Warm Wheel Hubs

[Do2]

I am encountering a curious situation with the wheel hubs on my Escort trailer. When I get to the launch ramp, after approx 1 hour of travel at 60 mph, the hubs are at normal temperature. However,after recovery of the boat when the trailer wheels have been under water,both hubs are real warm to the touch after traveling the same distance back to my house.Is this a normal condition??<br /><br />I've repacked each wheel bearing with marine grade high pressure grease, installed Bearing Buddies and adjusted the surge brakes.Also I always check tire pressure prior to each trip.

 

[petryshyn]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

Are you saying that the trailer is empty one way and "with boat", the other?

 

[Do2]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

The boat is on the trailer both ways. The hubs heat up on the trip back home after the wheels were in the water during boat recovery.

 

[MIKE F]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

You said, you adjusted the surge brakes, so I assume you have drum, and not disc brakes.Perhaps<br />you have to apply the brakes, more frequently, the closer you get to home, and not as frequently the closer you get to the ramp.This would be a bigger issue, with disc, than drum brakes, but perhaps the possible extra braking, is causing the hubs to heat up. Or not

 

[jeff_nicholas]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

How warm are they? Can you keep a finger on them?<br />Mike has a good point... Is it uphill to the lake?

 

[Do2]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

All......... The trailer has drum brakes. I can hold my hand on the hubs when I get home but they are quite warm. When I put my hand on the hubs at the launch site before launching the boat, the hubs are about the same temperature as the outside air. The trip to and from the launch area is pretty flat. I would say that the brakes are used the same amount each way. The majority of the trip is on a freeway where the brakes are not really used that much.

 

[MIKE F]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

Okay,<br />I'll give it one more try. When you get home, do you back up, before checking the hubs? If so, perhaps your brakes are engaging, and heating up your hubs.

 

[petryshyn]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

Do2<br /><br />If you can touch them comfortably, probably nothing wrong. A few brakings can make that difference.......Get them inspected by someone who does brakes professionaly to be sure.....

 

[rd2313]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

An old guy taught me this one.<br />Your hubs/ bearings/grease heat up some, internally as you travel to the lake. you back into the cool water and the cool and contract, drawing in a tiny bit of water to fill the voids in the process.<br /><br />Then you drive home later with water in your bearings, it heats up, expands, and forces a little bit of grease out. Let this happen a few times and the problem gets bigger.<br /><br />The solution-- Take the grease gun with you to the lake, fill your bearing buddies BEFORE you back into the cold water!!<br /><br />I've been doing this for years and my hubs stay cool and full of grease. It even worked on a week long trip to Canada after my son over used the grease gun and pushed out the back seal.

 

[MrBill]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

rd2313 has properly diagnosed the problem...water entering the bearing/lubrication cavity. The seriousness of the heat problem suggests that the 'buddies' are leaking. Follow rd's advice about lubing, either right after unloading or before re-loading.

 

[Do2]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I'll be taking the boat out tomorrow so I'll try RD2313's advice and grease the hubs before backing into the water.Incidently, I use a bar in the hitch which prevents brake engagement when backing up.

 

[bfryer]

Re: Warm Wheel Hubs

what is the ambient outside temperature when traveling to the lake vs when going home. I have noticed a significant difference in my hubs when I run in hot weather vs cool morning temperatures