Sunstone Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 Was adding grease to my bearings and the right side looked fine but the left side both wheel bearings the grease was black. I use red and tacky and add grease about every 10 trips to the ramp. Might have been a little over this time. Added new grease until all comes out dark red and took a trip to the keys about 2200 miles round trip. Then maybe 10 trips to the ramp here. Didn't pull the bearings but jacked the wheels up and they feel right. What would cause them to turn black? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamaskeet Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 I suspect either the grease ran hot, or perhaps it was mixed with another grease? The good news is, no signs of water intrusion. Lucas Red and Tacky is a good roller bearing grease with a ISO 220 oil. But no matter how good the grease is, you have to keep the water out or your oil viscosity degrades rapidly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCFD rtrd. Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 This may sound crazy, but my first instinct would have been to smell the black grease, then compare that to new grease. It does look like it got very hot, but I've never seen anything like that before. You might want to pull the bearings and cones and look for any pitting or discoloration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 Do you have brakes? Check to see if they are dragging. They could be causing heat and turning the grease black. Never seen that, but just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplec Posted July 4, 2017 Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 As others have said I suspect heat is the culprit. If you have brakes that could be it or something ever so slight going wrong with a bearing causing it to crag enough to overheat one side maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstone Posted July 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 It did have a burnt smell. I check by feel all the time but on the last leg home from the keys I didn't. I only have a 30 minute run to the ramp and I always check going but not coming home. Funny it would be 2 and on the same side. I went fishing this afternoon and they felt fine. I'll pull them tomorrow and see what it looks like. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanjj Posted July 4, 2017 Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 Keep us posted on findings....I've noticed mine get a little darker after a while sometimes....but , no water coming in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnd Posted July 4, 2017 Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 Maybe I'm oingbthis wrong, but somebody told me to change the color of bearing grease each tube ( blue, red) that way you can see new grease is getting in. Thoughts? That black looks like it broke down..heat, water, as suggested brakes. I had similar years back, while water wasn't obvious, the seals were going bad & water was culprit. Let's us know what u find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamaskeet Posted July 4, 2017 Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 41 minutes ago, johnd said: Maybe I'm oingbthis wrong, but somebody told me to change the color of bearing grease each tube ( blue, red) that way you can see new grease is getting in. Thoughts? That black looks like it broke down..heat, water, as suggested brakes. I had similar years back, while water wasn't obvious, the seals were going bad & water was culprit. Let's us know what u find This is a bad idea. There are a lot of good greases on the market but many of them are not compatable with each other. Buy one grease and stay with it. It's common after use that the grease will change color so you will know when you are seeing fresh grease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnd Posted July 4, 2017 Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 Thank you. That's why I asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstone Posted July 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 Didn't get to pull the bearing today had a 4th party to go to. But I was thinking how this could have happened, the surge brakes had to lock up on the drivers side only just enough to over heat the housing and burn the grease. How they would lock up I don't know maybe a valve but the the next braking they let off. I do remember one time the trailer acting funny like pulling and I was checking in the mirrors for low tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhinshoreangler Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 13 hours ago, Sunstone said: How they would lock up I don't know A stuck caliper can cause one (or more) brakes to drag and overheat. Feel your hubs after trailering, they should all be cool/slightly warm to the touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonV Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 I always carry one of these in the door pocket of my truck and use it to check hub temperatures at most every stop when towing, you know, as in the wife's bathroom breaks. Will let you know real quick if you have an overheating hub for less than $12. https://www.harborfreight.com/non-contact-pocket-thermometer-93983.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstone Posted July 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 2 hours ago, nhinshoreangler said: A stuck caliper can cause one (or more) brakes to drag and overheat. Feel your hubs after trailering, they should all be cool/slightly warm to the touch. I always check my bearings at ever stop but do forget when I hit home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlivierHPS2300 Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 Since we are on trailers, I have a few questions: 1) On a dual axle trailer, where should you put jack if you have flat? Can someone post a pick? 2) My trailer has rotors and brakes, can I have those removed completely without affecting the ride? Only have 10 min ride to ramp. Thanks much.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawg Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 I put the jack under the axle of the flat tire, as close to the wheel as space allows. You can remove the brakes from the trailer by disconnecting the brake lines (which will involve a brake fluid spill) and unbolting and removing the calipers. Most likely, you are required by law to have brakes on your trailer (varies by state). You will definitely notice a difference when you go to stop. If you have a light tow vehicle your stopping distance will be greatly increased. With continued heavy braking, you will warp the rotors on your tow vehicle. If you have cause to "panic stop" you may find that the trailer whips around past the tow vehicle, particularly on a wet road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanjj Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 43 minutes ago, OlivierHPS2300 said: Since we are on trailers, I have a few questions: 1) On a dual axle trailer, where should you put jack if you have flat? Can someone post a pick? 2) My trailer has rotors and brakes, can I have those removed completely without affecting the ride? Only have 10 min ride to ramp. Thanks much.. Even though my trailer was washed after every use...after 4 years the brakes/ rotors / calipers were rusted and no longer working. My boat is put in at a ramp almost every weekend, so..it gets dunked in saltwater very often. I removed the calipers and brake pads....the rotors are made into the hubs....I just left them on because the hubs are good. I do keep an eye on the wheel bearings. As for stopping....I have owned a F250 Ford and now a GMC 1500 .... I haven't had any issues with either vehicle, however...you have to realize that your trailer no longer has brakes.....so slow down quicker than you normally would. I'm pulling a 2200xl Pathfinder on a dual axle AmeriTrail trailer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstone Posted July 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 55 minutes ago, OlivierHPS2300 said: Since we are on trailers, I have a few questions: 1) On a dual axle trailer, where should you put jack if you have flat? Can someone post a pick? 2) My trailer has rotors and brakes, can I have those removed completely without affecting the ride? Only have 10 min ride to ramp. Thanks much.. I carry a 6x6 cut at an angle and back or drive up on the good tire to change the flat one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamaskeet Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 Olivier, I put my bottle jack between the wheels, I use a small board against the I Beam. This jacks up both wheels at the same time. You can remove your calipers but not your rotors, because your hub is intergal with the rotor. Many people have had issues with Tiedown brakes but I have had none in six years. I take a hose and wash the rotor and caliper down after every trip. Just spray water thru the wheel spokes and then reach around the tire and spray the backside. One suggestion, what we found out was we were getting some one intrusion thru the rubber plug on the dust cap. The rubber plug degrade from heat and grease contamination. A bunch of my buddy's and I use Bearing Buddy Bras over the end of the dust cover to act as another seal on top of the rubber plug. They are a little tough to find because they are the smallest size they make. I buy mine at my local Ace Hardware. This took care of our water intrusion issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanjj Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 1 minute ago, Sunstone said: I carry a 6x6 cut at an angle and back or drive up on the good tire to change the flat one. That's a darn good idea ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCFD rtrd. Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 17 hours ago, Sunstone said: Didn't get to pull the bearing today had a 4th party to go to. But I was thinking how this could have happened, the surge brakes had to lock up on the drivers side only just enough to over heat the housing and burn the grease. How they would lock up I don't know maybe a valve but the the next braking they let off. I do remember one time the trailer acting funny like pulling and I was checking in the mirrors for low tire. I think you just solved the riddle. It only takes a short time for brakes to overheat the hub. You need to look at your brakes. It's usually only two things that make the brakes lock-up. Look at the brake pads. If the metal backing is badly rusted, they start to flake apart in layers, which is basically swelling. There is very little room between the pads and rotors, so this swelling of the metal backing essentially pushed against the rotor and applies the brakes. Or, you have a compromised dust boot on the caliper. If the dust boot leaks, then water enters the cylinder of the caliper, but can't escape. This will cause rust inside the cylinder. When you apply the brakes, the piston moves out, applies the brakes, but can't retract because of the rust in the cylinder. If you are just slightly mechanical, you can rebuild the calipers for just a few dollars. All you need is the dust boot, the flat "O" ring and a rotary tool to remove the rust from inside the cylinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlivierHPS2300 Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 Thanks everyone for the info!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy21 Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 SCFD rtrd. is right on! I had one of my calipers lock up earlier this year. It was exactly what SCFD rtrd. stated. I had a non-stainless brake pad expand because of rust. It heated up the hub to where I could barely touch it. I was on the way to a fishing trip so I shimmied under the trailer with a hammer and wacked it a few times. The rust broke loose and I continued on my way. Soon after I replaced the pads with stainless models. No more problems. And I dunk the boat and trailer in a freshwater canal after every trip. You just can't beat saltwater corrosion....you can only hope to slow it down a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason p Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 Not trying to be Debbie Downer here but if you're required by law to have brakes ( in FL I think it's over 3000lbs) I personally would think twice about removing them. I'd imagine you'd have some explaining to do to your insurance company and law enforcement if you were involved in an accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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