GBMUD Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I have a Buffalo trailer which I bought used a year or so ago. The trailer is a 10'x5' twin axle with beavertail and folding loading-ramp type tailgate - picture a typical galvanised Ifor Williams type beavertail with sides. The axles appear to be Avonride, and use rubber deformation as springing and damping. There is no apparent weight rating plate on the trailer drawbar, just a rating plate on the hitch, printed in German, which appears to give the trailer rating as 2000kg MGW, 1000kg MGW per axle - I chose this MGW specially as I tow it with a Freelander and a camper van. All brakes and bearings are correctly adjusted. I only tow on about two days a month and I am careful to see that the trailer tows level with the weight equal on both axles. The trailer tows well without puling or erratic cornering. If anything I tow with nose weight on the high side. Usually I tow with 300-500kg in the trailer, so not more than about 1000kg gross - perhaps a little more, it is a very solidly constructed trailer! Recently I became aware of apparently accelerated wear on the outermost edge of the NSR tyre - it is now quite bald on that edge. This morning I decided to take the matter in hand and have a measure up to see what is wrong - assuming that something must be out of alignment. Measurement showed that with the trailer suspended with no weight on the axles both axles have slight toe in - about 4mm between the front and back of the rims. Both axles have slight positive camber, which you might think to be the culprit, but the rear axle (the one affected) has about half the positive camber of the (apparently unaffected) front axle. The axles are parallel. Several people have looked at the trailer and suggested that it looks like a 3.5 tonne model based on the apparent size of the axles, wheels, tyres and the general construction of the trailer, I wonder if this might be part of the problem. Is it possible that some toe in and positive camber is built into the axles at rest/unloaded so that as they are loaded up they deform the rubber springs and straighten up? I assume that some toe in is a good thing for trailer stability. The axles are one piece beam axles and there is no opportunity to shim or adjust the axles to any advantage as one can with the individual Indespension units. I welcome any constructive suggestions or comments as I plan to buy new tyres on Monday and do not want to see them disappear before my eyes! Thanks Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted May 7, 2011 Author Share Posted May 7, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted May 7, 2011 Author Share Posted May 7, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forkrentfitter Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 i have seen this before on a brian james trailer with similar suspension,turned out to be a bent axle,to prove in your case would take a lot of careful measurement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richy B Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I use a 4 wheeled BJ Trailer for towing the comp truck around, I had similar but worse problems with 1 wheel also. and yep mine was a bent stub axle, Get ya measuring tape out carefully as mentioned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 4mm toe in sounds like way too much - Land Rover specify in the range 0-2mm toe out and that is on a much larger diameter tyre. I'm inclined to agree with the bent axle theory I'm afraid. I don't think the design/geometry would rely on the trailer being loaded, as it would mean towing an empty trailer would wear the tyres out which would be a bit of a design f-up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 There's no toe in etc on trailer axles , they should be 'straight' , time to pull em off and check at least thats how I've always seen it I often find cracks in trailer axle mount points and also in the lugs on the beam type axles when servicing cheers Steveb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 Hmm, that nails it, one trailer for sale, offers! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Hmm, that nails it, one trailer for sale, offers! Chris Better put some new tyres on it first, like the last owner did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Sparkes Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Hmm, that nails it, one trailer for sale, offers! Chris What advice or comfort does Buffalo offer? Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 What advice or comfort does Buffalo offer? Regards. I have not asked their advice - I am at least the third user of the trailer - perhaps I should try firing off a quick email. I bought the trailer on eBay and the seller told me that Buffalo were bidding on it. I wondered if that was a means of keeping used prices buoyant or if they wanted it back for some reason... Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 if they wanted it back for some reason... Now is their chance Might be worth pricing a new axle...? You can buy a whole trailer for a grand something so surely an axle couldn't be more than a few hundred? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brownlie Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Does the axle have indespension units on it ? can these not be shimmed or washers applied to resolve the toe/camber ?? Just a thought as im sure the units are held in place by 4 bolts ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 The axles are one piece beam axles and there is no opportunity to shim or adjust the axles to any advantage as one can with the individual Indespension units. Does the axle have indespension units on it ? can these not be shimmed or washers applied to resolve the toe/camber ?? Just a thought as im sure the units are held in place by 4 bolts ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brownlie Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 lol that will be a no then.... doh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Shim it with a 14lb sledge then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Sparkes Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Hmm, that nails it, one trailer for sale, offers! Chris Not that I'm tempting you of course <evil grin> ! Car Trailer Wanted, Prefer 3.5 tonne gross version, either beaver tail , ramped (preferred) or low deck car transporter. Not too worried about location but Southern England preferred." Yeah I know, your trailer is just too small, but it was interesting to pick up a 'related' thread within a couple of days, on a different forum. Regards, David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Range Rover Blues Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 That does sound like a lot of toe in. the only axles I know of with dynamic cmaber and toe are the BPW alxes fitted to their caravan chassis. They can make significant camber and toe changes when the alxe is unloaded but the payload of a carvan is so small compared to the tare weight it is harldy a factor. Another reason you might be seeing so much wear is the tyre scrub when you corner. Do you do any tight manuvres at all, like a U turn at the end of the road for example? If it were just a toe in problem I would expect to see similar wear on at least 1 more tyre, even if the axles were pointing in slightly different directions it would wear one tyre on the front axle and one on the back. Are all 4 tyres the same make? and how old are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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