Tires and wheels got very hot.

[J.Teixeira]

Hi

In mi last travel with mi trailer (700 Km) , the tires and wheels got very hot.

It was still possible to touch them with a finger without burn but it did seems to me that it was to hot

I decided to stop every 50 km and wait for them to cool down a little.

The bearings were OK and well lubricated.

Mi trailer as inertial brakes and they work fine

The trailer as only two wheels and I think that the problem came from there.

Is it possible that only two wheels is to little for the weight (1.5 ton) .

Can the problem be fixed with one more set of wheels?

Jose

[baldbaby2000]

I'm assuming it's not your brakes that are heating things up.

The tires that came with my brand new trailer (single axle) were very poor quality. They only lasted a few thousand miles. I changed to a wider (still 15") good quality trailer radial and noticed a big improvement. I did have to raise up the fenders so the new tires didn't rub.

[Retcoastie]

I would look at tires and tire pressure if you are sure the brakes are not dragging. After the tires I would back off the bearing retaining nut two castillations. The bearings may be too tight.

I put a rubber band around the hub. I can look and see if the bearing has gotten hot enought to distort the rubber. If it doesn't hurt the rubber, it isn't hot enough to hurt the steel.

[Frank C]

RED's advice is very important. Check the air pressure in your tires.
Trailer tires will usually require a minimum of 50 lbs. of pressure, mine need 65 lbs.
If you run them with less pressure they WILL overheat, at the risk of total failure.

The 26X was delivered with 14" tires that are barely adequate for the load (capacity 1,870 lbs. per tire).
It is much better to upgrade to 15" tires and wheels with capacity of 2,250 lbs per tire (about 1,000 kg).

[J.Teixeira]

Mi tires are R15/175

They are large and of good quality.

I did not check the pressure...

Does someone know what is the pressure for them in a MAC 26X 1.5 ton loaded trailer?

Best Regards

Jose

[Hamin' X]

Best advice from here is to inflate them to the maximum pressure rating listed on the sidewall. The load rating of tires is at maximum pressure.

~Rich

[bscott]

Jose,

Check the cold air pressure rating on the tire---that is where you should be. Radial trailer tires can go as high as 65 psi.

Bob

[J.Teixeira]

Hi

This morning I did check the pressure...

It was 50...

So since I could not find the reason for the problem I asked a professional.

The reason for the problems was a big surprise...

The breaks are controlled bi a hydraulic kind of horizontal suspension on the connecting head of the trailer.

That suspension is over... Lost pressure due to age (5 years)...

So every small speed variation on the car was being transmitted to the trailer as continuous small breaks.

Causing breaks overheating. And warming the wheels and tires...

The man said that it was very dangerous (and very common)

The problem is solved but the man told me that one trailer this size with only one set of wheels is at the limit of safety.

So in spite of the problem being solved I am adding a second set of wheels

Jose

(I am sorry but I don't know the exact word in english for what I am calling "suspension")

[Hamin' X]

The braking system on the Mac trailers is called a "surge brake". The unit on what you call the "connecting head" (we call it the "tongue"), is the master cylinder for the surge brake system. I believe that this is what you are calling "horizontal suspension". Failure of the master cylinder is usually connected with water in the reservoir. Glad that you found the problem.

Anyone have a picture of the master cylinder on a Mac 26X trailer?

~Rich

[Frank C]

Matter of fact, I do . . . I chose this one when upgrading to Kodiak disc brakes.
This drawing depicts the UFP brake controller, also supplied by Roger on some of the M-trailers.
(the actual master cylinder looks to be item #13)
Overall, it's called the A-60 Actuator, see here.

.