Iowa Cowgirl
Iowa
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Okay, so it's not a traditional camper.. it's a gooseneck horse trailer. Today the brakes seized up on it so I unplugged the controller. The brakes unlocked but I still stopped a couple times on the way home from my trail ride to check and make sure there wasn't an issue. Well, the tires on the back axle were hot, like really hot. Is this unusual? I'm not sure because on a normal day, I'm not paranoid about my wheels/tires and don't stop along the way to check things out. Thank you.
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Francesca Knowles
Port Hadlock, Washington
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You say "rear tires", which gives me to understand that you've got duals, and that the rear pair was noticeably hotter than the front pair- is that right?
I think there shouldn't be any difference if all's well...
Hot tires can be a sign of bad wheel bearings. Another possible cause in your case: since you were having brake trouble, it could be a sign that the brakes were still at least partly "deployed" even after you unplugged the controller. (That's assuming of course that the hot tires are on the braked axles).
" Not every mind that wanders is lost. " With apologies to J.R.R. Tolkien
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Turtle n Peeps
California
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Depending on pavement temp tires can get very hot. On a racing situation I can't put my hands on a tire without get burned. But this is on a race car at high speed and not a trailer going in a straight line.
I would say on a normal temp day a trailer tires should be just warm to the touch and not REALLY hot. You need to have things checked out. Brakes, bearings everything.
~ Too many freaks & not enough circuses ~
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Iowa Cowgirl
Iowa
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Hubby just put new bearings in.
The trailer I bought was used and has two axles, pretty standard on horse trailers. Hubby checked them and said brake shoes are good.
Would the tires get hot if they are beginning to dry rot? The trailer sat for a while before I bought it.
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Francesca Knowles
Port Hadlock, Washington
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Tires shouldn't heat up more if they're "old", though you should certainly ascertain if they've aged beyond their useful life. High speeds will cause heating, but it should affect them all the same.
The difference in the temps of the tires on the different axles is important. Are all four tires matched? If they're all the same type and the rears are heating up more than the fronts, the problem is likely with the wheels.
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MudChucker
Niverville Manitoba
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If I had to guess and with the understanding that the bearings are good, the brake shoes are dragging on the drum.
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2007 GMC Sierra 2500HD SLT 6.0
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mguay
Northern NH
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MudChucker wrote:If I had to guess and with the understanding that the bearings are good, the brake shoes are dragging on the drum.
Or the bearings are not torqued properly on the "HOT" axle...
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RVUSA
Orlando, FL, USA
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Check and make sure the tires have max air pressure in them, look on the sidewall for it. And make sure the weight is evenly distributed between the front and rear axles.
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Iowa Cowgirl
Iowa
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Thanks bunches! I will pass on the information to hubby who will be taking all the wheels off it today.
I have a big horse camping trip coming up on Thursday, over 3 hrs away from home and want to be sure my trailer is safe for hauling.
The trailer tires are all the same. They have plenty of tread with little wear. My only concern is with how long the trailer may have been sitting. I'll have to ask the gal I bought it from. It was her grandfather's, who passed away (hopefully not in the trailer).
Another question: Do you think the wheel bearings would be too loose or too tight? Tires spin freely when trailer is jacked up, so there's no drag on the tire. The rim does not heat up, just the rubber on the tire. The hub is not hot.
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Turtle n Peeps
California
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Iowa Cowgirl wrote:Hubby just put new bearings in.
The trailer I bought was used and has two axles, pretty standard on horse trailers. Hubby checked them and said brake shoes are good.
Would the tires get hot if they are beginning to dry rot? The trailer sat for a while before I bought it.
That is a clue if work has just been done on the axel. I would go there first. Everything needs to be checked out on that axel; brakes, bearings, everything. Something is not right.
The old tires have nothing to do with the problem.
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