Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

[Byron22]

Hi there,

I am having a terrible time trying to solve a problem with my single axle Shorlander boat trailer. This trailer is for my Searay 185 sport. The trailer is a 2006 and had the wheel bearings changed last year. It is a single axle trailer equiped with surge brakes.

Coming home from the lake three weeks ago I heard my tire chirp a couple of times while stopping at a red light going down hill. I checked it out and the wheel bearing on the passenger side was quite hot and definitley hotter than the drivers side.

I had a shop change the race, bearing, seal, and re - grease everything. They also adjusted the drum brakes and said it was all good. I drove it home about 12 miles or so and the problem still was occuring. I took a temp reading with my IR temp gauge and the passenger side came in between 125 (on the bearings with buddies off) and 144 (on the hub) degrees while the driver's side came in at 99 degrees (on the bearing with buddies off). Today I took it to a different shop and they said that the drum had to be machined so they did that and they also said that the castle nut was 1 and a 1/4 turns to loose. I drove it home like 9 miles and the passenger side bearing is still cooking hot and way hotter than the driver's side. Also of note is that the wheel and the lug nuts were very hot as well. I am at the point now where I think I might just have to replace the axle since the bearings have been inspected and replaced by a shop, the hub and shoes have been checked by a shop. Any suggestions would be greatley appreciated since this is driving me absolutely mad ... doesn't help that it is happening in the summer when I want to use my boat the most but can't safely tow it with a bad passenger trailer wheel.

P.S. The trailer looks like it is tracking right but it does bump around a bit on the road...probably normal for a signle axel trailer.

Thanks again.

 

[Josh P]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

you said your trailer has brakes, if your 9 miles is in stop and go traffic and you have that significant difference in temps i would say your brake arent adjusted equal.. . where are you located are you in warmer climate? the heat from the brakes will dissipate into the rest of the hub.

 

[444]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

I agree, try disconnecting the trailer brakes and giving it a run down the highway and check the temps. Will at least tell you if it's brakes or bearings. Also if you jack up each side, does one tire spin easier than the other?

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

Good call guys, I got $20 on the brakes

Sounds to me like your passenger tire is dragging the brakes and you need to get in there and loosen it up a bit, single axle trailers can be more bouncy then tandems, I know mine was but I can't tell you why.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

Right off hand I would agree the breaks would be the place to look, and disconnecting them and a tow would isolate the problem.

 

[beezee28]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

The brake would be the first thing to check. Process of elimination.

 

[Edge180]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

Had the exact same problem this weekend. I've got persistant bearing buddy that continues to pop off. This most recent 200 mile tow had the grease all over the wheel and grease literally boiling out of the bearing. How does one disconnect the brakes? I've got surge brakes as well on my single axle towing a 18.5' footer. This is the beginning of the 3rd year on these BBs.

 

[Byron22]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

Thanks everyone. I have it in to a brake shop now and they say that they are replacing the cylinder on the driver's side since it looked bad and they thought that it was causing the passenger side to do way more of the braking causing it to heat up.

Will let you know if this fixes the problem.

Thanks again.

 

[Byron22]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

Just got it home from the shop. The brake shop replaced the entire driver's side backing plate with springs, shoes and cylinder as well as bled the brake line and refilled it with new fluid. They said the driver's side had a bad cylinder and that a fair amount of air came out when they bled the lines.

The bearing on the passenger side still is hotter than the driver's side. I didn't take it for a very long run so it wasn't scorching hot but it still was hotter than the driver's side wheel. They said the next step is to replace the backing plate, springs, cylinder, and shoes on the problem passenger side.

I am already into this fix about $800 and this is really becoming a major problem - nobody at the trailer or brake shops I go to can guarantee that they can fix it...I am wishing now that I would have just had the entire axle assembly replaced in the first place with new backing plates and brakes (it would have taken all of the guessing work out of it and my time and money would not have been wasted like it has been now). I have been told maybe its a bent axle??? I will keep trying to fix this problem and let you know what it was once it is fixed.

If anyone else can chime in I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

the real sad part is that your into this for $600 in labor since there is no way parts cost you so much but yes I would have them replace the other side as well, if one side is that bad then the other is not far behind, this situation makes me want to get into the business I would love to get that amount of money for a 2 hour job.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

Had the exact same problem this weekend. I've got persistant bearing buddy that continues to pop off. This most recent 200 mile tow had the grease all over the wheel and grease literally boiling out of the bearing. How does one disconnect the brakes? I've got surge brakes as well on my single axle towing a 18.5' footer. This is the beginning of the 3rd year on these BBs.

I assume you're just talking about temporarily disabling the brakes for diagnosing purposes. If so, the simplest thing would probably be to disconnect the orifice fitting at the back of the master cylinder. But if you do that be sure to empty the reservoir, otherwise you'll be squirting brake fluid all over the trailer every time you stop. Not too good for the paint. Also, don't tow it like this for long as it seems like it would be pretty hard on the moving parts in the braking system. One or two short tows should be fine though.

 

[Edge180]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

I assume you're just talking about temporarily disabling the brakes for diagnosing purposes. If so, the simplest thing would probably be to disconnect the orifice fitting at the back of the master cylinder. But if you do that be sure to empty the reservoir, otherwise you'll be squirting brake fluid all over the trailer every time you stop. Not too good for the paint. Also, don't tow it like this for long as it seems like it would be pretty hard on the moving parts in the braking system. One or two short tows should be fine though.

Yes, just for investigation purposes. Thanks for the tip. I asked because that is the part I was concerned about; brake fluid squirting all over the place.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

My first thought was that the one side wasn't working. 125? isn't really that hot.

 

[four winns 214]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

I am already into this fix about $800 and this is really becoming a major problem -

I'll say. Your shop is doing you no favors. Entire drum brake assemblies can be purchased retail for less than $100 per side. It's a simple matter of unbolting the old and replacing with new and then bleeding, assuming the drums are serviceable. If the shop does this work routinely, they should have equipment that can completely purge the lines and bleed the brakes in a half-hour or so.

 

[kaldeh]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

No one has mentioned that the problem could be the brake lines are partially block and not allowing the passenger side brake to release all the way, may want to check this out.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

No one has mentioned that the problem could be the brake lines are partially block and not allowing the passenger side brake to release all the way, may want to check this out.

Maybe, but I'm sure the shop would have long since caught that given how much fluid they've pushed through the system.

 

[Byron22]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

New hub was put on the passenger side today. It seems to spin much easier than the old hub with the brakes set to the same exact settings as before. Haven't tested it yet though so I will let everyone know if this fixed the problem.

Thanks again for all of the feedback.

Byron

 

[Byron22]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

Took it for a test run today and it was hotter than ever. I called the shop and they said that based on this the issue is surely the brakes on the passenger side (like you guys said) or the surge brake actuator.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

Man, I'm sorry to hear that Byron. If it were the actuator you'd be having the issue on both sides. I hate to say it, but it sounds like the shop has just been changing parts in hopes of stumbling onto the solution. You've given them enough of your money. It's time for you take matters into your own hands. Jack up the trailer and give both wheels a good spin. You need to go ahead and do both to verify that the other side isn't dragging. I know you're confident it's not, but we're just eliminating possibilities here. Once they're spinning go to the tongue and actuate the brakes manually. How you do that will depend on the model coupler you have. My Titan model sixty allows me to do it with a big screwdriver. Once the brakes have engaged check the wheels. If they're both locked up the master cylinder is a possibility. If only the problem side is locked up you can rule out the MC and concentrate on the one side. Remember, at this point we're not looking to verify the efficacy of the braking system. We're just trying to isolate the problem component(s). Once you've done this report your findings and maybe we can help. Good luck.

 

[Byron22]

Re: Passenger side wheel hub is getting way hoter than driver's side Please Help

Problem Solved Finaly! II decided to replace the passneger side brake completley. I purchased a kit that already had the shoes, springs, and cylinder already mounted on a backing plate. I took off the old one and replaced with the new brake kit and then bled the line and walla. The hub doesn't get hot any more. It was simply a dragging brake or bad cylinder and all 4 of the shops that I went to could not fix the problem. As the old saying goes if you want something done right then you have got to do it yourself...with some help of course from the great people at iboats. Thanks everyone Now I just want my $700 bucks that I spent on useless labor and parts:facepalm: Looking on the positive side I learnt quite a bit about the hubs, bearings etc., braking system and axle. Thanks again.