Tight turning effects on axles?

dougw

Well-known member
So what is the effects on the axles during tight turns? something to worry about?

When I see the neighbor parking I see the rear set of tires really bowing out vs the front set. It is like "cork screwing" in. Luckly it is a dirt lot which seems to give. While I do the same thing mine doesn't seem near as bad /noticabe. This does make me think about it though and I was wondering if it is something to be worried about.

Thanks for any input.
 

Bighurt

Well-known member
Any more than a 360 at 90° should be avoided IMO. If it's a little here and a little there it's alright assuming rims are torqued properly and wheels are properly inflated. It looks far worse than it actually is.

Watch a triple axle RV maneuver...

I've gotten a 40' trailer to spin driver-side wheels backwards in a turn before, best to avoid it when possible but nothing to be afraid of, IMO.
 

Rodbuster

Well-known member
Good question... I also have see these double axle 5th wheel trailers making tight turns on pavement. It looks like the tire is going to rip off the rim. As mentioned, when your not on pavement, it does seem more forgiving.

Same question...should there be concern for the tire, or wheel or even the axle?

Rodbuster
 

ultrafarmer

Well-known member
I would say they are made for such turns, but you can make it a little better by wide turns when you can and if you see dirt or gravel turn on it. The worst thing is you are going to loose rubber when on dry pavement ...
 

hoefler

Well-known member
It is not as bad as it appears, while you may notice the one tire being pulled out, the other is also being pulled the opposite direction making the situation look twice as bad. Like others have said, the suspension, tires included, has been designed to go through this operation. As long as you have good tires and a maintained suspension with no existing damage on either, you shouldn't need to worry about it too much. I have 1 16' enclosed trailer that stays loaded with about 6,500 lbs on it all the time. I have pulled this trailer over 100,000 miles, making very tight turns daily. I have ground off several sets of tires with no ill effect on the suspension.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
What you are talking about is one reason the GoodYear 614 is such a good tire. It has a stronger sidewall and is made to handle the twisting forces caused by backing. One thing that you should do is move straight forward and back a time or two once you get into the spot to re-straighten the suspension. Keeping it loaded is not good.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Jim Gratz hit it right on the head. It may be okay to load your wheels with side forces - BUT - unload it asap. Back it in and out until every thing straightens out. Do this as soon as possible or bad things may happen. I have a 3670RL. I pull out of my storage bay and have to make a sharp left turn to get on the road. The cinders (stones) in my drive get ripped up (this is a good thing) and I keep moving. If I get out of the TV and the wheel profile looks ugly, I jump back in the TV and make them look normal. If I/you don't we will open our wallets later and pay someone to make them look normal again :)
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
Keep in mind that the spring holder brackets and the shackles are very light. You can bend them easily if you turn 90 degrees on concrete often. The warranty wont help you out when you bend them. I have seen several folks that have bent the hangers on different occasions. Straightening the axles out after a sharp turn is good advice for sure. Our campers have very light weight springs for short turns on pavement. Fortunately most of the time you will be on gravel or rock when you need to jack knife it in place. You really need slipper springs for that and a heavier frame as well.
 

mesteve

Well-known member
I busted a set of shackles on our first trip and it wasn't even that sharp of a turn. I just happened to catch a small rut on the side of the gravel road. And it was a very small rut, but just enough never the less. It was dark out when I heard the pop and when we got backed in and were setting up, I couldn't understand why it was taking so much to level the trailer. Found out the next day about 20 miles down the road when I noticed the lines on the rear window defrost didn't line up with the bottom edge of the trailer.
 
Top