What is my problem here, tire.

[WanderBred]

Just over 2-year-old trailer probably 8,000 mi total on them. And the driver's front tire looks like this. All the other tires look fine.

[Chamberman]

Have you ever checked the torque on your wheel bearings? The original owner of our trailer never checked them or repacked the bearings and he had two tires wear out prematurely. I checked the bearings when I bought the trailer and the bearings were too loose, by a large margin. I repacked the wheel bearings and properly torqued them right after buying the trailer and we've put another 3k miles on the trailer since then with no abnormal wear showing.



I'm not saying that's your problem, but its very easy to check.

[WanderBred]

We've owned this from the beginning.

[Chamberman]

Originally Posted by WanderBred

We've owned this from the beginning.

As to the ownership lineage, it doesn't matter. What matters is whether or not the wheel bearing tension has been checked. Even though yours is relatively new there have been several forum members here that reported that their wheel bearings were insufficiently torqued on their as-delivered trailers. Our E19 wheel bearings appear to have been insufficiently torqued as well. This looseness can lead to excessive movement in the hub and abnormal tire wear.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by WanderBred

We've owned this from the beginning.

I would suggest you still check the torque. If you jack up that wheel and grab the tire and try to wiggle it, if it wiggles a lot, the nut needs to be tightened. ETI may not have tightened it properly.

[WanderBred]

We measured in between the tires on that side and it's at least a quarter inch wider than the passenger side, and put a 6 ft straight edge across the tires and it's probably tipped in at least a quarter inch if not towards a half inch.
And we put the tire up in the air and it just moves barely on the bearing.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

ETI may not have tightened it properly.

ETI receives the axles complete with brake drums etc. I've seen a pallet load of them there. I don't think ETI removes the grease caps etc. and does anything.

Regardless, yes, a check for excessive play is one of the first checks that should be done.

Ron

[SRS]

Originally Posted by WanderBred

We measured in between the tires on that side and it's at least a quarter inch wider than the passenger side, and put a 6 ft straight edge across the tires and it's probably tipped in at least a quarter inch if not towards a half inch.
And we put the tire up in the air and it just moves barely on the bearing.

I think a lose bearing would be more likely to cause the inside rib of the tire to wear but it wouldn't hurt to check it as others have said.
The more likely problem is a bent or misaligned axle. Dexter axles and breaks come per-assembled, ETI just installs them on the frame. Frames, I've heard, are made by Lippert (don't know if that's true) but if the axle mounting holes are misaligned, the axle will be misaligned.
Bent axles due to pot-holes and other impacts seem to be relatively common. And finally, is the trailer evenly loaded when traveling such as too much weight on one side.
You may want to consider taking it to a shop that can diagnose the problem and file a claim with Dexter. They seem to be pretty good about replacing bent axles under warranty.
Good luck

[wackyburggeezer]

We had excessive wear on one tire, and found that we had an improperly seated castle nut (old term for the nut on the end of the axle). Tightened that one, and checked the other three. New tires and 10,000 miles later, no excessive wear. Much cheaper and less baloney to check first, and visit a trailer axle specialist later.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

ETI receives the axles complete with brake drums etc. I've seen a pallet load of them there. I don't think ETI removes the grease caps etc. and does anything.

I didn’t know that!

[Perry Butler]

For the past 5 trailers, the first thing I do is put a wheel up on the Andersen Jack and check for a loose castle nut. I then move to the next wheel until all four are checked. So far, so good.

OTOH, we replaced one Dexter Axle at 4,000 miles because the inside of the tire was bald. At >7,000 miles we replaced the other axle. Since our 5.0 was new within 6 months Dexter covered the axle, the labor, and a new tire. Both axles had spindles welded incorrectly (tipped up), probably on hangover Monday.

I'm guessing you also have a incorrectly welded spindle. Bent axles and loose castle nuts usually wear the inside of the tire.

Food for thought,

Perry

[Drives1937]

What is your tire pressure. Could that one have been over inflated?

[SRS]

Originally Posted by Drives1937

What is your tire pressure. Could that one have been over inflated?

Assuming the wheel is properly aligned, over inflation would cause the central ribs to wear faster. Under inflation would cause the outer ribs on both sides of the tire to wear faster but more or less evenly. At least that's been my experience.

[SRS]

Originally Posted by WanderBred

We measured in between the tires on that side and it's at least a quarter inch wider than the passenger side, and put a 6 ft straight edge across the tires and it's probably tipped in at least a quarter inch if not towards a half inch.
And we put the tire up in the air and it just moves barely on the bearing.

I believe that wheel has too much positive camber but as others have shared here I can only speculate. The fact that it doesn't spin easily does not sound good. Either the shoes are too tight in the drum or the bearings may have seized. When I lift my wheels and spin them, the wheels spin easily with a light scraping sound from the brake shoes rubbing the drums. If this was my trailer, I wouldn't tow it very far. If working on bearings and brakes isn't something you've done before maybe a mobile RV repair can come and take a look.
Hope you resolve this problem soon.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by SRS

I believe that wheel has too much positive camber but as others have shared here I can only speculate. The fact that it doesn't spin easily does not sound good. Either the shoes are too tight in the drum or the bearings may have seized. When I lift my wheels and spin them, the wheels spin easily with a light scraping sound from the brake shoes rubbing the drums. If this was my trailer, I wouldn't tow it very far. If working on bearings and brakes isn't something you've done before maybe a mobile RV repair can come and take a look.
Hope you resolve this problem soon.

I suspect the OP meant that the wheel barely moved side-to-side when trying to rock the wheel. Not barely spinning.

[SRS]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I suspect the OP meant that the wheel barely moved side-to-side when trying to rock the wheel. Not barely spinning.

Good point, you could be right. I guess I over thought it, thanks.