Maintenance

[Griff]

Not of guns, but other stuff! About 3 months ago, as I loaded up my golf cart to go to a cowboy match, I noticed my trailer tires were badly worn on the outside. The trailer is a small 5x8 foot model, just large enough for one EZGO cart and just about nothing else. It's about 5-½ years old and has probably less than 4,500 miles, so I was kinda shocked at the tire wear. I truly thought they'd dry rot before ever wearing significantly in the tread area.

DSCN1687.JPG

I never really looked at it until yesterday, except for pricing new tires... surprising, it's almost cheaper to buy new tires mounted on new wheels than just the tires. From a extremely low price of $33 for tires alone, to the cheapest tire & wheel combo $99. Anyway, I had a set of tires mounted on 5 lug 15" wheels that were on my old sprayer rig which I replaced with 16" 6-lug hubs and wheel & tires. I figured the 300 gallon tank on the sprayer needed better tires. Alas, the 15" tires wouldn't fit inside the fenders on this little trailer. So... I set it up on jackstands to remove the axle and mount it under the springs, gaining a couple of inches of tire clearance. when I got down on my creeper to undo the u-bolts on the axle, I looked across the trailer and noticed a severe bend in the axle. Probably around 1-½" of arc across its 5' length, upward. Explaining why the outside of the tires had worn. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture.

As it turned out, my trailer wheels are 5 on 4-½" centers while the ones off the sprayer were 5 on 5". So that was a no go. Which prompted me to consider the options. 1st, did I actually care? Well, yes, putting new tires on the bent axle was sorta just repeating the same issue. I could only find one hub for the 5 on 5 wheels, so replacing the hubs was also a no-go. Even if the bearings were compatible sizes. Again questionable if I wanted to go to the expense of a new hub & bearings, or would that require a new axle?

So, I did the prudent thing, took the bent axle out and maneuvered the 30 ton hydraulic press around so I could see if it would bend the axle back into some sort of straight! Well, it's not perfect, but probably good enough... much better than it was!

DSCN1688.JPG

The cart started out as one of a pair of 2003 EZGO gas powered carts I picked up for $500, one I gave my son, the other lacked an engine, but I had a 390cc Honda engine that had seized up due being left out in the weather (part of the $500 for the 2 carts). Got it rebuilt, and with the help of an adapter kit, installed it, got a roof, lift kit, 14" wheels & tires, new seat and a tilt steering column with turn signals, and I have 35mph going to the mail box rig!

DSCN1627.JPG

While I had the axle out, I carefully inspected it, looking the source of the bend. I didn't find any source of an impact that would cause that bend, but I did find a scuffed up area that I suspect was caused during it's shipping from factory to store. I've seen these loaded up on big rigs with wheels off and stacked on top of each other, smaller trailers on top of larger ones, all being held in place with one two ratchet straps, usually the large 3" ones. I suspect this had a pressure point under the center of the axle and it was deformed while being compressed under transport. Or maybe it's just a guess. And I just never noticed before now.

Back to shopping for new 13" tires... or tire/wheel combos! Or maybe just better used ones!

[Malamute]

One factor to consider, not directly related to the bent axle, cheapest possible tires often dont last very long, and on vehicles, often give poor performance, such as on wet pavement and snow. The used, 05 4runner had new tires when I got it, some cheap chinese brand I dont think I ever heard of, it was also very squirrely on snow, enough so it scared me to drive it on snow at all. Once I wore those tires out the replacements made the vehicle into a totally different experience to drive. I had been very apprehensive to drive it on snow, now, not an issue.

On the suburban, they generally come with passenger tires, I get load range E light truck tires, they hold up much better, and run 80 psi. Far better for hauling loads or on rough roads.

Cheap trailer tires also often have more issues besides not lasting very long, but the load carried etc has some bearing on that.

[Griff]

I don't have to worry about snow very often here... but, you're right in all other aspects. I do run mud/snow tires on the dually, the ½-ton gets a good rain rated tire. I'm looking at tires and seeing a distinct difference in price between load range "C" & "D". I haven't found anything in a "E" in this size. And, yes, most of the ones below a C-note are Chinese, name brands are at least a C-note. Haven't finished shopping yet.