Rubbing Sound from hubs

[Rwethereyet]

Hi all,

My hubs on my trailer always make a rubbing sound.  I have replaced the bearings and I repack them every year.  I know a slight rubbing sound is normal from the brakes but I have adjusted my brakes all the way in just to see if the sound goes away and it does not.  I also read that when the trailer is jacked up that I should be able to spin the wheel freely. My wheels take some effort to get going and never seem to spin more than a couple of turns.

I have had the trailer for a couple of years and it was not well maintained by the
previous owner.  I am currently raplacing the master cylinder on the brake system because it was seized in the depressed position.  I have to admit that this is the first time I really checked out the brakes since I bought the trailer.
I have always just adjusted them after I put the drums back on and assumed
they were working. Clearly they were not.

So back to my question. Is this rubbing sound a problem or is it normal?

[flyfisherman]

Hi all,

My hubs on my trailer always make a rubbing sound.  I have replaced the bearings and I repack them every year.  I know a slight rubbing sound is normal from the brakes but I have adjusted my brakes all the way in just to see if the sound goes away and it does not.  I also read that when the trailer is jacked up that I should be able to spin the wheel freely. My wheels take some effort to get going and never seem to spin more than a couple of turns.

I have had the trailer for a couple of years and it was not well maintained by the
previous owner.  I am currently raplacing the master cylinder on the brake system because it was seized in the depressed position.  I have to admit that this is the first time I really checked out the brakes since I bought the trailer.
I have always just adjusted them after I put the drums back on and assumed
they were working. Clearly they were not.

So back to my question. Is this rubbing sound a problem or is it normal?

You should have been able to adjust the brake shoes so they where not touching and the wheel was turning free, so I'm inclined to make a wild guess that the drums are not true ... maybe warped?

Remember the old automotive cure for that was having the brake drums turned. The next question would be ... how much brake pad is left? Also, when adjusting the barkes, did you cinch them down until they could no longer turn and then began to give slack?


Fly

[wynot]

Hi all,
 
My hubs on my trailer always make a rubbing sound. I have replaced the bearings and I repack them every year. I know a slight rubbing sound is normal from the brakes but I have adjusted my brakes all the way in just to see if the sound goes away and it does not. I also read that when the trailer is jacked up that I should be able to spin the wheel freely. My wheels take some effort to get going and never seem to spin more than a couple of turns.
 

I'm more concerned that you can't spin the wheels, which tends to indicate a tight or galled bearing set.  When I pull my drums, I have to retract the shoes.  Once you're repacked, you should easily be able to spin the wheel prior to resetting the brakes.  Properly adjusted brake shoes will probably make an occasional scraping sound when spun.

[Rwethereyet]

The sound is constant which would indicate to me that the drums are not warped. The sound is also coming from both hubs.  The bearings are 2 years old and show no signs of bad wear. I pulled the camper to New York last year without incident. The hubs were never so hot that I could not hold my hand on them.  I can turn the wheels and it seems to pull pretty well so I am thinking that it is either normal or some minor thing I am missing. Once I get the new master cylinder in I will hopefully be able to tell if the brakes are warped by the sound they make when I test them.

[flyfisherman]

Gosh doggies ... I'm asleep at the switch today!

Just noticed you had a Jayco ... are those surge brakes you have?




Fly

[Rwethereyet]

Yes, they are surge brakes.

[flyfisherman]

Yes, they are surge brakes.

Try this ~

http://www.championtrailers.com/brake_coupler_warnings.htm




Fly

[Kelly]

Try this ~

http://www.championtrailers.com/brake_coupler_warnings.htm


Fly

Like I don't have enough to remember/worry about!  I'm sitting at my desk wondering if my (hydraulic) brakes are okay as I BACKED the PU into its parking spot after we used it last!  

Thanks Fly.  Much appreciated.  

[Nemesis56]

Check the drums for rust buildup on the backing plate side.  Had more than a few vehicles the would make a slight scraping sound when the weel was turned from rust buildup.  Just hit the edge with a piece of 80 grit sand paper and noise went away

[Rwethereyet]

Thanks for all the replies.  I got my new master cylinder in, bled the brakes, depressed the coupler, and watched both my wheel cylinders blow.  

Of course Atwood no longer makes 7" brakes or parts for 7" brakes so I ended up buying new Dexter brakes. It was frustrating but the Dexter brakes were only about $70 per side so for less than 200 bucks I have a completely new brake system.  Man do brakes make a difference LOL.

So with the new brakes installed, the rubbing sound is gone so I am thinking that rust buildup between the hubs and the old backing plates was the issue.