Bounce19712
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2010
- Messages
- 109
Hi Guys! I think I have a brake drum problem on my tandem axle boat trailer. Long story short: I had my head unit hitch/ reservoir replaced recently and the drum brakes adjusted.
First time trailering I was really concerned about the heat my hubs were giving off so I stopped every 40 miles for an hour to get to the new boat mechanic 140 miles away. I jacked up one side of the trailer and sure enough the drum brake/ front axel tire was dragging. (the drum brake hubs and tire rims/lug nuts were steaming/boiling water squirted on them from water bottle)
I asked the new mechanic to look at them and he suggested he could back off the adjustment to free up the dragging drum brake.. but when he did a tire spin test the tires spun freely so he did not adjust.
yesterday I drove the boat back home 140 miles stopping once or twice to laser read the temperatures. first time I got 160 on the hubs. back at home in the driveway I got 400 degrees when "shooting" the rim of the brake drum visible behind the tire rim with my laser temp gauge.
driver's side brake drum was 400, passenger side was about 100 degrees less.
unfortunately, I fear there may be an incorrect installation based on the transmission nightmare I had with same mechanic here in my city.
I believe I'll need to take my trailer to a tire shop I trust to look at the brake system...
I have a two inch drop hitch which puts the boat trailer slightly bow down and not exactly straight and level (trailer angle on the hitch) but it's pretty close to correct weight dispersion between front and rear trailer tires.
anyone have any idea if I've killed some hubs, drum brake, bearings etc?
thanks for any input! I've got a good pic I think of my laser temp reader shooting 400 on the brake drum...I'll post later!
First time trailering I was really concerned about the heat my hubs were giving off so I stopped every 40 miles for an hour to get to the new boat mechanic 140 miles away. I jacked up one side of the trailer and sure enough the drum brake/ front axel tire was dragging. (the drum brake hubs and tire rims/lug nuts were steaming/boiling water squirted on them from water bottle)
I asked the new mechanic to look at them and he suggested he could back off the adjustment to free up the dragging drum brake.. but when he did a tire spin test the tires spun freely so he did not adjust.
yesterday I drove the boat back home 140 miles stopping once or twice to laser read the temperatures. first time I got 160 on the hubs. back at home in the driveway I got 400 degrees when "shooting" the rim of the brake drum visible behind the tire rim with my laser temp gauge.
driver's side brake drum was 400, passenger side was about 100 degrees less.
unfortunately, I fear there may be an incorrect installation based on the transmission nightmare I had with same mechanic here in my city.
I believe I'll need to take my trailer to a tire shop I trust to look at the brake system...
I have a two inch drop hitch which puts the boat trailer slightly bow down and not exactly straight and level (trailer angle on the hitch) but it's pretty close to correct weight dispersion between front and rear trailer tires.
anyone have any idea if I've killed some hubs, drum brake, bearings etc?
thanks for any input! I've got a good pic I think of my laser temp reader shooting 400 on the brake drum...I'll post later!