# Bad tire on trailer



## Tommyboy (Dec 21, 2011)

A friend of mine has a triple axle trailer almost identical to the one pictured at http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSEs-0b4uTRIf-aOsH54BZozaj0BSiqYIYSyWZlHVh326j24sdN. All of a sudden one of the tires has a flat spot on it burned down to the wires in the tread. Someone told him it was caused by not adjusting the brake controller correctly. I find it hard to believe that only one tire would have locked up tight and not other tires as well if the controller was set to high. Wouldn't it be more likely that a failure in the brake on that tire locked up and didn't release correctly for a while? I would have thought he would have noticed a drag on the truck while towing too and maybe some smoke but apparently neither was noticed. What would be your thoughts on the cause?


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

I have had problems on a cornpro trailer brakes. (Corn Pro is not at fault) it is the torq flex axle on the front keeps locking up. We took the wheels off when it was new and there was a gob of grease on each magnet which was sloppy assembly I think on someone at the Dexter axle factory. When we got the drums and magnets cleaned up. They worked better but the front breaks lock up if the trailer is not loaded. I think part is with the neck adjusted as low as I can get it on the trailer the front of the trailer is still a little high which means not as much weight on the front axle and when brakes are applied the front tires scoot. When loaded every thing works good the trailer sets level loaded. With the torq flex (rubber torsion)axle their is no equalizer to keep the weight distributed equally between the axles.
Make sure all the brake wires and magnets are in good shape. I would adjust the brakes also.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

I have 4 trailers with electric brakes and it is not uncommon to have one tire slide before the others, especially when empty. This does sound like the brake has locked on the one wheel at some point, because sliding a wheel on a stop will not flat spot the tire to the cord. I do know from experience that a 11-22.5 semi tire will drag for appoximately 2 miles on an empty trailer before it wears thru and blows out.


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## Blue Duck (Jun 4, 2009)

My trailers allways have one set of wheels lock up before the rest when empty if I don't adjust my controller. I just adjust my controller to match the load. Awhile back a friend of mine had a problem with a trailer tire here is a pic of it.


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## Tommyboy (Dec 21, 2011)

Thanks for the responses everyone! Blue Duck, that's one strange thing to be poked into a tire, but probably not the strangest thing. <g>


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## Tommyboy (Dec 21, 2011)

P.s. One last question. As long as the controller is showing a green light while driving and you only get yellow and maybe red showing when you apply the brakes, there shouldn't have been a problem with the controller locking up the wheel to have caused the flat spot and the problem was more likely to have been a failure with the brake not releasing correctly at some point, right?


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

That's the way mine works . Green to show a good connection then yellow to red as applied


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## mulberrygrovefamilyfarm (Feb 11, 2009)

My experience with e-brakes is that they never seem to all fail at once and it's hardly ever the controller. I fought my trailer for months because one break was locking up and the others weren't. Ended up replacing the guts in the locking up wheel to solve the problem and the others were fine. The first thing I would check on a dragging wheel leading to a blowout would be to see if the magnet clip has popped off, letting the magnet jam the wheel or check to see if the mechanism isn't moving freely to let the breaks go back after the magnet is released. Loss of a magnet clip also gives intermittent brake lockup and you'll never know that it is dragging until you see the smoke, plume of gravel dust, or chunks of rubber when it finally lets go. Like you said though it is unlikely that it is because the controller is up too high. If the controller really is up too high and drags one brake but not the others, then the others are not working correctly and the one that blew is, but again it isn't the controller adjustment.


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