Trailer hub temp question

Ozlander wrote:

maxwell11 wrote:

hubs have those pop off covers with grease buddies, where grease zerk in right at the end of the hub, I normally give them 3 shots of grease, two or three times per season.??????

I think that is too much grease. Where's the extra grease going to go? Going to mess up the brakes.
Maybe 3 shots a year. I don't grease mine but maybe every five years.
How often do you grease the hubs on your TV.

The extra grease comes out of the front of the hub. You pump grease into the zerk which is in the center of the hub. It goes through the bearings and returns to the outer part of the hub. When you see grease coming out around where you are pumping it in, you know that's enough.

Make sure your checking your truck also. I had a front brake start to seize on my F350 and wouldn't have noticed it until full lock up if I hadn't checked them with the trailer. Was able to drop the trailer and got the truck home for repairs and was back on the road by mid afternoon.

If it is too hot to touch it is too hot to leave. Oh sorry that was from Smoky the Bear but does apply to the trailer hubs.

As for not needing to touch the hubs as you do not do that to the truck hubs.

When was the last time you saw a truck or car on the side of the road with a bad bearing?

Now when was the last time you saw a trailer on the side of the road with a bad bearing?

I see trailers almost every spring. Can't say I have ever seen a car or truck.

I also check all tires including the truck at each rest or fuel stop with the good old hand.

Consistent temperatures on each axle is the key. I have found the sun has very little effect (side to side) as there is a 65 mph wind cooling everything.

Using the brakes will add temp. Any of the tires or hubs too hot to touch, would indicate a problem imo.

Hi.

You may want to look on line. Each mfr. will establish a range for there bearings.

The bearing on the sunny side may run warmer than the shadow side.

But a range of 120 to 160 should be OK. Anything over 180 or a spike in temp. is the start of trouble.

Remember to re-grease every two years or any time you feel maybe its time. Its better to service bearings, than sit along side the road because bearing failure.

have a good time!

Thanks all for your tips,

maybe I do use the temp gun too much,

I will just take my next trip as a guide and set some standard temps.

thanks for your inputs.

If you have an IR temp gun and are going to use it then use it on your tires. Tires have heat ratings. Contact the tire dealer or tire manufacturer and find out what the heat rating is in degrees and then check your tires to see if they exceed the heat rating. If you have an IR temp gun and you dont know what temp you are looking for then it is a waste of money and time.

I too use the touch test. On a thousand-mile road trip, the hubs were barely warm. On our closer-to-home trips, I'll just touch when we get to our destination just to make sure everything is still in order.

I think the infrared gun is a great device. The best advice is to develop your own data for what is normal for your trailer as the temperature will depend on how much load the bearings are carrying, the ambient temperature, brake use, speed, how much crown the road has and even if its sunny or cloudy. If one bearing runs hotter than the others consistently or it suddenly jumps in temperature it may have a problem. It's best to inspect and service it then rather than waiting for that grinding noise that may cost you a set of races or even an axle. It's even good to check the tow vehicle occasionally too! I keep the heat gun in the door pocket where it's handy.

As stated by many....keep it simple, use your hand, feel for consistency. Remember, the sunny side will be a little warmer. Feel the tires and the hubs.

Again, keep it simple. RV'ing is suppose to be relaxing.