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Author Topic:   Trailer Tires; Rotating Tire Positions

jimh posted 07-24-2013 06:14 PM ET (US)
Is there any need to rotate trailer tires, like one rotates tires on a vehicle? (I am thinking here of tandem axle trailers or triple-axle trailers, more than single axle.)
If rotation is suggested, what is the pattern to be used to move the tires to new locations?
Jerry Townsend posted 07-24-2013 06:29 PM ET (US)
Jim - I don't see a need to rotate trailer tires. They are simply tracking whereas the tow vehicle's traction and steering tires will, by defninition, wear. --- Jerry/Idaho
L H G posted 07-24-2013 07:21 PM ET (US)
In my experience, the front tires tend to wear on the outside making turns. I "X" them as they begin to show wear.
Whalrman posted 07-24-2013 07:35 PM ET (US)
Jim I have thought about this too since I have a tandem axle trailer now. I took a straight edge to the outside of the tires on both right and left sides and found the two on the left side were very close to being straight with the tracking. However, not the case with the right side or curb side set. They are off quite a bit from each other in tracking and will watch the wear on these two and probably "rotate" them to the other side for a while when needed. The axles are torsion ones. The only other way I see to make all the tires track straight is to have the axles bent to correct this.
NewportMe posted 07-25-2013 08:05 AM ET (US)
Whalrman,
I was having the same problem and out of curiosity I measured from a fixed point on the tongue to the center of the bolt that holds the hub on and found a significant difference from right to left. The right side was further back, and the right side was wearing badly. I adjusted the position of the right front axle to match the left front side measurement then adjusted the rear axle square to the front. I did this this spring prior to boating season and have towed about 1,000 miles so far and the wear looks much better (with 2 new tires )
Bruce
NewportMe posted 07-25-2013 08:08 AM ET (US)
to the original question I will probably in the future rotate in an x pattern as Larry suggests each off season. This will only take a few minutes, offers a good opportunity for close hub inspection, and will help ensure the lugs are not seized. can't hurt may help with many issues.
Bruce
swist posted 07-25-2013 08:59 AM ET (US)
No inexpensive, or even moderately expensive trailers have the alignment adjustments of a car (camber, caster, toe-in). You are stuck with the way it comes, or the way it becomes after hitting potholes etc. If you put a lot of mileage on a trailer, it seems to be you are unlikely to get uneven tire wear unless you are very lucky.
Also when the trailer is unloaded, rotating the tires is pretty easy compared to a car.
Whalrman posted 07-25-2013 10:40 AM ET (US)
NewportMe-Thanks for the suggestion I'll give it a try.
andygere posted 07-25-2013 08:45 PM ET (US)
I have yet to put enough miles on a set of trailer tires to wear them out, They've always succumbed to age and UV degradation first. Since you tow a good many miles, why not rotate them. If they are radials, be sure to keep them rolling in the same direction. You will probably have them off for bearing or brake service periodically, so there would not beany extra labor on your part.
jimh posted 07-25-2013 10:25 PM ET (US)
Andy--Your comment about keeping the tires rotating in the same direction seems to remind me of something I have heard before. But the several suggestions to rotate in a X pattern would reverse the direction of rotation of all the tires. Maybe just switching front to back is better. What do you think?
David Pendleton posted 07-25-2013 11:14 PM ET (US)
I "X" them at the start of every season.
NewportMe posted 07-26-2013 07:26 AM ET (US)
I believe that unidirectional tires have an arrow to indicate the direction of rotation. Can reversing tires with no indicator harm them?
Bruce
djahncke posted 07-26-2013 08:21 AM ET (US)
As i recall the standard way to rotate tires is to do a cross rotation "x" pattern for bias ply tires and and front to back for radials.
johnhenry posted 07-26-2013 11:43 AM ET (US)
Radials do not have to be X'ed. They can go on any position unless directional. Directional tires have to be flipped on the rim if rotated to the other side.
Plotman posted 07-26-2013 12:36 PM ET (US)
Directional tires are typically those where a tread pattern is designed to grip one way better than the other - only important on drive tires.
Here is a suggestion from the tire manufacturers - rear to front and then flip the fronts to the rear on the other side.
http://www.tiresafety.com/maint/maint_content.asp
Jerry Townsend posted 07-26-2013 08:51 PM ET (US)
And Plotman - realize that the referenced link is for the tow vehicle (with or without the trailer) - which tires will, by definition wear differently than on the trailer.
But on all trailers - beit one, two or three axles - make sure the axles are perpendicular to the motion of travel. That is, make sure the distance from a center mark at the hitch to a common point (bolt, weld, et al.) on each side of each axle is the same. If the axle is not square, the tires will, by definition, wear. --- Jerry/Idaho
whaler131 posted 08-05-2013 02:37 PM ET (US)
I also ballance them every year. Like I do my car tires.On my 22 1988 Outrage.

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Author	Topic: Trailer Tires; Rotating Tire Positions
jimh	posted 07-24-2013 06:14 PM ET (US) Is there any need to rotate trailer tires, like one rotates tires on a vehicle? (I am thinking here of tandem axle trailers or triple-axle trailers, more than single axle.) If rotation is suggested, what is the pattern to be used to move the tires to new locations?
Jerry Townsend	posted 07-24-2013 06:29 PM ET (US) Jim - I don't see a need to rotate trailer tires. They are simply tracking whereas the tow vehicle's traction and steering tires will, by defninition, wear. --- Jerry/Idaho
L H G	posted 07-24-2013 07:21 PM ET (US) In my experience, the front tires tend to wear on the outside making turns. I "X" them as they begin to show wear.
Whalrman	posted 07-24-2013 07:35 PM ET (US) Jim I have thought about this too since I have a tandem axle trailer now. I took a straight edge to the outside of the tires on both right and left sides and found the two on the left side were very close to being straight with the tracking. However, not the case with the right side or curb side set. They are off quite a bit from each other in tracking and will watch the wear on these two and probably "rotate" them to the other side for a while when needed. The axles are torsion ones. The only other way I see to make all the tires track straight is to have the axles bent to correct this.
NewportMe	posted 07-25-2013 08:05 AM ET (US) Whalrman, I was having the same problem and out of curiosity I measured from a fixed point on the tongue to the center of the bolt that holds the hub on and found a significant difference from right to left. The right side was further back, and the right side was wearing badly. I adjusted the position of the right front axle to match the left front side measurement then adjusted the rear axle square to the front. I did this this spring prior to boating season and have towed about 1,000 miles so far and the wear looks much better (with 2 new tires ) Bruce
NewportMe	posted 07-25-2013 08:08 AM ET (US) to the original question I will probably in the future rotate in an x pattern as Larry suggests each off season. This will only take a few minutes, offers a good opportunity for close hub inspection, and will help ensure the lugs are not seized. can't hurt may help with many issues. Bruce
swist	posted 07-25-2013 08:59 AM ET (US) No inexpensive, or even moderately expensive trailers have the alignment adjustments of a car (camber, caster, toe-in). You are stuck with the way it comes, or the way it becomes after hitting potholes etc. If you put a lot of mileage on a trailer, it seems to be you are unlikely to get uneven tire wear unless you are very lucky. Also when the trailer is unloaded, rotating the tires is pretty easy compared to a car.
Whalrman	posted 07-25-2013 10:40 AM ET (US) NewportMe-Thanks for the suggestion I'll give it a try.
andygere	posted 07-25-2013 08:45 PM ET (US) I have yet to put enough miles on a set of trailer tires to wear them out, They've always succumbed to age and UV degradation first. Since you tow a good many miles, why not rotate them. If they are radials, be sure to keep them rolling in the same direction. You will probably have them off for bearing or brake service periodically, so there would not beany extra labor on your part.
jimh	posted 07-25-2013 10:25 PM ET (US) Andy--Your comment about keeping the tires rotating in the same direction seems to remind me of something I have heard before. But the several suggestions to rotate in a X pattern would reverse the direction of rotation of all the tires. Maybe just switching front to back is better. What do you think?
David Pendleton	posted 07-25-2013 11:14 PM ET (US) I "X" them at the start of every season.
NewportMe	posted 07-26-2013 07:26 AM ET (US) I believe that unidirectional tires have an arrow to indicate the direction of rotation. Can reversing tires with no indicator harm them? Bruce
djahncke	posted 07-26-2013 08:21 AM ET (US) As i recall the standard way to rotate tires is to do a cross rotation "x" pattern for bias ply tires and and front to back for radials.
johnhenry	posted 07-26-2013 11:43 AM ET (US) Radials do not have to be X'ed. They can go on any position unless directional. Directional tires have to be flipped on the rim if rotated to the other side.
Plotman	posted 07-26-2013 12:36 PM ET (US) Directional tires are typically those where a tread pattern is designed to grip one way better than the other - only important on drive tires. Here is a suggestion from the tire manufacturers - rear to front and then flip the fronts to the rear on the other side. http://www.tiresafety.com/maint/maint_content.asp
Jerry Townsend	posted 07-26-2013 08:51 PM ET (US) And Plotman - realize that the referenced link is for the tow vehicle (with or without the trailer) - which tires will, by definition wear differently than on the trailer. But on all trailers - beit one, two or three axles - make sure the axles are perpendicular to the motion of travel. That is, make sure the distance from a center mark at the hitch to a common point (bolt, weld, et al.) on each side of each axle is the same. If the axle is not square, the tires will, by definition, wear. --- Jerry/Idaho
whaler131	posted 08-05-2013 02:37 PM ET (US) I also ballance them every year. Like I do my car tires.On my 22 1988 Outrage.