RE: Trailer Hot Wheels

[ecbrady]

 
I have a 97 Jayco Jay 1207 with a dexter axle and have been having some minor issues with the wheels getting hot.  I brought it in for service and one of the springs had broken.  Both springs were replaced, the bearings were repacked and the surge brake was checked for any issues.  On my next camping trip, after driving 2 hours to get to campsite, the wheels were hot, and a little axle grease had come out.  My question is, is it normal for the wheels to get a little hot while driving?  The weather had been extremely hot the day I drove.  Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
 
 Thanks
 ecbrady

[mike4947]

 ecbrady
Actually if you have grease coming out you have a problem.
 If it was simply overgreasing (which will cause heat) they need to be " degreased" , the correct amount of grease applied and the seals replaced. It could also be overtightening of the castle nut that retains and preloads the bearings.
 In any case if the hubs are hot to the touch they need to be looked at, unless you ve done a significant amount of braking then the trailer brakes can heat up the hubs. But they shouldn t in any case get hot enough to leak grease.
 You ban see the right way here on the Dexter site: http://www.dexteraxle.com/

[6Quigs]

 ecbrady
When you say " the wheels were getting hot" , were you refering to the actual tires, or the hub/axel?
 and when you say hot, how hot ? Too hot to touch? or just hot enough to touch?
 If your tires are under inflated, they will overheat, and get hot.
 Whenever we stop, I always take a walk around the popup, and feel both the hub and tires for heat. They always get warm, but never too hot to touch, which would be a sign of something is wrong.
 Hope this helps[]

[ecbrady]

 ecbrady
Before I had them repacked, the wheel hub was too hot to touch.  Now they are hot, but not too hot to touch.  The grease leaked out only during the initial move after repacking.  I cleaned the wheel wells, drove the PU home and there was no grease on the wheels.  How much of an impact would weather conditions(ie 95 degrees and bright sunshine) have on wheel and tire temperature?
 
 Thanks again

[abbear]

 ecbrady
If all is within tolerance (correct tire pressure, bearings done properly,etc) a hot day shouldn t affect things too much.  We ran through 100 degree temps and hubs were still only warm.
 
 Its a good idea to do this each time you stop - takes no time and you can really tell if something is going wrong.
 
 Broken spring on a 97 Dexter axle?  Been there.  It is a known problem.  check out my earlier post on this subject.