Posted 2005-09-27 11:50 AM (#31043) Subject: Wheel over heated?
New User
Posts: 4
Location: Drexel, MO
Last night I was about 5 miles down the road, stopped for gas and noticed one wheel on my trailer slightly smoking. The rim was very hot to the touch. Fortunately I was in a place that I could drop it for the nigh and not have to pull it any further. The bearings are due for repacking next month. Could this be caused by a bearing problem? It is a 90' Sundowner 16ft bp if that makes any difference.
Posted 2005-09-27 12:00 PM (#31045 - in reply to #31043) Subject: RE: Wheel over heated?
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by TLDief on 2005-09-27 11:50 AM
Last night I was about 5 miles down the road, stopped for gas and noticed one wheel on my trailer slightly smoking. The rim was very hot to the touch. Fortunately I was in a place that I could drop it for the nigh and not have to pull it any further. The bearings are due for repacking next month. Could this be caused by a bearing problem? It is a 90' Sundowner 16ft bp if that makes any difference.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi and welcome to the forum.
It could be a bearing, but your mention of scheduled re-packing suggests that you MIGHT BE someone who has their trailer "serviced" on a SCHEDULED basis ?
A hot RIM is possibly due to an underinflated tire - maybe a slow leak ?
Was the tire also hot ?
Posted 2005-09-27 1:06 PM (#31052 - in reply to #31047) Subject: RE: Wheel over heated?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
Originally written by Cricket on 2005-09-27 12:14 PM
had the same problem once and it was a brake not releasing all the way
Same here. Try applying trailer brakes backing up and then forward. Repeat a couple of times. Keep an eye on it if you go somewhere. Breaks will get hot in a short distance...
Posted 2005-09-27 3:15 PM (#31054 - in reply to #31045) Subject: RE: Wheel over heated?
New User
Posts: 4
Location: Drexel, MO
Thanks for the welcome. I have lurked for a long time here.
We do try to keep up with regular maintenance. Tires are new and pressure is fine. (I am very compulsive about my tires). The tire itself was not hot, just the wheel rim. We are going after work this evening to pull the tire and take a better look. I appreciate the brake suggestions. That was and is still my first guess for the problem.
Posted 2005-09-27 3:26 PM (#31059 - in reply to #31043) Subject: RE: Wheel over heated?
Regular
Posts: 83 Location: Cheshire England
Hi I would try jacking the bad wheel up check it turns freely, have someone work the brake check it will lock then release, 2 holdand pull on each side of the wheel and check for play in bearings,3 check tire presures, the other thing could cause your trouble is if something is bent like the axle check the tire for uneven wear, hope this helps...
Posted 2005-09-27 7:11 PM (#31067 - in reply to #31054) Subject: RE: Wheel over heated?
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by TLDief on 2005-09-27 3:15 PM
Thanks for the welcome. I have lurked for a long time here.
We do try to keep up with regular maintenance. Tires are new and pressure is fine. (I am very compulsive about my tires). The tire itself was not hot, just the wheel rim. We are going after work this evening to pull the tire and take a better look. I appreciate the brake suggestions. That was and is still my first guess for the problem.
OK, if it is just the rim I'm on the brakes wagon...
assuming the HUB was cool.
Posted 2005-09-29 11:09 AM (#31116 - in reply to #31043) Subject: RE: Wheel over heated?
New User
Posts: 4
Location: Drexel, MO
Thanks for all the suggestions. Despite the routine bearing maintenance, it was a bearing issue. After replacing the hub and checking all the others, we are back on the road.
Posted 2005-09-29 11:42 AM (#31119 - in reply to #31116) Subject: RE: Wheel over heated?
Veteran
Posts: 167 Location: Monroe, WA
It's entirely possible to cook off a brand new set of wheel bearings in under five miles, if they are not installed correctly! This means both proper grease packing and then proper install.
I had a friend whose hubby thought he'd save a bunch of money by putting in new front bearings on her vintage Dart. Being an engineer (!!) he of course followed the service manual explicitly, right down to torquing the spindle nuts to 70 foot pounds.......
Do I hear screeches of agony out there yet?? :o
of course the manual had a misprint, and he wasn't mechanic enough to realize it. Poor little dart needed a whole new spindle assembly!
Wheel over heated?
