What Causes Trailer Brakes To Get Hot With No Brake Wire Attached

Question:

We have disconnected the electric brake wires to all 4 wheels on our caravan but when towing the breaks originally 1 and now on 3 wheels are engaging and getting very hot. How can this happen without power? When on a jack the wheel spins freely. It seems to happen after reaching speed. We have recently underslung the straight axles, at which time we did not dismantle any brakes, replaced the dc/dc charger, put in a new battery for controller and replaced the breakaway switch. Any feedback would be appreciated.

asked by: Col

Expert Reply:

The issue you are having with your trailer's brakes is more than likely a mechanical error rather than an electrical one. I don't have an exact culprit for this but I recommend that you remove the hubs on all four spindles and inspect the mechanical components of the braking assemblies. If anything looks out of place then it will be best to just replace the entire assembly. The most common replacement we have for tandem axle trailers is the Electric Trailer Brake Kit part # AKEBRK-7-SA. I would also make sure the adjustment is correct for each of the assemblies.

If everything looks okay with the braking assemblies then there could be a bearing issue which would make more sense if the issue only occurs at speed. I recommend you look for discoloration on the spindle as this is a sign of bearing failure. That said, it would be a good idea to re-grease your bearings while you have the hubs off so that is what I recommend next.

expert reply by: Conner L