Trailer Wheel Alignment

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

I read a post by Dick Wells in another topic (http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?t=35374) that made me think. (I pasted Dick's post below; please let me know if I shouldn't have done so.) So, I searched this forum (Towing - 5th-Wheels & Travel-Trailers) for "align" & "alignment" & found nothing. I would think problems like this would be a BIG DEAL.

What do you know that you can post here about trailer wheel alignment?
Where is/are good place(s) to get a trailer wheel alignment done?Maybe this never showed up here because "everyone knows about that." Well, maybe - have a good laugh at my expense if so. Or, maybe not - perhaps we can compile some good advice here.

Thanks & Blessings!

Dick's post:

In 07 we had a guy with a brand new 5th wheel get loose U bolts, and his left front spring pack turned sidways and came within a 1/4 inch of gouging the tire wall! The next to top leaf did break. The wagon master (Caravan to AK) had spare springs of both lengths. The owner got pretty paranoid after that, and was under his rig every night, thereafter. I was afraid he was going to strip his threads, or break a U bolt. To top it off, he didn't know how to use his break-away torque wrench. When it would click, he'd keep right on twisting for another 1/8 turn, or so.

My 11.3K trailer has 5500# axles (2). The original tires were LR D! Almost every trailer I've seen in our 7 years of fulltiming should have had the wheels alligned before entering service. Both of my trailers had bad allignment, right from the factory. Pretty oak cabinets and flashy hardware get a lot of sales, but the folks just getting into the RV game don't know to get down and check how these things are put together.

Does Dexter weld those spring blocks onto their axles before they're shipped to the mfg? If so, they sure don't get very precise with the tilt in the pre-bend. My trailer had 5/8" tow-out on the left front and nearly as much on the right. To me, it seems the bow was tilted to the front, way past the top. Am I right?

Dick Wells

[KallyI]

It's a very good liklihood that no one has had anything serious happen, other than abnormal tire wear, on this forum. It doesn't obviate the need for discussion though.

[chipper]

Good Day!

I read a post by Dick Wells in another topic (http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?t=35374) that made me think. (I pasted Dick's post below; please let me know if I shouldn't have done so.) So, I searched this forum (Towing - 5th-Wheels & Travel-Trailers) for "align" & "alignment" & found nothing. I would think problems like this would be a BIG DEAL.

What do you know that you can post here about trailer wheel alignment?
Where is/are good place(s) to get a trailer wheel alignment done?Maybe this never showed up here because "everyone knows about that." Well, maybe - have a good laugh at my expense if so. Or, maybe not - perhaps we can compile some good advice here.

Thanks & Blessings!


Dick's post:

In 07 we had a guy with a brand new 5th wheel get loose U bolts, and his left front spring pack turned sidways and came within a 1/4 inch of gouging the tire wall! The next to top leaf did break. The wagon master (Caravan to AK) had spare springs of both lengths. The owner got pretty paranoid after that, and was under his rig every night, thereafter. I was afraid he was going to strip his threads, or break a U bolt. To top it off, he didn't know how to use his break-away torque wrench. When it would click, he'd keep right on twisting for another 1/8 turn, or so.

My 11.3K trailer has 5500# axles (2). The original tires were LR D! Almost every trailer I've seen in our 7 years of fulltiming should have had the wheels alligned before entering service. Both of my trailers had bad allignment, right from the factory. Pretty oak cabinets and flashy hardware get a lot of sales, but the folks just getting into the RV game don't know to get down and check how these things are put together.

Does Dexter weld those spring blocks onto their axles before they're shipped to the mfg? If so, they sure don't get very precise with the tilt in the pre-bend. My trailer had 5/8" tow-out on the left front and nearly as much on the right. To me, it seems the bow was tilted to the front, way past the top. Am I right?

Dick Wells


Any big truck alignment shop can do it for you. I have had my last 2 rigs aligned & the tech that did them said he had never seen a RV, horse trailer, or utility trailer that had proper alignment. They cant be finalized untill they are on the rig.
Also the plastic bushings in your spring eyes are only good for about 5-7K miles.

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

"I have had my last 2 rigs aligned & the tech that did them said he had never seen a RV, horse trailer, or utility trailer that had proper alignment." That's why I started this topic, from what Dick Wells said. It seems like tire wear & safety would be two good reasons to look into this, if pulling anthing other than a small trailer. It also sounds like the only way to correct most alignment issues is cutting off & welding back on spindles etc, which is more than small shops will ever handle; big rig shops makes sense.

[Yukon6.2]

Hi
I have aligned a few bent axles over the years.Picked up unwanted trailers that had bent axles ect.This a bush repair but has served me well.
I take the axle out of the trailer if possible,get two wheels that you know are straight,have them spun on a balancer to make sure.Without tires is the best.less wieght to move around.mount the rims and place the axel on blocks so the wheels are in the air. Take a tape measure and measure the distance between the rims and record on axle.Mark the front of the axle so you know direction of travel.I look for 1/16" to 1/8" toe in on the front of the axle.Camber is not as important to combat tire wear.
After marking the measurments and finding toe out or to much toe in i take a good chain and hydrolic jack,attach the chain around the axle on each end just past the spring blocks,place the jack in the center tighteen the chain.Then you start jacking to bend the axle.As you jack the ends of the axle will begin to get closer together measure often,you will have to bend the axle past the measurement you need because it will spring back a little.It is time consuming but when you have more time than money it can be done.My snowmobile trailer was real bad when i built it out of a wrecked travile trailer,i'v used it and loaned it out for almost 20 yrs and still has the same tires and they have worn perfect.
Hope this helps someone that is running low on cash.
Thomas

[DickWells]

I didn't catch up with this until tonight, in mid TN. Just a couple of comments, based solely on my somewhat limited experience. These last few posts bring these things to mind.
*I'm told by the guys who should know that most trailer allignment issues can and should be handled by bending the axles, cold. It's done in the big shops very much the same way as discribed in the next previous post. The shops use huge steel yokes and electric/hydraulic jacks to do the same thing, while they have laser/electronic gear attached to the rims.
*My last issue was heavy wear on the inside of one trailer tire, caused by camber. I had something like $1200 tied up in new Am. Eagle wheels and BFG LT tires, so I wanted it corrected.
*The rubber torsion axles are a horse of a different color. If IRC, I was told that they do have to be heated?
*As a full-timer, I never miss a chance to cruise around the trailer shows and dealers, checking things out, and one thing stands out. Just about every TT comes equiped with axles and tires that are marginal for their size. It's borderline criminal, but that's the way it is. My son's old 88 Avion was a high-line trailer, and it's head and shoulders above what you'll see today as far as quality and workmanship are concerned.
*Something useful that I learned from that wagon master that I mentioned. Whenever you stop on a level surface with a 2 or 3 axle trailer, look at the balancing links between the spring end shackles. They should be about level. He said that invariably, if you have a spring problem, the link will be tilted one way or the other. Sure enough, that was easy to see on the trailer that I mentioned on the Alaska trip.
*The checking and re-adjusting never stops. I'm still dealing with adjusting my load leveling cam bars and tongue height, trying to get my front/rear axle loading to the point where I don't have excess tongue load, while still having more weight on the trailer rear axle than the front. Seems unlikely, but that's the case when you're tongue high. The more weight you transfer forward with your bars, the heavier the rear axle gets and the more of the front of your trailer is loaded onto the horse. I've found that it's better to be tongue low, regardless of what they say about having the trailer perfectly level. Handles better, too.

It gets interesting. Lots of good stuff from the guys on TDP.
Take care, Dick:)

[convert2diesel]

Gueez. You guys aren't doing anything to promote that warm toasty feeling you are supposed to have after buying a new trailer :confused:. After reading thus far, spent a couple of hours under our new Aerolight Hybrid and discovered that the rear axle is 1/4" out of true. Local truck shop wants $400 to remove and re-weld the shackle mounts.

I do know that Dutchman buys their chassis pre-assembled but shouldn't they have jigs to set up the spring mounts? I know that 1/4" is nothing when you consider the distance involved, but I have noticed the rear tires run a bit hotter (not alarmingly) and the trailer has a very slight tendancy to hug the shoulder. Is this something I should worry about and pay out the $400 to get fixed or is this just typical? Wish this topic had happened 6 months ago when the trailer was still under warrantee.

Dick:

I noticed in the classifieds that you have a Hensley for sale. Is there any reason you aren't using this hitch? Really contemplated getting one when we bought the trailer, as we use a full sized RWD Cadillac to tow with as opposed to a truck. Was looking at their new downsized version as we rarely tow over 5,500 lbs.

Would appreciate your comments and experience with the Hensley.

Bill

[DickWells]

Convert: The Hensley is uncanny the way it handles. I like it just fine, but as the add says, I didn't know, when I bought it, that it's only rated for 10K lbs, max. Our trailer weighs about 10700, rolling, as a rule, so, I have been a little nervous about that. The hitch had a straight-in 2 inch stinger with it, when I got it. I lowered it 3 inches, and it should have been 5. That's what made the trailer ride tongue high, with too much weight on the tongue, and too much weight on the rear trailer axle. Not noticeable as far as handling goes, just a couple of facts that made me apprehensive.
The Hensley sits back at least a foot- plus farther than a regular hitch. Hard to explain, but the thing articulates around two huge bearings that transfer the pivot center forward to about your rear differential! I guess you'd have to be there. Anyway, the thing must have taken some kind of engineering genius to design. It truly does cancel out the push-pull-push of passing semi's, and cross winds. It follows farther inside in tight corners, much like a 5th wheel.
I had towed something over 100 K with my dual cam hitch, and that's what I've gone back to. The Hensley has 1000 lb transfer bars, and my dual cam has 1200 lbs. The dual cam Reese is easily adjustable for tongue height, where the Hensley has to have a solid, none adjustable bar/stinger into the receiver.
I got all the original manuals and video with it. For a passenger car, you'd need a straight in stinger, though the 1000 lb bars would probably be OK with less tension on them. They mount with solid, adjustable verticle links instead of chains. Once the thing is set up and adjusted, it's pretty easy to live with. The stinger stays in the reciever when you un-hitch, and you back into a tapered hole in the front of the hitch, and then lock it together with two big over centering links and pins. Very solid when hooked up.
Hope this explains some of it. It's really quite hard to describe without pictures.
Dick

[convert2diesel]

Dick:

Thanks for the description of the Hensley. Only time I have ever seen one up close it was mounted on an A4 Audi coupled to a 28' Airstream. Even with the Hensley the thought of that rig just gave me a serious case of the Weebie Jeebies (made sure I was not following him on the way out of the park). May take you up on your sale of the hitch if you still have it. Waiting for some clients to pay me.

Your absolutely right about Jim Hensley. The type of engineer we should all aspire to be. Very good write up on him here:

http://www.propridehitch.com/articles/jim_hensley_hitch.html

Bill

[DickWells]

Bill: IF, you do decide to go for my Hensley, it would be to our advantage (both of us), if you could wait till Spring, or early Summer, when I'm back closer to you. I doubt you'll find a Hensley any cheaper, but if you do, jump on it. Bear in mind that with your tow rig, you'd need to buy a piece of 2 X 2" solid to make a straight on stinger. Not a big deal, but neccessary for a low receiver. Well, maybe not, on second thought. Might come out OK, if you just turned the 3" stinger over to raise the hitch above your receiver????
Keep in touch, I'll be right here.
Dick