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rvexodus's avatar
rvexodus
Explorer
Sep 09, 2018

Fifth Wheel - Tire Drag

Need some help here. We pulled into a state park yesterday and as we headed to our spot a tire blew. Turns out the tire was dragging (not spinning) until it blew the tire.This is a triple axel @ around 20k lbs. We didn’t notice any real drag or hear anything until the tire blew. Looks like it started dragging at the park enterence. After we realized it blew and wasn’t spinning we babied it into our spot leaving a very long skid mark along the way. As we pulled into our pull through spot, we backed up slightly which allowed for some reason the tire to spin again.

I’ll pull the tire and inspect the breaks and bearings in the next day or two. However, I’m not a wheel, break, bearing, axel expert. What could cause the wheel to suddenly start dragging? I’m worried that everything checks out and looks good with no explanation why it happened. It would be helpful before I rip it apart to get some insights so I know what to look for. Anyone else experience this? Any suggestions what to look for?

Thanks folks!!!
Seeking Advice
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Sep 09, 2018
    Brake locked up is my first guess. Pull the hub and look. I would guess something to do with the brakes broke. If the hub was not extremely hot then its likely not a bearing issue.
  • rvexodus's avatar
    rvexodus
    Explorer
    Sep 09, 2018
    donn0128 wrote:
    Brake locked up is my first guess. Pull the hub and look. I would guess something to do with the brakes broke. If the hub was not extremely hot then its likely not a bearing issue.


    That was my first guess. And yes, I didn’t notice any acessive heat or sounds from the hub. If it is a break issue, is there a way to prevent this? Is there any way to tell the breaks were the cause?
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Sep 09, 2018
    Like I mentioned. Take it apart and look. Possibly a brake shoe let go or a broken spring or any number of other parts. I would bet it will become obvious as soon as you pull the hub. In a pinch if it is damaged, take all the parts off and limp home with 5 brakes instesd of six. New brake assemblies are pretty cheap so dont fret too much.
  • NMDriver2's avatar
    NMDriver2
    Explorer
    Sep 09, 2018
    Did you check the break away cable? All the other wheels may not be as tightly adjusted as the one that blew so they kept turning. Check brake adjustment on all wheels.
  • rvexodus's avatar
    rvexodus
    Explorer
    Sep 09, 2018
    NMDriver2 wrote:
    Did you check the break away cable? All the other wheels may not be as tightly adjusted as the one that blew so they kept turning. Check brake adjustment on all wheels.


    I did check the break away. It wasn’t pulled and didn’t look hung up on anything when I unhooked. However. We did have some “stuff” securely around the hitch which in theory could have grabbed the cable. When we unhitched, it wasn’t hung up on anything.
  • BB_TX's avatar
    BB_TX
    Nomad
    Sep 09, 2018
    If you are going to be there a few days you might call a mobile RV repair service.
  • rvexodus's avatar
    rvexodus
    Explorer
    Sep 09, 2018
    BB_TX wrote:
    If you are going to be there a few days you might call a mobile RV repair service.


    Yah we are here two weeks and will likely stay 2 more. The wife is hosting a couple back to back conferences nearby. I did find a mobile service on yelp that looked reputable. I may go that route and just be a back seater. I’ve redone hubs, breaks and bearings before. But might defer to some one that has a little more experience.
  • azrving's avatar
    azrving
    Explorer
    Sep 09, 2018
    A lot of people use talk to texting so things happen. I've corrected mistakes only to see it messed up again after I post it.


    There's some reason for it and it's not fixing itself. Get the tire off the ground and see if it's loose bearings. Rotate it back and forth. It could have brake parts mangled and clunking around in there.

    You can buy a whole backing plate brake assembly for $50 to $100. If the bearings are trashed hope that they didn't tear up the axle stub. That would be the worst case and complete axle assemblies are available for surprisingly low prices.
  • rvexodus's avatar
    rvexodus
    Explorer
    Sep 09, 2018
    azrving wrote:
    A lot of people use talk to texting so things happen. I've corrected mistakes only to see it messed up again after I post it.


    There's some reason for it and it's not fixing itself. Get the tire off the ground and see if it's loose bearings. Rotate it back and forth. It could have brake parts mangled and clunking around in there.

    You can buy a whole backing plate brake assembly for $50 to $100. If the bearings are trashed hope that they didn't tear up the axle stub. That would be the worst case and complete axle assemblies are available for surprisingly low prices.


    Thanks for the feedback and support. Will get the tire off later today or tomorrow and report back. Thanks again.

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