Grease on trailer brake pads

[GlasV162]

I recently purchased a brand-new Load-Rite trailer equipped with brakes. This is the first trailer I've ever owned with brakes. Recenlty I discovered that one of the grease seals has failed, causing grease to leak out onto the brake components. Is it true that grease on brake pads ruins the pads? I don't know how much grease was lost; it appears that I caught it in time before a lot leaked out.

Thanks
John

 

[SeaCrow]

I wouldn't worr

 

[SeaCrow]

As I was saying, I wouldn't worry about some grease. I'd just clean it off good.

 

[MTboatguy]

Clean it as best you can and then run a fine grained scotch pad lightly over the pad and you should be okay. Then keep a check on it for the first few trips you take with it. If it has not been on there very long, it won't bleed into the pad to bad. If it has be saturated and got hot, then I would replace the pads. In the whole scope of things, pads are cheap.

 

[GA_Boater]

I recently purchased a brand-new Load-Rite trailer equipped with brakes. This is the first trailer I've ever owned with brakes. Recenlty I discovered that one of the grease seals has failed, causing grease to leak out onto the brake components. Is it true that grease on brake pads ruins the pads? I don't know how much grease was lost; it appears that I caught it in time before a lot leaked out.

Thanks
John

Brand new? Take it back to the dealer for warranty repair.

Any grease is not good and they should replace the seal and pads. No brainer.

 

[dingbat]

I would be more worried about how or why the sealed failed.

Seals don’t just fail. It was either installed in correctly and needs repaired or the axle has been over greased and the offending party needs to learn how and when to grease.

 

[Scott Danforth]

with a new trailer, take it back, that is what warranty is for.

 

[MTboatguy]

If it is indeed new, then my information is null and void and it should go back to where you purchased it from so they can fix it and figure out why it failed.

 

[jimmbo]

Contact the Dealer or manufacturer and ask them how they want the Trailer transported to them. If they make any noise, just say you don't know the condition of the brakes as they have grease on them, and you don't feel it is safe to tow it.

 

[Cat nip]

I recently picked up a new pontoon trailer over 500 miles frome home and on the first fuel stop i noticed the same thing i was throwing grease from the l/f hub on to the rotor and pads. I contacted the company when i got home and took some pictures of the spindle that was not round and sent them in and a couple weeks later they sent me an entire axle assembly complete with hubs, calipers and springs.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

Grease or oil on brake pads or shoes can and will cause a brake to lock up. Best way to really figure that out is and Ill use this because i tend to fix more of them in bad weather than not. Toyota with a leaking rear axle seal soaks the brake shoes and on ice that wheel will lock up enough that you can find yourself not enjoying your Toyota a LOT. Same thing on a boat trailer you get yourself in a panic brake moment and the next thing you know your trailers leading to one side scorching that tire and putting you in a less than desirable spot.

I clean them with a citrus cleaner that can pulll more grease out of the brake material than brake cleaner by a long short. But brake material thats been overheated after being soaked in oil or grease will ever perform the way it should.

 

[GlasV162]

Thanks guys for the advice. I took the trailer back to the dealer where we bought it. 3 weeks later.....yes, you read that right.....3 weeks later, I had my trailer back with a new seal. Just finished a 500-mile trip with it and all is well. When I contacted the selling dealer he said, "drop it off any time; we will fit it in." Is it just me, or is that an excessive amount of time to replace a grease seal? Had it not been under warranty, I would've replaced it myself in less than an hour. But I digress......

 

[jimmbo]

Depends on how quickly they got the parts, for a Warranty Job, they do have to get the parts from the Trailer Manufacturer/Distributor. They also need to find out if the Manufacturer approves it as a Warranty Claim. Some are quicker than others in that regard