Trailer Hub Heat Question
After losing a wheel in my driveway after travelling all the way to Waroona and back (guy I bought it from assured me he recently did the bearing) I decided to get serious and replace all the running gear on my trailer and replaced axle, hubs, springs, bearings and have put on bearing buddies.
I packed the bearings full of heavy duty, waterproof grease and put about 5mm around the inside of the hub and about 3-5mm on the axle. I tightened and loosened the castle nut about 5 times while spinning the wheel and then did it up 'nut tight' and backed it off a notch and put in the split pin put on the BB and pumped them with grease. The wheels spin freely and have the tiniest bit of play in them when I shake them back and forward. I've ended up using about half a tube of grease in the two hubs.
Anyhow... I took my 3m plastic dinghy out for the first trip since repairing everything and stopped a few times just to check everything and the hubs both felt warm after driving along the freeway. Not the kind of heat like when you've left your spanner in the sun and have to drop it and I could hold my hand on them without having to take it away and they were both the same temperature on a cool morning. It was more like the warmth you would have in one of those heat pillows for your neck/back.
Is this normal or should the hubs be running cool?
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scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
I would say normal.
I bought one of those cheap thermal lasers off ebay, to check bearing temperature on long trips.
mine run around 40'c, up to 50'c when long trips during the day.
cruzy111
Posts: 274
Date Joined: 08/10/13
Hubs run cooler without bearing buddies.
Both hubs should be warm to touch. When running fully pumped up bearing buddies they will run a tad warmer. Make sure you check them after a few trips as the bearings will bed in and may need adjusting. A message to any boater. Learn how to change bearings and make sure they are fully inspected before a long trip. Dont just pull the cap off and look at the front one remove the hub off the axle and inspect the rear one. This also lets you inspect brakes and there condition. Trying to remove rusted brakes on the side of the road is a nightmare. If you get them checked by a professional you might as well get the bearings replaced. The time it takes to repack them you can replace them.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Cheers, it probably felt
Cheers, it probably felt around 50-60 degrees but I would say that it was feeling like the hot side of warm rather than the cool side if that makes sense.
I've ended up cutting up the old axle and using the good side to use as a stub axle to attach to the trailer to carry my spare tyre on a spare packed hub so I can just replace the hub rather than try to redo bearings on the side of the road if they go on me on a long trip.
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Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
My hubs on dual axle
My hubs on dual axle trailer(2700kg boat) use to run about 50c with no braking. In heavy braking around 90c haha
I wouldn't think yours should heat up much at all with the kinda weight! Def not hot to touch!
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Is it possible to have too
Is it possible to have too much grease in there? I did pack the hub 5mm as well as the spindle.
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doublej
Posts: 169
Date Joined: 08/07/09
Yes
Nearly as bad as no grease!!!!!
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
not really within reason. Too
not really within reason. Too much is packed solid with no airspace at all.
Note also, "waterproof grease", really only refers to grease which is exposed to water at ambient temps.
Just like oils if exposed to water with heat and heavy agitation it will still amalgamate
Those temps are fine and nothing to worry about. 60 deg you'll struggle to hold a hand on
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Cheers mate
Cheers mate
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Starbug
Posts: 563
Date Joined: 27/08/09
Sounds like you have
Sounds like you have overpacked your hubs. 1/2 full is plenty. Too much grease will see your hubs run hot, pop seals and lose bearing buddies or caps as the grease expands and seeks and exit.
Sam57
Posts: 104
Date Joined: 17/08/14
You should not have any play
You should not have any play in the bearing, tighten up fully to preload bearing then back of one flat. Grip wheel 6 & 12 o'clock position if any free play nip up to next hole. Drive trailer round block jack up & retest. Hub should be warm not hot.