Trailer tires can wear out in various patterns that indicate specific problems. If you’ve noticed that your trailer tires wear only on the outside, you’re probably wondering why.
Trailer tires can wear on the outside because of misalignment due to overloading, sagging springs, or unbalanced loads. Uneven weight distribution across trailer tires can also contribute to accelerated wear on the outside.
The rest of this article will discuss how to identify the reason for wear on trailer tires and what to do if your tires show signs of wear on the outside. It will also suggest different ways to fix and prevent tire wear. Let’s get started.
How To Identify the Reason for Wear on Trailer Tires
All trailer tires wear out over time. You can identify the reason for wear on trailer tires by checking them once a week and noticing any emerging patterns. Each pattern corresponds to a misalignment problem or another issue that you can resolve before it’s too late.
If you notice an irregular wear pattern on your trailer tires, you could be dealing with underlying issues that must be addressed as soon as possible. An uneven wearing pattern could mean anything from misaligned wheels to unbalanced pressure in the tires themselves. These problems can cause premature tire failure, leading to unnecessary expenses and potentially dangerous conditions while driving.
Overall, inspecting your tires every week is a good habit to develop because you’ll be able to spot any irregularities before any serious damage is done.
What To Do if Your Trailer Tires Wear on the Outside
Proper maintenance of trailer tires is an important part of road safety, and it can help keep you and your cargo safe while on the road. If you notice that your trailer tires are wearing on the outside, there are a few steps you can take to fix the issue and get back out onto the road safely.
1. Check for Excess Weight or Unbalanced Loads
A trailer typically carries a lot more weight than smaller vehicles, such as a sedan. It’s very easy for trailer owners to overload their vehicles and surpass the recommended weight limit. Additionally, moving furniture to one side of the trailer will result in more load on one side compared to the other.
Overall, the excess weight or even lack of balance in your loads will cause the trailer tires to wear out unevenly as more pressure is exerted on the outer edge of the tires. Luckily, this is an easy error to fix on your own. All you need to do is reduce the weight your trailer is carrying and attempt to balance it out a little more.
You can find out how much is the weight limit for your trailer by looking up the axle rating.
2. Inspect for Misaligned Wheels
Another common issue that will cause trailer tires to wear out, mostly on the outer edges, is if the wheels are not aligned properly. You might notice that your wheels are maligned if the trailer tends to veer more toward one side.
The only way to check and correct the alignment of your trailer’s wheels is by taking it to a professional alignment shop. It’s a quick fix, and you won’t need to spend all day at the shop to align your wheels.
Types of Trailer Tire Wear and How To Fix Them
Even though trailer tires often wear on the outside, there are other types of trailer tire wear that you need to be able to distinguish from outer edge wear. The various types of tire wear below are symptoms of a variety of problems, each with a different diagnosis.
1. Central Wear
Do your trailer tires wear in the middle? This is known as central wear and usually means that the tires are overinflated. If this is the case, you’ll need to relieve the pressure in your tires using an air pressure tool.
Because trailers carry varying loads depending on their cargo, learning how to adjust the tire pressure according to the load is an important safety procedure.
2. Edge Wear
On the other hand, if your trailer tires are showing signs of wear on both the inside and outside edges (as opposed to only the outside), this probably means that they are underinflated. It’s important to note that driving on underinflated tires is dangerous, so be sure to adjust your tire pressure as soon as possible.
3. Flat, Spotted Wear
You may also notice flat spots on your trailer tires where the tread has worn out over time. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your tires are damaged unless the wearing is extensive. Spotted wear is usually a result of improper driving or difficult terrain.
If your trailer tires are showing signs of spotted wear, you’ll need to pay attention to your driving. You should specifically focus on braking with a trailer because sudden stops and skidding are usually the cause of flat worn-out patches on trailer tires.
4. Cupping
This distinctive pattern shows up as dips or dents in the tread of your trailer tires. It indicates that there is a problem with the suspension parts, which might require you to replace any old or broken parts in the trailer.
While this means that the car is not balanced, you cannot fix suspension problems by aligning the wheels. I recommend taking your trailer for a full check-up at a professional garage. This will include checking all the parts of your suspension system as well as the axle. In some cases, you might be able to repair the damaged part instead of replacing it.
Final Thoughts
Inspecting your trailer tires for wear at least once a week is a simple way to spot a variety of problems. Outer edge wear is highly common in trailers because of the large loads they typically carry, and it could also indicate misalignment problems which are easily identifiable and reparable.
Familiarize yourself with wear patterns and keep them in mind while you’re on the road. Spotting them early on could save you a lot of money and trouble in the long run.
