JJBIRISH
Butler, PA, USA
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it does appear to be a crack and one on the back weld also...
looking at it in the picture it could just be the edge of the burn-in to... worth looking at...
I was wondering if there was a previous repair done, with the crooked shackle and the frame reinforcement plate above the equalizer hanger... if I were going to the trouble to gusset it I would done all three hangers...
Love my mass produced, entry level, built by Lazy American Workers, Hornet
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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Yeah John - let's get busy and replace those worn nylon bushings - your lagging seriously behind Barney and I   ...
Seriously though, in the last picture is that a crack at the bead weld on the hanger or is it just an optical illusion 
Generally tire wear such as that indicates improperly pitched (bent) or bent/damaged axles... Since we know you are precise on weights and such the only thing I can think of is what JJ mentioned - worn/egg shaped shackles/idlers or axles...
What is the axle rating stamped on the axle - they are Alco right??? As I recall you said at Eby Pines that you didn't have dexter axles and that was an issues with the HD/EZ-Flex idlers and such...
BTW - I assume you looked at the tires real good when you purchased right It might be time to send your documentation to Alco and talk with them 
Les
2000 Ford F-250SD, XLT, 4X4 Off Road, SuperCab
w/ 6.8L (415 C.I.) V-10/3:73LS/4R100
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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John,
Look at this post and scroll down to the post by PegLeg2000 that had Alco axles...
http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/21966662.cfm
Les
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SuperDutyMan
Western PA.
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For a real quick check,take a string and run it across the sidewall on the rear tires towards the front of TT,see where it ends up in relation to the front axle,have it just touching the rear tire side walls and see if it runs just past front tire sidewalls,run string to front of TT and measure distance from a fixed point on frame to string,then repeat on other side of TT and if axles,spindles are off it will show up immediatley.
2008 Keystone Cougar XLite 29RLS
2006 Super Duty V10 6 Speed 4.10S Tow Command Tow Pkg. 4X4
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Vulcaneer
Northern New England
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Camber Angle? LR and RF. The LR could wear more with bad camber if there is more weight (kitchen and slide) on the left side.
Just a thought.
2006 F350 V10 4X4 SC SB SRW 4.30 22,500 GCWR
Keystone Sprinter 33'9" 12,500 GVWR
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JBarca
Dublin, Ohio, USA
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To All:
Thanks for responding. Between every ones comments I can put some puzzle pieces as to what “might” be occurring.
First the weld. I’m away for work this week but I have zoomed in on the pic’s. See here. The “crack” I believe is a weld undercut. I will confirm. Thanks for seeing this. I missed it.
Next the bent axle ideas and Les’s comments on didn’t I inspect the TT last year when I bought it. Well yeah I did and it was no way this worn across the tires. This thought process has allowed me to dig back in picture time and by luck find that left rear tire at different stages of wear this year.
First, yes these are 5,000# Al-Ko axles.
Next is, well do I have a bent axle? Or 2?? Maybe. Look at this wear pattern. Left rear and right front are worn. This looks like a left turn wear pattern. The Left rear is scrubbing real hard and the front right. Those 2 tires skid most of a hard left turn. The front left sort of more pivots around, still scuffing but not as bad as the rear. The rear right has the largest arc to follow and more rolls.
And I “think” I know how this “might” have happened. On a tandem axle TT, when you turn hard the axles do some really heavy moaning and the tires flex hard. A hard sidewall ST tired is for sure needed for this high flexing going on.
Left turns are more common then right turns in my case. Our CG’s are made for the most part to back in on the left. It is easier to see on the drivers side. And there is one unique thing to my situation. My drive way. I have to do a hard 180 turn in my yard to turn around. This is on concrete. During the winter/spring months the lawn is too soggy and I will loose the camper in the lawn, so I have to do this turn. In the summer I use the lawn. Here are a few pics of this turn.
My K2500 before the F350
Now the F350
And the TT in It’s resting place
I see the black on the concrete from the tires.
Here is a progression of time this year from assorted pic including that left rear tire. Remember this camper is 1 year old now for us.
Jan. 2008. I have a force jack I can weigh the camper in my yard with.
See the sips of the tire. The inside of the left rear is still there intact.
Now progress to March 2008. A pic under the slide
Closer
And even closer. The inner tread was still there in March.
There is now about 2,000 miles since March. August 12th, wear pattern now being seen on left rear inside
And now Oct 5
The question now is, did I bend something doing a 180 turn? I still have 1,000# more GVW to go before hitting GVWR on the TT and the axles are 10,000# rated and I only have 7,660# on them? Are these Al-Ko’s that thin? What do you do if you ever turn around in a parking lot?
This is what I will do next to confirm if I have a bent axle or messed up bearing. Suspect bent axle as I adjusted the brakes about 2 months ago and they spun nice. I would of found a gross wobble then.
-- Jack up TT and put frame on 4 jack stands on level concrete pad. Ahead and rear of axles.
-- Let suspension go to limp neutral position.
-- Place a even height block of wood under each axle by the springs so now both axles now parallel to the level concrete. The axles and equalizer should now be right for measuring.
-- Use 2, 4 foot levels horizontally and put spacers on them against the rims. If the left rear and front right are bent, it should show up.
-- Do a tape measure check from ball center to front hanger brackets, LH and RH on an angle to check that the hangers are even distance from ball.
Report back findings. This might take me a few weeks with work being so busy.
If anyone has any ideas/comments please reply.
Thanks
John
John & Cindy
2005 Ford F350 Super Duty, 4x4; 6.8L V10 with 4.10
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Rubiranch
Salt Lake City, UT
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Either the axle or the spindle is bent.
TV: Mint 1972 Ford F-250 XLT
TT: 1969 19' Excel; entertains 6, feeds 4, sleeps 2
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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I'd still check into the axles John... The wear pattern we are seeing really looks like an axle(s) are out of camber...
I have some pretty sharp turns as well when docking my TT and the wear pattern from scrubbing the tires does not look like that - it's more of a cupping pattern along the outter portion of the tire tread... If I get a chance today I will snap some photos so you can see what I am talking about...
Les
BTW - I LOVE that jack with the scale built in - much better than my ShurLine scale...
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advntrs
greenwood, Indiana
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Joined: 02/27/2008
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In looking closely at your pictures, it looks as if none of your tires have been balanced.
That should be one of the things on your list to do. Most of the RV wheels are made "out of country", and very little thought is given to proper weight balance in the manufacturing process.
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Bonefish
Midland, TX
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Joined: 01/08/2008
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You need to check this alignment. It is critical to tire wear and towing.
Bonefish
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