the tires out before towing to be on the safe side. I’d buy the best new tires that are made in the original size when it came from the manufacturer, I only run trailer grade tires on trailer frame equipment. Have the new tires balanced. Install new all steel stems. If possible, inspect the rims when the tires are off and if there’s rust on the rim “bead” polish them up.
Once “home”, find a frame and axle shop to have the undercarriage inspected, frame, axles, suspension components and bearings and seals.

Then take it for a test ride, loaded carefully, even weight side to side and front to back with the proper tongue weight VS gross weight. Ideally 12 to 15% in my experience. Tire cupping can have several causes: Inflation, balance, alignment, weight are all in play. Make sure the rims are not bent.

Retorque the lug nuts after running a hundred miles or so once you’re all set up, use the factory spec.
I would suspect that the frame shop will have some observations and recommendations. Follow them
That’s how I see it. From my experience around the local stock car game “It costs money to go racing”.
Iowa Dave

[Lynn Eberhardt]

Tire balance is very important and sometimes not done.

[dylanear]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

If it were my trailer I’d probably jack it up and change the tires out before towing to be on the safe side. I’d buy the best new tires that are made in the original size when it came from the manufacturer, I only run trailer grade tires on trailer frame equipment. Have the new tires balanced. Install new all steel stems. If possible, inspect the rims when the tires are off and if there’s rust on the rim “bead” polish them up.
Once “home”, find a frame and axle shop to have the undercarriage inspected, frame, axles, suspension components and bearings and seals.

Then take it for a test ride, loaded carefully, even weight side to side and front to back with the proper tongue weight VS gross weight. Ideally 12 to 15% in my experience. Tire cupping can have several causes: Inflation, balance, alignment, weight are all in play. Make sure the rims are not bent.

Retorque the lug nuts after running a hundred miles or so once you’re all set up, use the factory spec.
I would suspect that the frame shop will have some observations and recommendations. Follow them
That’s how I see it. From my experience around the local stock car game “It costs money to go racing”.
Iowa Dave

Useful perspective Dave. Appreciated.

[dylanear]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eberhardt

Tire balance is very important and sometimes not done.

My memory isn't infallible in all this. I was thinking I had new tires put on same time and place as I had the original axel cut off and a Dexter 2000lb with brakes >bolted<, not welded on.

No way I'd ever buy tires and not ask for ballance. Now, asking for a ballance and being told "Sure", or, "We always balance", doesn't always, 100% mean you get properly balanced tires when you leave!

The bolted on axel does make me wonder if that's a place alignment could have gone off even if it was right after the job was done. When I first heard Scamp welded on the axels that sounded insane to me, an inexcusable short cut. BUT, that does ensure it's not shifting around!

But ya know? This morning on only one cup of coffee I was thinking about it and I can't swear that's accurate and it's at least not impossible it had new/newish tires when I bought it? No way, I would have spent the money on a new axel and added brakes and not been 1000% happy with the condition of the tires. And it really >feels< like I put new tires on it. But since my fat folder of Scamp paperwork was stolen, there's a lot more mysteries than I am happy about.

Anyways, I am sure there was no scalloping, cupping visible before the new axel.