Scrubbing Tyres - new information - last post September 2008

[UK-Corlett]

A funny thing happened to me on the way to the tyre shop.

I took my 'scrubbed' tyres to the shop to have them turned round, so I would get my moneys worth out of the rubber.

The guy said
"you should not beat your self up as there is wear all over this tyre just more on this side"
"if you do alter the geometry, only do it as bit as you are not far out"
"I only get 7000 miles out of my car trailer and it was factory made"
" I have seen far worse on home built trailers"
" You are always going to have some issues with these chunky tyres"

I guess if you guys only got 7000 miles you would not be able to get home again. I met a guy when I was in New Mexico who had just come back from a 8000 mile road trip.

Are US roads less abrasive?

Clive

[angib]

Are US roads less abrasive?

If a lot of your mileage was in France, then their roads are certainly more abrasive - ruddy lovely they are on a motorcycle, as UK-specific tread compounds are designed to grip on the very slippery UK roads and so they stick like race tyres to French roads.

In case anyone is wondering, the most common form of gravel in the UK has a very low coefficient of friction, particularly so when wet*, so tyres sold in the UK are grippier and hence softer than in most other countries. Whether this applies to a low-tech trailer tyre, I don't know - I'd suspect they might be standard across Yurp.

Andrew

* Apparently Pirelli shipped some all the way to Italy to add to their test track, as they couldn't find such low grip gravel anywhere in Italy!

[UK-Corlett]

Story so far

I have had the tyres turned round. £10 the pair.

Hi Madjack
I measured everything and could not find an other problem. It looks like I made a good job of the frame, generally.

I am off to Cornwall next month, I expect to do say 700 miles. Perhaps enough to see some more wear. So I have done the quick washer trick. I have put 0 washers 2 washers and 4 washers under the suspension mount. This should bring the wheel nearly upright.

I will get back when I have done the trip.

Clive

[Rigsby]

If these are cheaper copies of the indespension units on your trailer, it is possible that they are not a high enough rated unit for the weight of the trailer. I make and rebuild trailers as a hobby and have had several that have had bad tracking or camber isues, what normally hapens with these cheaper units , is they bend at the point that they leave the rubber bushing. Usualy caused by overloading, but ive known several that have run at less than rated weight and bent. If i were you i would save up for a set of genuine indespension units or convert to leaf springs and a solid axle. Escort, VW caddy/ Seat inca, Vauxhall combo, fiat panda are all leaf sprung axles that i have used, and are easy to convert on a box or angle iron chassis
steve

[Rigsby]

Ive just had a lok at your album and noticed the wheels look like they are the 10" floatation type that are available here in the uk. Personaly i would bin them and fit either the 10" centre naive wheels that are available readily over here or a pair of mini wheels (asuming that you are running the 4 1/2" pcd trailer hubs). The flotation type tyres that come on the wheels tend to be of a very poor quality. I think i have binned at least 6 in the last 2 years as tyre cost outway availability above other wheels
cheers steve

[Gerdo]

I have a 17' ATV trailer that weighed 3000# with ATVs that has the same type of tires. I recently did a 5000 mile trip and they look brand new. There are even some molding nipples still on them. There were highway miles, twisty and gravel roads.

With the insides worn more I would think it has a "Toe out" problem. Toe out is when the fronts of the tires point out away from each other.

[UK-Corlett]

Hi Rigsby

Yes they are indespention parts but I think they are rated ok.
If I remember they were the 500kg model The empty TD weighed 320kg new. But I have added the kitchen and with all the bedding it must be an other 50kg, so say max 400kg all up.

Rolling along it bobs up and down happily, That is its not grounding. very steady at 40 and above.

The tyres are described as "WHEEL HIGH SPEED BALLOON" 20.5X8-10

You are correct that a more road worthy tyre would be better but you know I put these on mostly for the look. Correctly rated tyres just look too small.

Clive

[UK-Corlett]

Thanks rainter

Thanks Madjack

Thanks bian_bp

Thanks angib

Back in September I had a problem with scrubbing tyres. I measures the geometry and the wheels were a little toe out. Thanks to help here I put washers under the mountings to correct the angle and said I would keep you posted about the wear.

Well i think I have done an other 600miles and I can't see any new wear. So I think that was it and problem solved. Thanks for all your help.

I can now go and get new tyres fitted for its next trip to France in the summer.

Clive

[teardrop_focus]

In my experience, it's not so much a tire's camber angle as it is it's toe angle that contribute to wear. Toe creates an increase in the tire's slip angle.

For example, my front-wheel drive car has a factory spec for rear axle toe between 0.15° and 0.35° toe-in per side... and I choose to run the minumum toe setting of 0.15° in. (with 1.6° negative camber, but I am able to rotate the tires front-to-rear every 5000 to 8000 km) I have seen out-of-spec toe angles in excess of 0.35° exhibit the same wear characteristics as your trailer tires.