Trailer front wheels warmer, WDH the cause?

horton333 wrote:

jmtandem wrote:

It's not the WDH system. Either the front end is in a downward attitude or there is bearing/brake maint. issues.

X 2

x3

And what controls the "downward attitude"? The WDH system of course....

Tightening the hitch by taking up 2 extra links like he did sends hitch weight forward to the truck front axle and rearward to the trailer axles.

If the trailer is level now, that would indicate that it was pitched down in the front before. A nose-down trailer will put more weight on the forward tandem axle and cause the forward wheels on that axle to run hotter. Tightening up the hitch like you did to level the trailer should have taken weight OFF that forward trailer axle, you are seeing the opposite effect.

I would suggest checking the equalizer links between the axles. They can freeze up over time with rust and not pivot as they should to allow the trailer's weight to load each axle properly. This happened to me and the fix is to either take them off and clean/re-grease or replace them. The cheap plastic bushings used in the suspension also wear fast and cause issues.

Unless the equalizers are free to rotate they won't adjust to the new hitch setting and will cause the uneven axle loading you are seeing.

To check,jack up one side of the trailer at a time and remove both wheels on that side. With the trailer supported by the frame, jack up one of the axles and observe any movement in the equalizer, then repair/replace as necessary.

You can search the archives for several pic-heavy posts from myself, JBarca, and LAdams on trailer suspension maintenance and repair.