Wobbly Wheel

ChevMech · April 29, 2014

A little over a year ago I purchased a 20x7 C&M utility trailer. I made sure to get the pipe top for added strength. According to the salesman, the trailer has 2 3500 lb axles under it. The rear one has electric brakes.

Anyway, something I noticed from day one is when there is any weight on the trailer the front, driver's side wheel sticks out on the bottom. When driving, you can see the bottom section of the tire is protruding out in relation to the fender. Lately I've noticed that there is a slight bit of wobble. From what I can tell, it's only this wheel. I took the hub apart and inspected everything and could not find anything noticeably wrong. I didn't think it would help, but I swapped a rim off another position.

Does anyone have any idea what's wrong with this thing and how I should fix it? It may be nothing, but it really bothers me.

8.1HD/ALLISON · April 29, 2014

Take the wheel off and check runout of the hub with a dial indicator. You can also check the wheel for runout. Sounds like one or the other is bent.

ChevMech · April 29, 2014

At the risk of sounding really stupid, what is runout?

8.1HD/ALLISON · April 30, 2014

runout is the lateral movement on the face of the hub. Imagine if your hub was bent, as you turn it it would move in and out. The difference of the inner most point and the outer most point is the runout. Should be little to 0. Does that make sence?

Sent from my LGL86C using Tapatalk

Prokopchuk_9 · April 30, 2014

runout is the lateral movement on the face of the hub. Imagine if your hub was bent, as you turn it it would move in and out. The difference of the inner most point and the outer most point is the runout. Should be little to 0. Does that make sence?

Sent from my LGL86C using Tapatalk

Well the hub could still be bent and the dial would run zero...if a bearing was shot it would wobble possibly. What your saying is conical runout, total runout is the difference from id to od.

Prokopchuk_9 · April 30, 2014

The hub could be bent on a 90* angle but if the bearings were still intact the tire would still run "0.000" get what I'm sayin?

Prokopchuk_9 · April 30, 2014

Is it 3500lbs axle with square tubing in the middle between welded on hubs?

ChevMech · April 30, 2014

Is it 3500lbs axle with square tubing in the middle between welded on hubs?

No. It looks like a round piece of pipe with a hub at each end.

The hub could be bent on a 90* angle but if the bearings were still intact the tire would still run "0.000" get what I'm sayin?

I'm slowly beginning to follow. So what you're telling me is the hub might be bad?

00Silverado4x4 · April 30, 2014

Just to jump in for another idea, how about the tire itself, it may have a busted belt? Once the weight is on the tire it gives, could cause the wobble too.