I need a trailer repair shop. Suggestions?

I bought another car yesterday. (That's a story for another time.) It needed to be towed home. As usual, I hooked my (empty) trailer to my Suburban, checked all eight tires for proper pressure, and hit the road. It was immediately obvious that something was wrong. It felt like I had a square tire somewhere, like the world's worst flat-spotted tire. After a few miles, it never got any better--if anything, it was getting more pronounced.

I pulled over to carefully examine everything. I found that both front tires on the trailer were beginning to show substantial wear only on the innermost tread blocks, whereas the rear tires looked perfectly uniform across their surface. I also felt like at least one of those front tires seemed to be developing a rounded surface rather than the normal flat one... though I'm not sure if I was just imagining that. At any rate, I didn't think it was wise to drive 90 miles away and then haul a car back in this state... so I turned around and dropped the trailer off back at home. I ended up borrowing my friend Mike's trailer so I could still buy my car.

I think I need a repair shop. Specifically, someplace that can check and adjust the trailer's alignment and return it to proper operating status. (While they're at it, it could probably stand to be serviced in general--bearing service, brake inspection, etc.) What will be really fun is getting the trailer to the shop--I already told Mike I need to figure out how to get my trailer onto his trailer so I can haul it somewhere to be fixed.


So... where should I go? Any recommendations? I bought it at Wasatch Trailer in Layton, and I think they service them as well (I need to look that up). Is there some other place any of you would suggest?

For alignment, the only place I know that can do it is Alignment Specialists in SLC. Not sure if they would do the rest or not, but my guess is it would be cost-prohibitive if they will.

Since posting, I had a chance to discuss my problem with a guy in the shop. He said he has heard of issues where a trailer leaf spring shackle gets flipped/reversed. Anybody ever heard of this? Maybe this has happened to me?

I'll crawl under there and take a closer look when I get home tonight.

Only experience I have with having a trailer alined is alnment specialist. They did a great job though.

I have had the shackle flip. Usually having gone through a dip or over a curb or big bump when empty. (Picture a trailer axle articulating) It will make it bounce all the way down the road. That would explain the rough ride but not the ware you describe.

Pile of parts said:

I have had the shackle flip.
It will make it bounce all the way down the road. That would explain the rough ride but not the ware you describe.

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I am hoping I find a flipped shackle. If I can restore my usual smooth operation, I'll breathe a big sigh of relief. I can then have the tire wear/alignment checked out separately.

It would have been VERY obvious to you if they were flipped.. usually one axle will not even be on the ground.

^This^
It’s happened to me a few times, including a couple of days ago and it is extremely obvious as the rear tires completely lift off the ground and float there. I jumped on the very back of the trailer and it flipped back.
I bet you have a bent axle- that also happened to me so I got a new assembly from Henderson’s and replaced it. Easy peasy.

jeeper said:

It would have been VERY obvious to you if they were flipped.

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xj_nate said:

^This^

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Well, you guys were right. Looking around underneath, everything seems proper--definitely no inverted shackles.

xj_nate said:

I bet you have a bent axle- that also happened to me so I got a new assembly from Henderson’s and replaced it. Easy peasy.

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I am now starting to think this is my most probable issue.

Without actually seeing the trailer it’s hard to give a qualified opinion, but I know you’ve had that trailer for quite a while. How old are the tires? when you turn one of the axles has to slide, getting bad wear on the inside of the front tires is pretty common after a lot of use of heavy loads.

Time for wontons and fodees!
It sounds to me like bearing or brake issues. Jack up the axle and spin the tires and see if you can diagnose the issue.

The cost of a complete axle assembly with brakes is pretty reasonable for a trailer like yours. I would look into that, as it could easily be cheaper than labor to service and replace multiple parts.

Hickey said:

Time for wontons and fodees!
It sounds to me like bearing or brake issues. Jack up the axle and spin the tires and see if you can diagnose the issue.

The cost of a complete axle assembly with brakes is pretty reasonable for a trailer like yours. I would look into that, as it could easily be cheaper than labor to service and replace multiple parts.

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This. It's almost cheaper to buy a complete axle than buy brakes for it.

Another big shout out to Alignment Sepcialists in SLC, they will bend your axles straight. I just had it done to my hauler this spring and have had several other trailers in there.

Hickey said:

Jack up the axle and spin the tires and see if you can diagnose the issue.

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That sounds like a good idea. Thanks for the tip.

How old are the tires? I’ve similar problems before from a tire with a broken belt in it.

Jesser04 said:

How old are the tires? I’ve similar problems before from a tire with a broken belt in it.

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Didn't think of it until you mentioned it but so have I.

- DAA

Pretty straight forward to straighten a bent trailer axle. But sometimes beams are so cheap you can just swap them.

Jesser04 said:

How old are the tires? I’ve similar problems before from a tire with a broken belt in it.

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They are the originals that came with the trailer, so just over five years of use. My next plan is to jack up the entire trailer and set it on stands with all four tires in the air, then spin each wheel and look/listen/feel for anything unusual. I will take a careful look at each tire when I do so.

I don't get along with trailer tires, never have. If it could happen, its happened to me. Trailer tires are not designed to go over 65 mph because of the heat that is generated and they don't last either. I make a habit of never going over 3 years tops on trailer tires. I have one right now that looks like it has been under inflated its whole life. The other three look brand new and they are almost three years old. My guess is a belt broke in it. I hate trailer tires. I had one trip to Lake Powell that by the time I got to Kanab, I had blown three out of the four. Tires were on the second season. When I got to Kanab, I told the tire shop to replace the other two that hadn't blown on me. The boat was not overloaded, I just hate trailer tires. There, I'm done venting.

I think I found the problem.

jeeper said:

How old are the tires?

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Jesser04 said:

How old are the tires? I’ve similar problems before from a tire with a broken belt in it.

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You guys both get a cookie.

I put the trailer on jackstands so I could spin each wheel by hand. I wanted to listen for any unusual bearing noise--which there was none at all--and also look carefully at each tire. I started on the passenger side of the trailer, because my roadside inspection made me believe the right front tire had... issues. Here's what I saw:


I went ahead and checked the left side as well. No bearing noise there, either. However, the left rear tire was just a little out of round. It is nowhere near as bad as the right front, but it was visible. The left front tire looks perfect, just like the right rear in the video.

After five years of faithful service, looks like it's finally time for a full set of new tires.