RE: Super Hot Tires

[whitestar505]

 
Folks,
 
   Have you ever felt the tires on the trailer after driving a long ways. Long ways being 2-3 hours at 65MPH or more. Mine were so hot I had trouble touching them. My TV tires were hot but I could touch my hand on them and hold it there. Was wondering if maybe bearing may be in trouble or brakes dragging. What is your ideas?[&:]

[Turn Key]

 whitestar505
Your tires should not be getting so hot you can t keep your hand on them.  High heat in tires can be caused by low tire pressure but it doesn t sound like it in this case.  If hubs were as hot or hotter at the time you found the problem, it s hard to determine cause and effect.
 
 At this point I would suggest cleaning and packing bearings.  Make sure your bearings aren t burnt or galded.  Also, check axel ends and make sure they are not damaged.  Check your brakes to make sure they are correctly adjusted.  Also, take a very close look at your tires and make sure they are not damaged (I m assuming you have the correct size and load range tires on the trailer.  If not, that could easily be your problem).
 
 The next time you tow, I would suggest stopping every 30 minutes or so and checking the hubs and tires.  This will tell you if they are getting hot and which is getting hot first.  Once you know this, you can tackle the problem.
 
 Hope this helps and you can get it fixed.    
 
 

[Tim5055]

 whitestar505
I agree, you should be able to keep your hand on them.
 
 I regularly feel both tires & hubs when stopping for gas.  They are usually warm- hot, but I can hold my hand on them.
 
 You may want to check the air pressure also.  Too much flexing in the side wall can cause them to heat up.

[whitestar505]

 tim5055
Tim5055, Turn Key,
 
    Being the tire of the trailer is  smaller than the size than the TV tires might have something to do with the heat, do you think? More rotations than the TV? I just came in from checking the air pressure and it was on the money according to the sidewall rating. Now checking the hubs is going to be some doing. I have wheel covers that I hate to take off. Reason being that they are harder than used dog food to get back on.[:@] Oh well, will give it a shot..

[Turn Key]

 whitestar505
PU trailer tires are always smaller and always turn more revs.  Have never seen a time when they didn t run warmer then the TV in warm to hot weather.  That s just a fact of life.
 
 One thing I ment to add and forgot was the question of trailer weight.  If trailer is carrying too much weight, this can also cause the tires and hubs to run hot.  Trailer can not weigh more then the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) which you should find stamped on the PU some where.  GVWR is made up of trailer, all " add ons"  and everything in and on the trailer.  In short, what the trailer weighs as you pull it down the road.
 
 Good Luck.

[mike4947]

 whitestar505
Reasons for trailer tires to run " hot"
 
 Low inflation pressure, check it cold, or if you have to check it hot it better be over max pressure listed on sidewalls and yes the manufacturer knows it ll be higher than the listed pressure after driving. Don t be surprised to see up to 10-12 psi higher than you saw when they were cold.
 
 Overloading the gross weight loading of the tires. We ve found several trailers with single side hot tires and found out the trailer while under the gross axle weight had a very bad imbalance from side to side.
 
 Excessive braking, you just came off that 14 mile hill and you had to brake a lot to keep the speed down. Causes heat to transfer fron the brake drums though the wheels to the tires and some heat directly generated from the extra flex caused by the tire/road contact changing due to braking.
 
 Dry bearings or overgreased bearings will both cause excess heat that can transfer to the tires.
 
 Just bad bearings even if properly greased will also generate heat.
 
 Bad alignment, as in a bent axle will cause heat due to the non normal road/tire contact.
 
 
 It s just plain hot out and the road surface is hot enough feel through your shoes.

[tlhdoc]

 whitestar505
My tires get hot but not that hot.  It sounds like there is a problem.  I hope you find it before your next trip.

[Diplomat]

 whitestar505
Like tim5055 I also check the heat of the tires and hubs when I stop for gas.  I am always careful to hold my hand AWAY from the hubs first, this way I can tell if they are unusually hot without burning my hand!  The brakes on the trailers we tow in the Marine Corps often overheat due to poor air supply and we check them regularily to catch problems before they become disasters.  I always check brake calipers by holding my hand near them first (I haven t learned the hard way, I watched others[].