How often do you check your wheel and hub temperature during a trip?

[3665RE]

Hello

When I started driving 18 wheel trucks we were taught to stop and check our load, truck and trailer at about 25 miles in the beginning of the trip.

Well yesterday I started home from a small consulting job I did about a 105-mile trip. I stopped at the first service plaza on the turnpike about 20 miles into the trip.

When I checked my wheel temperatures I found the driver side front trailer axel wheel to be almost so hot I couldn’t hold my finger on the inner portion of the wheel. I checked the hub thru the hole that you grease the Easy-Lube hubs thru. I found the hub to be not near as hot. This indicates a brake problem rather than a bearing problem. So I elected to continue the trip.



This portion of the wheel should only be warm.

I stopped again about 40 miles latter and found the wheel not to be near as hot.

When I got home I jacked that wheel up and found that the brake was dragging so bad I couldn’t rotate the wheel.

So I remove the wheel and the hub.



Here is what I found.

The pivot point had rusted so that the arm the magnet is on wouldn’t move easley. The brake shoes are almost worn out. These brakes have a little over 30,000 miles and are 3 years 8 months old.






I removed the brake shoes and lubricated the pivot point.

I ordered new shoes for this axel.

Now for the fellows that question the way to lubricate the Easy-Lube hubs. Here is a picture of the inside of the brake drum and hub. I have lubricated these hubs once a year since we got the trailer. I have performed the lubrication in accordance with Dexter’s instructions. You will notice there isn’t any grease on the inside of the brake drum.





3665RE

[sdennislee]

Thanks for all the good info.

I use an Ir temp gun to check mine at each stop. My TPMS (TST507) only provides ambient temp not actual tire temps

[jdpm]

Great info and pix. Thanks for sharing. I'm also glad to see that you have had good luck with the EZ Lubes. I still elect not to use them unitl I swith over to disc brakes.
I use a digital IR heat gun at least once per trip to check the temps from the tread to the hub. It is also good to see if there is any difference in each assembly. The side is nthe sun is always a bit warmer.
The IR gun is a great tool and can alert one to potential issues. Thanks again, Phillip

[Tony Lee]

Fastest and cheapest - and most accurate - way to check is to just use your hand. Quick walk around feeling tyre and hub will give you a good feel for the relative warmth of all tyres and hubs and as long as you make allowance for significantly higher temperature on the sunny side, will alert you to a problem well before it becomes an issue.

I do it every time we stop for a coffee or meal break. Good way to force yourself to get at least a tiny bit of exercise.

[sdennislee]

Originally Posted by Tony Lee

Fastest and cheapest - and most accurate - way to check is to just use your hand. Quick walk around feeling tyre and hub will give you a good feel for the relative warmth of all tyres and hubs and as long as you make allowance for significantly higher temperature on the sunny side, will alert you to a problem well before it becomes an issue.

I do it every time we stop for a coffee or meal break. Good way to force yourself to get at least a tiny bit of exercise.

I would agree this is the cheapest method and one I used for years before purchasing an Ir temp gun. I have to disagree with it being the most accurate though. Temp gun is calibrated to be accurate.

[Arch Hoagland]

I use an IR gun every time I stop. I check all tires on the coach and the toad.

I also look for problems during that walk around.

I also check the temperature of my differential.

[Scout1947]

I use a Raytheon IR temp gun, $150 ish. Feeling the hubs doesn't work if you have the metal hub cover caps.
At each stop every 3 hrs or so I shoot under the trailer at the back of the drum on the other side. High temps are one thing but I also look for big spikes in one wheel. Also the wheels on the sunnyside of the trailer will be warmer than the other side. 80 ish on the cool side, 100 maybe on the sunnyside.

[Dog Folks]

I check the temps every time we stop. (about 1.5 hours) I also check the hitch and do a walk around the rig. My truck driver dad taught me.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Scout1947

I use a Raytheon IR temp gun, $150 ish.

That must be a Rolls Royce of infrared temp guns. Go to amazon.com and serach on infrared temp and you'll see some economy cars for less than $20, several Fords and Chevys for under $50, and some Lincolns and Caddys for under $100. I ordered this one for $38.51:
Raytek MT4 Laser Non-Contact Thermometer : Amazon.com : Automotive

[tomwalt]

I too use the Raytek IR gun at every stop. I think it's just a good habbit to get into - might even cancel out one of my many bad habbits.

[Tony Lee]

Probably the most compelling reason for using such a primitive method as an ungloved hand is to avoid looking like an RV driver who was given a new toy for christmas.

;-)))

But to get back to serious. Those using an IR gun - What temperatures of tyres and hubs are high enough to get concerned, and what information sources did you rely on to use those particular temperatures??

[Scout1947]

Originally Posted by Tony Lee

Probably the most compelling reason for using such a primitive method as an ungloved hand is to avoid looking like an RV driver who was given a new toy for christmas.

;-)))

But to get back to serious. Those using an IR gun - What temperatures of tyres and hubs are high enough to get concerned, and what information sources did you rely on to use those particular temperatures??

You are incorrect, the reason I use the laser is so I don't get 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my fingetips which will ruin my day.

Re the ireverent coment about looking like an RV driver given a new toy for Xmas...A guy with an F350 brought his trailer into Radium BC with his left front brake smoking after going down a long 8% grade. I got my new RV Driver toy out and shot his front wheels, one was 200 ish f and the other was 375 ish. It made a believer out of him

Re someone elses question about what temp would cause concern, I would talk to some brake people. I suppose smoking brakes at 375 f would be a good start.
The IR gun is more accurate than a blistered finger.
Mine is Yellow purchased from Acklands Grainger in Calgary a couple of years ago. Made in the USA, where was yours made?
Possible problems would be glazed shoes or pads, cracked drums, brake fade. Unfortunately I have experienced some of these, hence the switch to an HDT.

[Libero]

Right on re burnt hands/fingers. I got quite a blister from touching an extremely hot hub once. It was like touching a stove and I was a quick learner with a bad burn.

I have TPMS sensors on all wheels, (including my toad now after I had a front tire blow off) and while they have a temperature component, I doubt they would alert me to a brake or bearing problem. (maybe but just not certain of that) I have only received low pressure alerts with the TPMS.

Trains have heat sensors for wheels, and there are other stick on sensors that can be put on hubs to indicate if an over heat condition has occured but I have not seen any road vehicle that has built-in sensors for wheels and axels. (Have not been exposed to truck technology so perhaps it exists.), But this should be standard and connected to the vehicle computer and it would seem like a simple thing to do. Two of my cars have built-in TPMS, but they just report pressure issues. Not heat I think.

Wondered if any RVers have heat sensors that alert a driver while rolling.

By the way the IR heat sensor is a valuable tool. I suggest every RVer get one. MUCH better than using the finger IMHO. I also used it in my S&B to find areas where I needed better wall insulation.

[wincrasher]

At first blush, it seems to me that 30k miles on a set of trailer brakes is way too many, especially if contains mountainous driving. What would a "normal" interval for checking or replacing the shoes.

As far as the rust goes, do you think that is primarily from salty roads , or from sitting around for long periods?