Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

We took a 700 mile round trip to GA. this summer with the pontoon... (look at the Lake Blackshear GA. thread in the destinations area)....

Anyway, after all that... I notice some strange wear patterns on both trailer tires... cupping and bald primarily on the inside edges...

I have gone on a few 100+ mile trips with it.... always check the tire pressure... tire wear has always been normal.... was wondering if it had something to do with being pulled with the Motorhome... wind causing it to wag... but I kept a close eyen on it and didn't notice anything abnormal while driving...

Measured the axle height on level concrete... got 10 5/8" on both sides near the springs... got 10 1/2" in the middle...

Think a 1/8" downward bow in the center of the axle would cause the wear?
The white stripes are from my children's driveway chalk... art... haha...













Is the axle too weak?

It's the trailer that came with the boat...

Think Tracker would do something about it? If they won't, I'm thinking about welding a piece of angle across the top of the axle...

Anyway the tires are shot for sure....

Resembles tire wear patters when you have bad struts or shocks... wonder if adding shocks would prevent this in the future?

What do you guys think? What would you do? Thanks in advance...

Every ST tire going on boat trailers in North America comes from China, and they're all junk tires. About the only decent available 14" tires are Maxxis M8008's and the Kumho 857's. My advice is to anyone with OEM tires--get rid of them quick.

Now on this trailer, there is alignment problem. I don't know if there are any adjustments available, however. If not, the axles would need to be either replaced or bent by a trailer alignment shop. Trailer axles are relatively inexpensive and can be replaced in just a few minutes with impact wrenches.

That tire wear pattern is a sign the trailer is over loaded. I doubt that it is an alignment issue as the wear pattern is on the inside of both tires.

Check the capacity sticker on the trailer then weigh it as you towed it on your trip.

C_M_25 wrote:That tire wear pattern is a sign the trailer is over loaded. I doubt that it is an alignment issue as the wear pattern is on the inside of both tires.

Check the capacity sticker on the trailer then weigh it as you towed it on your trip.

That's what it looks like to me too... like the axle isn't strong enough... the springs aren't smashed, the boat had 1/4 tank of fuel and a few bicycles on it... it's just too heavy for that axle... that axle doesn't seem strong enough.. I think it's a trail star... Probably look for a heavier axle with brakes and be done with it...

Bamaman wrote:Every ST tire going on boat trailers in North America comes from China, and they're all junk tires. About the only decent available 14" tires are Maxxis M8008's and the Kumho 857's. My advice is to anyone with OEM tires--get rid of them quick.

Now on this trailer, there is alignment problem. I don't know if there are any adjustments available, however. If not, the axles would need to be either replaced or bent by a trailer alignment shop. Trailer axles are relatively inexpensive and can be replaced in just a few minutes with impact wrenches.

I agree the tires are junk... every trailer I've ever owned came with cheap junk tires... I think the alignment is out due to the axle bowing down in the center... that would cause the tires to sit on the inside edge a little... that + bouncing down the interstate for 700 miles = cupping and uneven tire wear... hate to replace the axle on a new trailer...

I think you had some junk tires on top of an alignment problem. If it was an alignment problem only, (toe in-out or camber) it would be worn all the way around the tire, evenly. True the trailer may be overloaded, that would explain an inward wear pattern, but that pattern should still be even around the whole tire, around the inside edge. You can check the camber easily with level. That would give you a good idea if the axle is bent. I bet it all contributed to a belt shift in the tires, to give it that flat spot look.
A hard pull on a washed out bottom of a boat ramp could be a culprit. I our town, driving down the city streets could do it. Clinton Iowa.... Pot Hole Haven!
Hope its not too costly for you.

Whoa! Is that top shackle nut backed off the bolt? In the forth picture down, it looks like it could be. Or it could be a shadow... But it looks like there are more threads sticking out of the lower bolt than the top bolt. And looks like rust or metal shavings is forming below that bolt from wobbling around. Just something I noticed. I may be wrong, but something to look at....

Bryden24shp wrote:Whoa! Is that top shackle nut backed off the bolt? In the forth picture down, it looks like it could be. Or it could be a shadow... But it looks like there are more threads sticking out of the lower bolt than the top bolt. And looks like rust or metal shavings is forming below that bolt from wobbling around. Just something I noticed. I may be wrong, but something to look at....

I'll check it when I get home...

The place I got my spare wheel and tire from in Winchester builds custom boat trailers... I'm thinking about asking them about it... if nothing else I could get a quote for a heavier axle with brakes...

I guess that's the bright side... I've been wanting to add brakes to it since we got it...

21' Tracker is a fairly heavy boat (around 2000 lbs w/ the 90).

Maybe look at adding a 2nd axle w/ brakes and then getting them professionally aligned.

BoatCop wrote:21' Tracker is a fairly heavy boat (around 2000 lbs w/ the 90).

Wow! With the trailer, that could easily cross the "magic" 3,000 pound line.

At 3,000 pounds, you need dual axles and brakes in something like 34 of the 50 states.

My sister and brother-in-law bought a new 21' fishin' barge this summer with a 60hp 4S... they were told it weighed 3600# trailer and all...

Ours is probably every bit as heavy if not more... I'm gonna weigh it soon and find out for sure...

Well sure enough, Tennessee is a 3,000 pound state. Gotta have brakes over 3,000 pounds.
Did your dealer sell you an illegal trailer?

Edit: My dealer certainly sold ME an illegal trailer. In fact, even though I bought it in Minnesota, and they "might" claim they didn't know the laws in Colorado, it was illegal in every state I towed it in. MN, IA, NE and CO.

BobG wrote:Well sure enough, Tennessee is a 3,000 pound state. Gotta have brakes over 3,000 pounds.
Did your dealer sell you an illegal trailer?

Edit: My dealer certainly sold ME an illegal trailer. In fact, even though I bought it in Minnesota, and they "might" claim they didn't know the laws in Colorado, it was illegal in every state I towed it in. MN, IA, NE and CO.

I got it used... had 30 hrs on it and still under warranty... but either way the trailer is inadequately built... I'm gonna look into it.

I called the local Tracker boat center this morning and asked about it... he said the warranty on the trailer was up... He also said the trailer was made by Tracker... I'm pretty sure the paperwork said trail star... I have the original paperwork... I'll check into it...

Trail Star is Trackers brand. Just a different named division under the Tracker umbrella.

Blessed wrote:My sister and brother-in-law bought a new 21' fishin' barge this summer with a 60hp 4S... they were told it weighed 3600# trailer and all...

Ours is probably every bit as heavy if not more... I'm gonna weigh it soon and find out for sure...

Dry weight for the fishin barge is 1830#. Weight of the 90HP motor is 400#. Let's say 500# for the trailer. 30 gallons of fuel is 180#. That total is 2910#. I would definitely want brakes for that load.

For the boat in my signature, I have a tandem trailer with brakes on one axle.

Boat dealers are notorious for selling under spec'd trailers. I have a 24' Wellcraft that weighs 6000# loaded. The tandem trailer they sold with it has brakes on oly one axle. I added brakes to the second axle.