Troubleshooting Overheating Hubs on a Trailer With New Bearings and Grease

Question

Question:

My 8inch hub runs quite hot even with new bearings Timkin and fresh grease. After about 15 miles at 60 mph, I am not able to hold on to the hub... its too hot. The nut is not that tight... just tight enough to have no slop. How hot do these 8inch wheels get? My trailer is empty so its not a weight issue. Any ideas?

asked by: Tim

0

Expert Reply:

Hubs will heat up when driving, but if it feels like they are getting too hot, then you will want to look at a few things on your hub. My guess is that the spindle nut is too tight and the added stress on the bearings is overheating the bearings and hub and could be causing damage to the bearings.

When you install the castle nut you will want to tighten the spindle nut while turning the hub. When there is a slight bind on the bearing, the parts are seated correctly. Back the nut off up to 1/4 turn to allow .001 inch to .007 inch end play for the bearings.

Failure to back off the adjusting nut could cause the bearings to run hot and be damaged.

Once you have backed off the spindle nut you will want to bend the cotter pin or tang on the washer to prevent the nut from backing off. I have attached a video of our technician installing a hub on a trailer and how the spindle nut should be tightened to prevent over heating. You can skip to the 1 minute and 45 second mark to see the hub installation.

expert reply by: John H

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Andres G.

5/28/2020

I change out my wheel bearing on my trailer last week drove about 5 miles but still think it's still getting hot

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Chris R.

6/1/2020

Have you tried backing off the spindle nut or just making sure it isn't too tight? How hot is the hub getting?

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Joey L.

7/22/2020

Hi can I wire 5th wheel brakes to bust bar to work together. Instead of them individual. Wire them to come on at same time instead of one getting power first let them come at same time and work together. Thanks

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Chris R.

7/28/2020

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this. How do you currently have the brake assemblies wired?

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Joey L.

7/28/2020

They are factory wired. I was thinking I could wire them were they would come on at same time using a terminable board or something else where they would Get the same power at the same time.

Reply

Jon G.

8/5/2020

Any delay between the individual brakes being applied will be extremely minimal. The way that your current brakes are wired is standard and you shouldn't be experiencing any noticeable delay. If you are then you're going to want to check your wiring for any places where it is damaged.

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Answer 1

So long as a hub uses the correct bearings that match the dimensions of the spindle that is on the axle there is no worry about using two different brands of products, such as a Dexter hub on a Lippert axle. That in itself is not a concern. When a…

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Answer 2

Yes, the temperatures you mentioned are normal. If you were getting over 200 degrees that would be a bad sign. But typically if all of the hubs are the same temperature you're good and it's only really an issue if one of the hubs is hotter…

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Answer 3

Jumping from 12 inch wheels to 14 inch wheels is a large jump. You'd me moving from a diameter of 20.5 inches to about 26.3 inches. If you have the room, that will work but you do need to have about 4 inches above your tire for proper suspension…

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Answer 4

The best solution as you alluded to is to bypass the factory "Smart Tow" trailer package which is what is responsible for only sending power to the 12 volt pin when the vehicle is in gear. This is actually pretty easy to do and we have a…

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Answer 5

If you can read me the serial number on the axle I can then call the manufacturer, Dexter, and find out the weight capacity but if not you can measure the diameter and use the chart below to determine axle capacity. The "P16" is the plant…

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Answer 6

The Dexter Trailer Axle Beam with E-Z Lube Spindles - 95" Long - 3,500 lbs item #7359765 you were looking at is going to be the closest option. The capacity and hub face dimensions are all the same but you are going to need to move the spring…

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Answer 7

Thanks for the information! Based on the information you provided my contact at Dexter was able to confirm that you have a 3500lb axle with a 94.5" hub face to hub face measurement and an 81" spring center to spring center measurement. For…

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Answer 8

There can be a few different causes for excess heat on a trailer hub assembly. The first thing I would do is to ensure the bearings are installed correctly with the proper amount of lubrication. The next thing you will want to check is that the…

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Answer 9

Hello Matthew, It would be nice if they could just stick with the basics like 2k, 3,500K, 5,200K and so on. Dexter Nev-R-Adjust Electric Trailer Brakes - 10" - Left/Right Hand Assemblies - 4.4K #K23-478-479 are the right brakes for your…

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Answer 10

There are a few things that could cause one side of your brakes to drag after adjusting. This could be either a broken spring, faulty adjuster screw, or possibly a pinched wire on that side but you would hear the magnets buzzing if this was the case.…

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Answer 11

Yes, the Curt Echo Mobile brake controller #C51180 is compatible with electric over hydraulic brake actuators like the HydraStar part #HBA16-252-82 you referenced so these two would work great together. The Hydrastar actuators are the most reliable…

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Answer 12

We do have a hub that uses part #L44610 for both the inner and outer race. The hub we offer is designed for 2,000 and 2,200 lb axles and will work with wheels that range from 8 to 12 inch diameter. This part number is #8-259-50. The bolt pattern for…

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