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Old 03-25-2021, 10:57 AM   #1
gary s swenson
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Axel alignment

We have a2017 3721rl. Have uneven tire wear on the inside tread. Can the axels be aligned and adjusted if needed? Thanks
 
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Old 03-25-2021, 11:23 AM   #2
dieselguy
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If you were to do a search on the MOC, you'll find dozens of threads on axle alignment. Some take a chance on buying new axles which in my opinion has a 50 - 50 chance of solving an alignment issue. Others find a truck and trailer shop that deals in trailer and RV alignment. Going to an automobile alignment shop or an RV dealer is wasted time also in my opinion. In my area, a tandem axle alignment is around $200.

Here's a recent thread on alignment
https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...ight=alignment
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Old 03-25-2021, 06:48 PM   #3
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Ditto diesel guy.
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Old 03-26-2021, 04:31 PM   #4
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Don’t rule out a bent axle. We had a similar issue a few years ago and a new axle fixed the problem. It has always puzzled me how one tire on one axle had pronounced wear on the inside tread and the other three tires were fine.

I would definitely have a trailer shop take a look at it. The mechanic told me if the axle looks like it’s frowning, it’s bent. I had to take his word for it because it looked fine to me, but he was right.
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Old 03-26-2021, 06:08 PM   #5
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A properly aligned trailer axle will have a frown look to it. That's how you get positive camber. "Slight tilt out at the top of the tire"
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Old 03-27-2021, 04:13 AM   #6
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Gary, my 2019 3791RD has a similar problem on the rear axle. Wearing very badly on the inside of rear ODS tire. Not quite as badly on the rear DS tire. I have heard that the axle may be replaced by Dexter under warranty since the arch is not present as it should be. I have also read of some axles that were installed upside down, meaning the arch was like a smile instead of a frown, causing even worse tire wear. That was not my problem, but it has happened to others. Our local Camping World has the facility to do a full alignment which requires bending the axle back to specs.
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Old 03-27-2021, 06:11 AM   #7
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Thought the axel frown was with the trailer jacked up by the frame and weight off the wheels. With wheels supporting trailer the axel would be straight. Understand camber in steering axel but these aren't steering axel.
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Old 03-27-2021, 06:48 AM   #8
gary s swenson
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Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions. I have finally found a truck and frame shop that does alignment on 5th wheels and can also bend axels if required. They asked me to go ahead and put new tires on before I took them the trailer so they could make sure the alignment was right on. I am waiting for my tires to come in and will get it aligned.
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Old 03-27-2021, 07:04 AM   #9
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That's correct. The axle "frown" is with no weight on the axle. On mine, there is little to no bow in the axle when wheels are off the ground and hanging. When weight is on the tires, the tires actually tilt inward at the top slightly causing the inside wear.
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Old 03-31-2021, 04:38 PM   #10
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Your question about can axles be aligned has been answered. What I didn't see in any of the responses is a caution to make sure your rig is not overloaded. Overloading will change the wheel camber and can cause accelerated wear of the inside tire edges. If you have not already been to a scale with your rig loaded for a trip, it might be a worthwhile stop.
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Old 03-31-2021, 05:00 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dieselguy View Post
A properly aligned trailer axle will have a frown look to it. That's how you get positive camber. "Slight tilt out at the top of the tire"
You are correct. I had it backwards. Thanks for catching my mistake.
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Old 04-20-2021, 07:45 PM   #12
gary s swenson
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Quick update to everyone. I finally found a big truck and trailer frame and alignment shop that would work on fifth wheel trailers in the Dallas area. They said they put the correct camber on both axles. I had the rig weighed at the last rally in Goshen, and I was well under the specs, so I hope I have the problem fixed. I did put new Sailuns on the rig, plan to do a short trip to Mo. to check things out. Thanks to all who responded to my initial question. Regards
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