Hot brakes

[mobilemike]

Towing down a windy mountain road with any decent grade and the brakes will get hot and smell hot. Smelling hot and smelling burning brake lining material are two different things. Brake linings smell like clutch material when the clutch is slipping. It is a specific stink. Generally when you are burning the brake material you will get smoke.

If you tow in heavy mountain areas you will need to service and replace your brakes much more often. Even when they are working properly.

Use the transmission by shifting into a lower gear and if you have an engine brake use that too.

[1st-tt2018]

Originally Posted by mobilemike

Towing down a windy mountain road with any decent grade and the brakes will get hot and smell hot. Smelling hot and smelling burning brake lining material are two different things. Brake linings smell like clutch material when the clutch is slipping. It is a specific stink. Generally when you are burning the brake material you will get smoke.

If you tow in heavy mountain areas you will need to service and replace your brakes much more often. Even when they are working properly.

Use the transmission by shifting into a lower gear and if you have an engine brake use that too.

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[touringmn]

I am using the Elec over Hydraulic. I had chosen that as a result of some other thread here on IRV2

[twinboat]

Have the confirm that you have a disk brake, master cylinder unit.

Drum brakes require a check valve to hold a bit on back pressure in the cylinders. Disk brakes don't use that and can drag if installed.

[MtnTrek]

Originally Posted by mobilemike

Towing down a windy mountain road with any decent grade and the brakes will get hot and smell hot. Smelling hot and smelling burning brake lining material are two different things. Brake linings smell like clutch material when the clutch is slipping. It is a specific stink. Generally when you are burning the brake material you will get smoke.

If you tow in heavy mountain areas you will need to service and replace your brakes much more often. Even when they are working properly.

Use the transmission by shifting into a lower gear and if you have an engine brake use that too.

Originally Posted by davis2

Try backing it down and then drive stopping occasionally to check with an IR thermometer.

As others have noted, When you're using all the engine braking you can and it's not enough, brakes can get too hot. Simple physics. Thus loosing effectiveness. Time to find a turn-out and let them cool. I've witnessed rotors cherry red hot before over the yrs.

Remember the higher the engine RPM the more engine braking power that is being applied. Short of red-line it can sound a tad un-nerving but effective. If the engine screamed getting you up there, It'll scream getting you back down. (near same RPM same gearing)

The IR thermometer is a handy tool. During extended braking you "should" see similar temps on all rotor hubs. If the trailer or the TV appear significantly hotter you may need to tweak the controller setting or other adjustments.
FWIW: You didn't mention which brakes you thought might be getting hotter??
Most trailers with EoH brakes can stand to be inspected, re-bled especially if still factory stock.