Warm Wheel Bearing / Hub on Front Axle

[mr_mbuna]

We purchased a Hi-Tech Marine all-aluminum tandem axle boat trailer last year for our Pursuit 2470. We have usually kept the boat on the trailer at the marina and not towed it any considerable distance. After the boat's first winter, there is a problem with the outboard hydraulic tilt system and we have to tow the boat to a nearby marine service center about fifteen miles away.

Tonight we towed the boat part of the way, about five miles. Both wheel bearings / hubs on the front axle are warm and both wheel bearings / hubs on the rear axle are cool. What does this mean? We try to keep the bearings well-greased and always rinse the trailer after pulling the boat out. Are the brakes rubbing? Is there too much weight on the front axle?

How do we fix this situation?

Thanks!

[thefishingfreak]

sounds like the brakes are doing there job.
warm, and too hot to touch. are two different things.

if it smells like stinky burning stuff? smokey? too hot to touch? wheel bearing grease leaking out? the brakes are probably draggin.not good.
just like the brakes in any car, they will get warm.

and don't throw the boat in as soon as you get to the ramp. hot brakes, will boil the water off and leave all the minerals behind. let the trailer cool, before the plunge.

[trouty]

Probably, it's a overriding break system, the car slows and a plunger is activated on the trailer to acyuate the breaks.

Your trailer likely has disc brakes only on the front axle.

Because it's not towed normally, the discs get scale and rust build up on them.

When you do then tow - the discs "rub" on the disc brake pads, due to the built up scale & rust and the friction causes heat.

No doubt as you towed further, and breaked a few times both the disc pads would have worn away a little and the discs themselves cleane dup a little with each time you stopped.

Most likely - it's just a case of under use of the trailer.

That said - worse things can happen, like the break caliper has a plunger in it which CAN get frozen in the fully break applied position with a build up of rust and scale in the cylinder wall behind the plunger again thru no use and the effects of water.

In this case - the break pads can't 'release' from the disc, because the plunger in the cylinder can't retract due t the scale & rust built up behind it. In this situation - the pads will continue to rub, and the discs get hotter and hotter. In turn the calipers will get hotter - the fliud in the cylinder will expand some placing even greater breaking pressure to the pads and disc and creating even more heat - and you'll be in strife with a meltdown / trailer fire etc which can ead to a boat fire (and tow car fire if you can't disconnect quickly enough).

So - if the hubs are just 'warm' then no biggee, but oif they are HOT to the touch, i.e. you can't keep your hand on them - then you do have a problem.

Yes it might be a bearing but it could just as easy be brakes.

Cheers and good luck.

[Mumblerone]

Not a problem.* I assume that the warm ones are on the axle with brakes.* Have fun.*

[mr_mbuna]

It would appear that you sirs are correct!

Pretty sad that we've never towed it far enough to actually experience this, though.

[colliwh]

You may not have towed far before, but you knew the wisdom of checking the hub temperature........some folks do that only after they notice the wheel is wobbling Always better to check and prevent a small problem from becoming MUCH bigger!

[KevinM]

I assume you have brakes on the front axle, if so warm to the touch is okay!