Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

[jadssh]

Hello everyone, I just got my new boat with a new EZ Loader trailer for it. I ordered hydralic Disc brakes for it and it came with the oil filled hubs. I have had it out 4 times now and noticed that the hubs are a lot hotter after a trip to the boat ramp than my other trailer ever got. (My other trailer never had brakes on it). I checked the manual and it said that the disc brakes are self adjusting. They don't smoke or smell hot at all, they are just extremely hot to the touch. Does everone else that have these brakes experience the same thing? Just wanted to make sure it's normal or not. Thanks guy's/gal's for the help.

 

[ufm82]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

How hot is hot? Can you touch them and leave oyur hand on them? And when are you checking them? If you've just pulled off the road and the brakes have been activated they'll be much hotter than you older no-brake trailer hubs. I've had my brakes hiss a bit when dunking the trailer is I'm going right to the water after some hard braking. (Towing in Tennessee near Norris Lake is all hills- the brakes get pretty toasty.) Most of the time though if I am pulling off the highway for fuel or the like and I touch the hubs they are hot but not "burn your fingers" hot. How does the oil look? Clear? Darker than normal? Since it is new and you have no basis for comparison it can be tough to tell.
If they aren't dragging or being applied by improper pressure, it's normal for them to be hot.

UFM82

 

[rbh]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

There is a lot more friction using discs than shoes, this does make for better stopping though.
If you are seeing smoke and or you can burn your fingers on the rim or they constently lock up after a short straight run IE not alot of braking, you may wish to adjust the pre load/ram.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

Had those oil filled hubs on last trailer. great idea because it has sight glass on them, but they arent worth a darn. kept leaking-getting hot leaking water etc etc. Manufacture replaced everything with reg lub hubs.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

If they are not burn your fingers hot, then your now here close to being "hot". Normal operating temps on disc brakes can reach 700-800 degrees F.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

There is a lot more friction using discs than shoes, this does make for better stopping though.
If you are seeing smoke and or you can burn your fingers on the rim or they constently lock up after a short straight run IE not alot of braking, you may wish to adjust the pre load/ram.

The amount of friction applied by a surge brake system be it disc or drums is identical since the surge unit is self regulating. This is assuming normal traffic stopping since the neither type of brakes are asked to reach anywhere near 100% of their stopping capacity during those cases.

Disc brakes do not have a preload.

 

[rbh]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

The amount of friction applied by a surge brake system be it disc or drums is identical since the surge unit is self regulating. This is assuming normal traffic stopping since the neither type of brakes are asked to reach anywhere near 100% of their stopping capacity during those cases.

Disc brakes do not have a preload.

This being said, when a drum brake gets hot the drum expands and more force must be applied to the brake shoes to compinsate for expansion
(why do you think people always worry about big trucks loosing the brakes on big hills)

that being said disc brakes have been used for stopping force on the front axle for years as they take up to 80% +-of the stopping power due to thier ability to dissipate heat better and little to no brake fade.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

that being said disc brakes have been used for stopping force on the front axle for years as they take up to 80% +-of the stopping power due to thier ability to dissipate heat better and little to no brake fade.

Yep..totally agree. That is why Disc brakes will actually be cooler quicker than drum brakes.

 

[rbh]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

Yep..totally agree. That is why Disc brakes will actually be cooler quicker than drum brakes.

OK, so back to the question.
With a brake application, say going down a steep hill
(With a truck going down a steep hill pulling a load, in the right gear there should be one steady brake application, not multiple, no pumping the brakes)

What will provide more braking friction, disc or drum???

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

Simple high school physics...The amount of force required to stop or slow down a load in this example is a fixed value. Basically, friction is a force that is opposite of the force that the truck exerts downhill so that force to slow down the truck is the same no matter what type of brakes it has. Basically you are converting the energy of the trucks motion into heat with the brakes. If you use disc brakes or drum brakes, the amount of energy each will be trying to convert from moving energy to heat energy is identical.

So..the answer to your question is the same.

As far as how each gets rid of that heat, you can use the example of a bucket with a hole in it. The contents of the bucket represents the heat capacity of the brakes themselves which is basically the metal mass. The hole in the bucket represents how well it gets rid of the heat via cooling fins and design. Pouring water into the bucket represents braking and adding heat. Once you fill the bucket completely, you can't add more heat(water) until you get rid of some. This is the point where the brakes fade. Disc brakes basically have a bigger hole in the bucket.

 

[rbh]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

DRAT, Physics!!!


OK, so a plane crashes on the border, what side do they bury the survivors????

 

[rbh]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

I think thats the point I was tring to make is that since the disc is far superior to the drum it would make more heat do to less brake fade.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

The reason disc brake hubs can be way hotter than a drum brake hub is because since the disc brake is doing such a good job of dissipating heat from the actual braking surfaces, the hub itself could be way hotter than a drum brake before each reach their fade point. This would be under extreme conditions and only while where you are undergoing very heavy braking.

Like I said in my example, they need to convert the same amount of energy so the disc brake isn't generating any more total heat. Same amount of water is flowing into the bucket.

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

" ... I just got my new boat with a new EZ Loader trailer for it. I ordered hydralic Disc brakes for it ....."

Please verify that the dealer installed a DISK BRAKE COUPLER.

Should a drum brake coupler be installed the residual pressure valve will drag the disk brakes.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

Should a drum brake coupler be installed the residual pressure valve will drag the disk brakes.

Very true although you would think a brand new trailer with disc brakes would have the correct coupler installed.

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

Very true although you would think a brand new trailer with disc brakes would have the correct coupler installed.

I fully agree with ya', Bruce but his phrase "...I ordered hydralic Disc brakes for it ....." lends me to believe some parts swappin' may have been done at the dealership and who knows what some yo-yo installed!! :facepalm:

 

[jadssh]

Re: Are Brakes/Hubs too hot?

Thanks for all the replies guy's. When I ordered the boat, I ordered a trailer with disc brakes. I called the factory and the trailer was built with the dis brakes on it, so the coupler is for disc brakes. I did have to change my electrical plug for the truck because the new trailers have a backup wire (blue) wired into it so you are able to back-up up hill and on soft surfaces without the brakes locking up on you. Very nice feature to have.

I have been checking the hubs and inner rim everytime I make a trip with it, and it does not get so hot that it burns my fingers. I just was not used to the extra heat because my old trailer didn't have any brakes on it so it was always cool to the touch. Thanks again for all the help guy's.