Rear trailer brakes overheating

[kevinj]

Are you certain that the front axle is working properly???????

If not the rear will overheat as it is doing ALL the braking.

Check ALL connections, especially the grounds.

 

[JCByrd24]

Heat starting at the outer edge certainly suggests brake drag. Like has been said, spin each wheel and engage the brakes and make sure they disengage quickly. Make sure the springs are retracting the shoes certainly. Being on backwards (L and R swapped) would also cause brakes to engage potentially. Also, check that you have no voltage at the rear brakes, maybe some wiring crossed/shorted and rears are getting power (even a little) all the time.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Lots of good suggestions so far.

One thing that comes to mind is leaf springs or torsion axles?

Chris

 

[Deere Dude]

I just want to follow the thread because I had presumed hot wheels on my camper.

How hot is too hot? Can you hold your hand on the wheels? Maybe that is normal and something is wrong with the cool fronts.

 

[Ole Orange]

Lots of good suggestions so far.

One thing that comes to mind is leaf springs or torsion axles?

Chris

Leaf springs

 

[Ole Orange]

I just want to follow the thread because I had presumed hot wheels on my camper.

How hot is too hot? Can you hold your hand on the wheels? Maybe that is normal and something is wrong with the cool fronts.

If i drove 20 miles I would blister my hand if I held it there

 

[Diamondpilot]

If i drove 20 miles I would blister my hand if I held it there

It's time to get a second set of eyes on it. Many times I get tunnel vision and miss something obvious and my neighbor will figure it out in 5 minutes after I spent 5 hours and vice versa.....

Where you at? Maybe even someone here can help you out?

Chris

 

[3930dave]

Double check your wiring - make sure your rear brakes are getting the variable voltage signal from your brake controller, not just the brake light feed.

I like to use bullet connectors - low cost in bulk packs, and relatively reliable (vs. price) esp. when packed with grease. Easy to troubleshoot with, and changeout parts.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search/Wire+Connectors+-+Bullet+Style/N0215/C0189.oap

Use two people with the vehicle parked - use a DMM or just a test light, and make sure that the voltage at the rear magnets varies when you hit the manual control on your brake controller. If that's right, then make sure the front magnets are powered properly too.

Rgds, D.

 

[Ole Orange]

Thank you every one for all the help. I am in northern Maine, I also am a master electrician, I will this evening have my wife run the controller and check voltages. If I remember correctly I always had the same voltage at all the brakes. should it vary as the controller is pressed?
I have a different older controller available and may try it out. I just bought this controller last year for my 30 ft camper and it worked good in my ford truck but I now have it installed in my older dodge truck. The Dodge truck had a ready plug all set up in the harness and hooked color to color for the controller.
When I went through the whole system I checked voltage at each brake while the trailer was jacked up. I only checked actuation by clamping the controller on and checking 2 brakes at a time with one side jacked up.
Each axel brake feed comes back to a box with the junction at it then crosses over in the axel to the other side.
I had thoughts of disconnecting the rear axel and running just the front one and see if they over heat or not just as a temporary measure. Or backing the rears all the way off with the thumb gear so they do not work and checking this.
I do know about the another set of eyes thing and might have my neighbor who is a mechanic take a look really frustrating problem to say the least. spent more time on this than wiring a house.

 

[square1]

Do they get hot if you pull the plug / connector and tow it? That would separate mechanical / trailer issue from electrical / tow vehicle issue.