Troubleshooting Trailer Hub That Gets Hotter Than Other Hubs and Adjustment is Good

Question:

I did just that after I emailed my question. It all looked real good. Turns out that brake adjustment needed to be backed out more. It was grabbing much harder then the rest of them. I was able to compare how hard it was braking compared to the other wheels and adjusted accordingly. I will always keep my trusty temperature shooter to check wheel temps for grins???? Thanks for the great service!!

asked by: Mike

Helpful Expert Reply:

It's possible the castle nut that holds the hub to the spindle is too tight which is creating too much friction as the wheel turns, or it's also possible that the hub doesn't have enough grease in it. The castle nut on the hub is only supposed to be tight enough that it holds the hub onto the spindle and the cotter pin is what prevents it from backing off.

You might check to see how difficult it would be to remove that nut as it should turn pretty easily. If it's on there loose enough you'd then want to pull the hub to inspect the brake assemblies to make sure there is grease in the hub and also to inspect the bearings. I attached a video that covers how to inspect a trailer hub bearings as well for you to check out.

expert reply by: Jameson C