very hot wheel and drum

[2LMAKER]

Big Tex 70 CH with EZ lube spindles,one wheel and spindle to hot to touch after 100 miles of 65 MPH.With grease squrting out of rubber cap. Other 3 just normal to touch.I just adjusted brakes & greased according to instruction via the EZ lube zerk fitting.
I jacked it up and bearing felt smooth.
Would too much grease cause that much heat?
I plan on taking it apart tomorrow to inspecting
Last 60 miles of varied speed it was back to normal temp.

Rob

 

[Dmace]

No way too much grease would cause that much heat build up in my opinion. Sounds like a dragging brake, any burnt brake smell?

 

[Egon]

Brake.:thumbsup:

 

[2LMAKER]

Thanks,
I didn't think too much grease was the culprit. Just wishful thinking.
No brake smell at all. Though I do think I had my controller set to high. When I jacked it up and spun the tire no rubbing at all but then again drum was probably pretty expanded from the heat. Going to unload trailer this morning and then take a look.
Might be towing my sons Wrangler down to Virginia Tech next month and would like to have this problem solved.

 

[Dmace]

It would be a good time to follow the wires and look for chaffed wires or bad connections. I once had a trailer that had the tail lights and brake wires both strip and make contact causing the brakes to be applied whenever the lights were on.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I am going to go against the forum opinion here and say that you did overgrease it. TOO much greas will make bearings run extremely hot (too hot to lay your bare hand on but not smoking hot) I have seen electric motors get extremely hot from overgreasing and I think your wheel bearings did the same thing. After some of the grease got hot and melted out, the bearing no longer heated up. I think your problem solved itself by the leaking out of excess grease.

 

[Diamondpilot]

While grease is probably not the issue anything is possible. More than likely its the brake. I would take it apart and check it out. Just had one on a friends boat trailer lose the adjuster and bind things up. Long story short a new backing plate and dressed the drum out with sand paper and its good to go.

Chris

 

[Stimw]

I am going to go against the forum opinion here and say that you did overgrease it. TOO much greas will make bearings run extremely hot (too hot to lay your bare hand on but not smoking hot) I have seen electric motors get extremely hot from overgreasing and I think your wheel bearings did the same thing. After some of the grease got hot and melted out, the bearing no longer heated up. I think your problem solved itself by the leaking out of excess grease.

You can't overlub the EZ Lub spindles. When you grease them you are purging the old grease and it comes out around the zerk, then you put the rubber dust cap back on. The grease was coming out from the heat expanding it.
The only grease issue to look for is using non wheel bearing rated grease. And disc brakes must have disc brake rated grease because of the heat.
You have some issue with the brakes. One possibility could be the other side brake was not working putting all the pressure on that brake. Maybe it started working then things cooled down.
Too many trailer manufacturers use cheap connectors from the axle to the frame. I like to solder the wires and heat shrink.

 

[2LMAKER]

Had a chance to look at trailer tonite. First thing I jacked it up, hub was pretty loose. I took it apart. All the brake parts are in good shape. Everything moves freely. Bearings are in good shape. I reassembled, set the bearing according to manual. Adjusted brakes, though slightly looser then I did last week.
A will take it for ride tomorrow.
Thanks for the input.

 

[boggen]

yep everything is possible!, i just did a tune up for the s10 blazer, new spark plugs, wires, air filters, changed oil, flushed radiator, cleaned it inside and out. and i thought WOW talk about a big change in performance from the tune up. just a little on gas peddle and it took off like never before. a week later i noticed the floor mat was hung up on the gas peddle *looks embarrassed* after gloating to family members all week. the floor mat was just barely holding down the gas peddle so it made it seem like more performance but it was not.

pending on your controller, in how it hooks up to brake pedal or other. double check linkages and "floor mat"!. but on serious note double check your cable if any on your controller. i have had some linkages want to stick on me new and old and greased and like.

if the trailer has not been used for some time, perhaps some bug decided to build a nest in an area or dust and other stuff is clogging something up. and after some time allowed things to work themselves free and start working, perhaps loose connection in wiring. to many times i have had to redo the entire wiring on a trailer. due to folks trying to skimp on a few bucks for wire. and then not properly fasten the wire in some sort of pipe or through frame so it does not get banged up and scratched up and pulled off.

i have redone a few plugs as well. due to corrosion and plugs not getting treated to keep corrosion down on them.

on current trailer, i have, i have rear brakes on one of the axles but i have nothing i need to haul that would require rear brakes. so all i have is a generic 4 plug. and wire cut off right at the axle. and every now and then the brakes will rub some causing the hubs and rims to heat up a good amount. i know i should take things apart and perhaps just take the drum pads out or wire things so it does not happen, but trailer rarely gets used and leave it as is. i know it is the brakes on trailer, due to i can catch a wiff of break smell. but i tend to have to jump out of the truck quickly and get back near the tires on trailer quickly, or of course windy day, and smell goes away quickly.