One wheel on trailer hot...bearings???

[scokill]

So 10th season on trailer with nothing really done to it other than bow stop weld and replacing the bunks. The last trip I noticed a burning smell coming from one of the wheels. It was very hot to the touch. It's appears to be only one wheel on the rear of one side. I'm only 3 miles from ramp.

I'm going to investigate at some point, but what is the likely culprit? Brakes or bearings? Probably a good time to replace bearings and I was thinking about switching to oil bath. Has anybody switched to oil bath? Pros/cons?

 

[bronze_10]

If its 10 years old u will not be out anytjing to have the bearings redone.. imo..... however if it is on a brake axel it could be a dragging brake but u can normally smell a really hot brake!

 

[scokill]

If its 10 years old u will not be out anytjing to have the bearings redone.. imo..... however if it is on a brake axel it could be a dragging brake but u can normally smell a really hot brake!

Yes, it's a smell. I'll jack it up and investigate. Should be apparent if brake is dragging.

 

[bronze_10]

Is the hot wheel on an axel with brakes?

 

[scokill]

Is the hot wheel on an axel with brakes?

Yes. Just checked. Pads don't look excessively worn, but rotor looks glazed.

 

[2nazt]

Probably the drift pins are starting to seize up. You may be able to pull the pins and clean up with a wire wheel and grease and reinstall. The caliper isn't releasing the whole way. I had to buy new calipers for my 08 trailer as they would continue to stick.

 

[itsdgm]

I'd bet somebody else's paycheck (I'm staying in a hotel with a casino right now) that it's your brakes. Could be caused by air in the lines, bad actuator or a sticky caliper. In my case it was the caliper. They're made by UFP model DB35 and can be found at www.pacifictrailers.com

 

[bronze_10]

If u only go 3 miles at a time then i agree.. ita prob your brakes

 

[scokill]

I'd bet somebody else's paycheck (I'm staying in a hotel with a casino right now) that it's your brakes. Could be caused by air in the lines, bad actuator or a sticky caliper. In my case it was the caliper. They're made by UFP model DB35 and can be found at www.pacifictrailers.com

Good to know. Here is what I've found. Brake fluid was a little low...not enough to cause this IMO.

Here is what I think is happening. I noticed that the emergency brake cable "tab" under the tongue was sticking down. I pushed it back up and it clicked. I think I've had that cable mixed in with my safety cables and when I turn it's pulling the cable enough to activate the brakes. I'll pay attention to that tomorrow as we are going back out.

In case it's not it, how do you bleed these types of brakes? Replacing everything doesn't look that difficult.

 

[Sacamano]

There are bleeder valves on the calipers and you can compress the brake cylinder with a wide flat Blake screw driver from underneath the near the coupler. It is a fairly easy two person job. My 11 year old son would tighten and loosen the bleeder valve and I would pump the brakes until no bubbles came out. I did have to add teflon tape to the bleeders so air did not get introduced to the system there.

 

[scokill]

There are bleeder valves on the calipers and you can compress the brake cylinder with a wide flat Blake screw driver from underneath the near the coupler. It is a fairly easy two person job. My 11 year old son would tighten and loosen the bleeder valve and I would pump the brakes until no bubbles came out. I did have to add teflon tape to the bleeders so air did not get introduced to the system there.

. That's good to know also! You mean turning the bleeders all the way out and adding teflon tape to the threads?

 

[KXCam22]

I agree with stuck caliper. You can smell hot brakes but by the time you can smell a hot bearing your wheel is in the ditch a mile back. Cam

 

[Sacamano]

. That's good to know also! You mean turning the bleeders all the way out and adding teflon tape to the threads?

Correct. I put clear plastic tubing over the bleeder and run it into container to catch the brake fluid. Without the teflon tape air would get introduced into the tube from the threads so i could not tell when all the air was bled out of the brake lines.

 

[spatty99]

I had a boiling (literally) hot rim/rotor/etc. during a long road trip on a rarely used ~8 year old trailer, and it ended up being the bearing (and brakes were seized open/off).

 

[bronze_10]

I agree with stuck caliper. You can smell hot brakes but by the time you can smell a hot bearing your wheel is in the ditch a mile back. Cam

Or it passes u when u stop at a stop light..... ask me how i know!

 

[scokill]

Or it passes u when u stop at a stop light..... ask me how i know!

I've had the whole trailer pass me before...not mine but I was riding in the van. -15 degrees on I70 West in Kansas headed to Denver. 2 AM picking up trailer contents on the side of the road and loading them in a van and leaving some on the side of the road!

 

[scokill]

So I finally got around to fixing my trailer after the last hot wheel driving 3 mi. The brake caliper plunger was seized and the shoes were essentially rusted in place. It took about 15 min to get the caliper off. The bolts were the hardest thing about it. Needed a breaker bar. I replaced the caliper with new shoes installed and that took about 5 min. I had read about all the trouble bleeding the brakes and I was dreading it, but I did it myself using the truck. I used wheel chocks front and back and pulled forward and back a couple of times, then back up and made sure the plunger was all the way out/in each time. I would go back and release the bleeder valve. Then repeat. It only took two times until I had brake fluid shooting out down my arm. I did it a few more times for good measure and refilled the master cylinder as I went. I also did the other side a couple of times although it didn't really need it.

I'll probably replace the other one at the start of next seasons and replace the wheel bearings all around, but I just need to get through this month.

 

[itsdgm]

So I finally got around to fixing my trailer after the last hot wheel driving 3 mi. The brake caliper plunger was seized and the shoes were essentially rusted in place. It took about 15 min to get the caliper off. The bolts were the hardest thing about it. Needed a breaker bar. I replaced the caliper with new shoes installed and that took about 5 min. I had read about all the trouble bleeding the brakes and I was dreading it, but I did it myself using the truck. I used wheel chocks front and back and pulled forward and back a couple of times, then back up and made sure the plunger was all the way out/in each time. I would go back and release the bleeder valve. Then repeat. It only took two times until I had brake fluid shooting out down my arm. I did it a few more times for good measure and refilled the master cylinder as I went. I also did the other side a couple of times although it didn't really need it.

I'll probably replace the other one at the start of next seasons and replace the wheel bearings all around, but I just need to get through this month.

That's great. Glad that you're back running at 100%

 

[ncnmra]

Sorry to dig up this old thread. I think my passenger side brake is dragging. I want to take the calipers off, but I can't figure out the size of the hex key that it requires. Hopefully this is just an issue of sticky pins. Anyone remember any tricks with taking the calipers off?

 

[Beachbummer]

Sorry, not sure exactly what hex key you are referring to. There are 2 through bolts with nuts behind them that attach the db35s to the trailer, via the square plate known as brake flange. Take those off, and the whole brake caliper assembly comes off.

I suspect this is not exactly what your are looking for, and for that I apologize, but it might help pinpoint the exact question you have.