axles,bearings,brakes,ect.

w$r az style · Soul Rider Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 384 City: Arizona

when we were driving from scottsdale to apache lake here in arizona, it is about a 2 and a half maybe a little more hour drive. we had some trailer problems. we stoped and looked at the bearing buddies and the covers were literaly blown off. so did all the grease and the caps. We called the dealer and aked them about it and they thought we had ridden the brakes to hard and heated it up so bad every thing actully blew off!it was on both sides of the front axle and thats the one with the brakes. i have never seen or heard of anything like this until it happend to us. anyone eles heard off this?

Geoff Standish · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 843 City: Calgary

What kind of trailor do you have...if it is surge brakes, how could you possibly ride them? It only brakes when there is a slowing force in the vehicle towing it.

w$r az style · Soul Rider Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 384 City: Arizona

ya it is surge brakes but it was a curvy and sort of steep down hill road. but we were no the brakes alot for a long period of time.and at the end there is a stee ong hill down to the lake entrence. but thats just what the dealer said. we dont realy know what went wrong.

jrichard · Posted: May 26, 2003 2:56 pm Post subject:

Never heard of that. You can call UFP (I've found the tech support very good on the two occasions I've called) and ask them.

I have experienced Bearing Buddies coming off if the bearings are not tight enough. The wheel will set up a minor wobble that will vibrate them off the hub. I would check this, especially if you've had your bearings serviced recently.

BillJ · Posted: May 26, 2003 3:01 pm Post subject:

Mine did the same thing last year and it was caused by excess heat from the brakes sticking. Took me a while to figure it out, but finally UFP replaced the defective part under warranty and now everything is good.

When going downhill pulling a trailer with surge brakes, don't downshift or the brakes will be engaged the whole time. You need to leave it in drive and then pump the brakes. Also, make sure that you allow them to cool down before launching the boat.

w$r az style · Soul Rider Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 384 City: Arizona

thanx

squirrell · Outlaw Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 118 City: Pennsylvania

Yep, happened to me last year. Wheel fell off and had to get it towed. Pew, that sucks. I hate trailers

Offdapeggs · Criminal Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Posts: 54 City: Tulsa, Ok

You know this is one of those posts I am glad i read.

X-Star · Soul Rider Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Posts: 253

Would it be a bad idea to disengage the trailer breaks with either a turned around harness with the head lights turned on or one of those adaptors that goes over the tounge of the boat to keep the tounge from sliding into the trailer and engaging the breakes? That way you could down shift your vehicle and use only the vehicles breaks and the trailer breakes would be disengaged.

OttoNP · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 848 City: MI

I think that would be a bad idea. When going down a steep hill in anything, regardless of pulling a trailer, it is better to brake intermittantly than constantly.

Nick
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Uggs

X-Star · Soul Rider Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Posts: 253

If you were to downshift, say into 2nd gear, you wouldn't have to break that often. You could criuze down slow and break occasionaly without worrying about the trailer breaks. Right?? Just a thought if people are having problems with the trailer breaks going out on them.

And w$r az style, do you have drum or disc breaks on the trailer.

Do you guys think one would matter more than the other and why?

w$r az style · Soul Rider Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 384 City: Arizona

i have disc brakes on mine. and if you down shift that will engage you trailer brakes the whole time.cuz and slowing force puts the trailer brakes on so if you ride down in a hill in stay in 1st or 2nd the will heat up worse and be on the whole time

OttoNP · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 848 City: MI

X-Star,

Well, if you could disable your trailer brakes and get enough braking from your engine to slow down both you trailer and your car/truck then maybe. But, if you disable your trailer brakes your car/truck will have to do all the braking, either by downshifting or by braking itself. Since most people have automatic transmission, you don't get as much by downshifting and your engine with be revving higher if you do. Also, you can overheat your car/truck brakes leading to their failure, if that happens your screwed.

disk brakes are better

The physics of it are simple, you need to get rid of the change in potential energy. The energy is lost through the heat in your brakes or your engine. You want to spread the engery loss out as much as you can so that no single component is overstressed.

Nick
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Body Science