When the freight company brought the axle out, it was shipped bare. Absolutely no protection, not even a pallet. And grease all over the spindles! I'm totally surprised FedEx Freight would accept it.
Yes, there is some concern that a spindle could be bent, but I don't see any evidence yet.
Zep,
Check the spindle against the torsion arm with a machinist square; the spindle is a .004 press fit into the arm. Any deviation will show on the square.
The grease is to protect the spindle in shipment from moisture.
It takes a lot to bend a spindle (can happen) - perhaps your adjustment was just a little tight - causing the heat issue!
As far as the lack of protection - I am a little surprised!
As I've remarked in another thread, it turned out be both a bearing problem and a brake problem. Once I got the bearings adjusted with just the right amount of play, I finally took the offending wheel and drum off and looked at the brake. No visual problem but I could see some shiney area on one of the shoes.
Now, recall that I couldn't feel any brake drag at all--when spun by hand the wheel came to a slow and uniform stop, about three full revolutions. That seemed loose enough to me. But I backed that sucker off about 4 more clicks on the adjuster and, bingo, no further heat. The next 4200 miles were a dream.
Thanks for all the input. Without you folks I never would have adjusted the bearings to provide the required amount of play.
you know zep ,I was thinking about your drum dilemma and I think you should check the drums at a machine shop on their brake drum lathe ,have them spin the drum chucked in place and see if it is out of round ,a real possibility .you
have to keep backing the shoes off and that doesn't seem to be right as its
alot of loose adjustment .Wouldn't hurt to confirm this and it would not be the first time a brake drum wasn't true .
I don't know why I didn't think of this. The brake is backed off way more than I ever would a set of automobile shoes. It could explain a lot. I'll do this for sure, but it will be a couple of weeks before I get to it. Thanks.
I don't know why I didn't think of this. The brake is backed off way more than I ever would a set of automobile shoes. It could explain a lot. I'll do this for sure, but it will be a couple of weeks before I get to it. Thanks.
Didn't you say the axle was just shipped "bare", with no pallet or crating at all? It is very possible the axle got some rough handling, and one of the drums got D.I.T. (damaged in transit). A trip through your favorite brake shop's lathe room will straighten the problem out, if there is one.
Yes, but it had no drums or brake plates on it for the second trip (removed them when I shipped the axle back to be "repaired"--brought up to a higher suspension rating).
It did come on a pallet the first time, but the drums stuck out well past the pallet.
I don't know why I didn't think of this. The brake is backed off way more than I ever would a set of automobile shoes. It could explain a lot. I'll do this for sure, but it will be a couple of weeks before I get to it. Thanks.
Adjustin trailer electric brakes, cannot be compared to car or light truck brake adjustments.
The following is a good way, even for the DIY to properly adjust the electric brakes.
1. The key is how to turn the tire assembly. As you tighten the star adjuster, "turn the tire assembly by holding the tire with A THUMB AND ONE FINGER ONLY". Then continue to tighten the adjuster until you cannot pull the tire through.
2. Then back off the adjuster 5 to 6 notches. Turn the tire again. If you hear a scraping noise from the shoes, that changes as you pull the tire assembly through, then most likely the drum is "out of round".
3. Each notch represents about 1000 miles of wear.
4. In some cases, you can back off the adjuster 1 or 2 more notches, but that change must be done on all the wheels.
5. Contrary to opinion, RV brake drums can and do become out of round, especially for those owners who may travel in the mountains.
5. With today's "unicast" hub and drums, they are very unlikely to be out of round when new, unless they have been hit or dropped. In that case, a machine shop can easily true them back to being round.
6. Electric brakes should be adjusted every 5000 miles. A "major" brake should be done, every 10,000 miles or once a year, which ever comes first.
Just a comment that may help someone replacing their axle and removing everything down to a bare axle. DIY folks sometimes find out the hard way that brake assemblies are designed for left and right operation. When you have removed the entire assembly (drums and backing plates w/brake shoes) it is very easy to get them switched and remounted backwards. Dexter brake assemblies have L & R stamped in the backing plate to ensure proper installation. If you cannot find any markings, remember that what is referred to as the "short" shoe always faces to the front.
__________________ Travelers by aluminum roadships, loyalists to one species, masters of convenience, herdsmen steeped in maintenance and restoration.
Just a comment that may help someone replacing their axle and removing everything down to a bare axle. DIY folks sometimes find out the hard way that brake assemblies are designed for left and right operation. When you have removed the entire assembly (drums and backing plates w/brake shoes) it is very easy to get them switched and remounted backwards. Dexter brake assemblies have L & R stamped in the backing plate to ensure proper installation. If you cannot find any markings, remember that what is referred to as the "short" shoe always faces to the front.
Some backing plates (brake assemblys) do not have any markings.
The way to determine left from right, is that the "magnet arm", must always be facing the front of the trailer.
Some backing plates (brake assemblys) do not have any markings.
The way to determine left from right, is that the "magnet arm", must always be facing the front of the trailer.
Andy
Good point. When comparing different assemblies it would be easier to remember that the lever arm should be in front of the hub or axle.
Thanks for reminding me.
__________________ Travelers by aluminum roadships, loyalists to one species, masters of convenience, herdsmen steeped in maintenance and restoration.
Quick Links
Linear Mode
