Oh Oh! Not Good!

RB19RR · 03-12-2018, 07:55 PM

I'm on an epic, two month, cross country trip. Left February 5 from Massachusetts....Took southern route to California by way of Texas, NM, AZ....6000 miles so far....

On my way back east today. Left Oakland CA this AM, got to Bakersfield CA and stopped for gas, did my usual trailer walk around.....UGH!

Blown wheel bearing. But as luck would have it, less than a mile away is a trailer fabrication business and they have a replacement axle, bearings, hub. Will be fixed first thing tomorrow am.

Always an adventure!

BandJCarm · 03-12-2018, 07:59 PM

OUCH!!!

kenandterry · 03-12-2018, 08:03 PM

Tire pressure monitor gave you no indication of bearing failure?

I would’ve thought the increase in temperature would increase the pressure significantly higher than others.

Just sayin’

18CrewDually · 03-12-2018, 08:12 PM

The most intriguing thing with the pic to me is the grease is splattered on the wheel at every lugnut.

HangDiver · 03-12-2018, 08:17 PM

Your luck is truly amazing! To have that in Bakersfield is terrible. But to have a travel trailer axle replacement bearings right there is amazing. Buy a lotto ticket. No! Buy two lotto tickets.

**ependydad** · 03-12-2018, 09:39 PM

Terrible and great news all at the same time! Best of luck tomorrow.

gectisme · 03-12-2018, 09:49 PM

Wow that's lucky and double lucky if you like oranges. There is a Fruit store, (actually a bunch of them), down there in Bakersfield. Stop by the California Fruit Depot and pick up the sweetest oranges you will ever eat. Even if you don't like Oranges, they have all kinds of fruits and nuts and free samples of them so you can taste before buying or just taste.

Did you happen to stay at Anthony Chabot Regional Park in Oakland? If so, how was it. I heard they have some nice full hookup spots with quick access to downtown Oakland.

RB19RR · 03-12-2018, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Tire pressure monitor gave you no indication of bearing failure?

I would’ve thought the increase in temperature would increase the pressure significantly higher than others.

I have a TPMS with temp sensor. Default temp is 158 degrees and it never sounded. It appears a spring broke, the brakes deployed and boiled the grease out and destroyed the bearings. The brake pads are nearly gone on one shoe.
Interesting how the grease was displayed on the wheel....

Quote:

Did you happen to stay at Anthony Chabot Regional Park in Oakland? If so, how was it. I heard they have some nice full hookup spots with quick access to downtown Oakland.

Yes I did! Three nights at campsite #1. Fantastic. Lots of wildlife...Turkeys, Deer, Birds...Very close to Oakland. The views from the very high campground are fantastic!
But the easy, normal road to the campground is closed so you need to take a 7 mile round about way that includes hundreds of twisty, no guard-rail turns and a 12% long pull grade to get there....Yikes! That 12% needs to be dealt with to leave also...Thank God for my recently installed exhaust brake.

RB19RR · 03-12-2018, 10:19 PM

As I look at the wheel and that strange grease pattern....I think it was caused by the hubcap.....before the hubcap was ejected.

The grease must have found an opening at each lug nut recess.

dblr · 03-13-2018, 06:57 AM

That stinks!!!!!! But as said good thing you were close to a repair facility.

Paulie1138 · 03-13-2018, 07:29 AM

Maybe they wanted to be "mag" wheels?

Happy for you that it ended safe!

DAISY BOYKIN · 03-13-2018, 07:45 AM

If the spring broke, the shoes were dragging your temperature on the TPS
should have gone up. I watch mine close, if the temp exceeds 20° on any tire
above any of the other tires. I start looking for a problem of what is causing
the TEMP rise.

This method has saved my tail twice just this last summer with bad wheel bearings.

Brother Les · 03-13-2018, 08:18 AM

Agreed about the temp. should have been abnormally higher than the others and a big red flag to stop and see what is going on. You were very lucky.

Had the same thing happen to me after I went over the Smoky Mountains. Burned my brakes/bearing/hub/axle up coming down the mountain. Tire fell off when we were stopped by a passing car that said we were 'on fire'.. and was able to strap the axle up and 'walk' the camper about eight miles to a CW.

5picker · 03-13-2018, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RB19RR

I have a TPMS with temp sensor. Default temp is 158 degrees and it never sounded. It appears a spring broke, the brakes deployed and boiled the grease out and destroyed the bearings. The brake pads are nearly gone on one shoe.
Interesting how the grease was displayed on the wheel....

It may not have got to the default temperature to alarm but I bet the temperature of that wheel was way hotter than the rest. That damage had been going on for some time and didn't happen in just a couple of miles.

Best of luck to you getting it repaired and back on the road.

MillMitch · 03-13-2018, 08:46 AM

I would buy a lottery ticket if I were you, that could have been a LOT worse. Best of luck on the rest of your trip. Stay safe.

RB19RR · 03-13-2018, 11:41 AM

Trailer is now in the shop having new axle installed and other axle inspected and serviced/replaced as needed.

Trailer has less than 15,000 miles and bearings were checked and regreased in January........Just bad luck..

adrinkard · 03-13-2018, 12:34 PM

It is sad that this happened but it was great that you found it at fuel stop and not the harder way of traveling down the highway. This is a very good example of why walk around inspections or so very important. Each fuel and or rest stop.
Good luck to you on the repair and to the rest of your adventure.

SpringerPop · 03-13-2018, 12:43 PM

Though I have TPMS (a 507), I use it to tell my inflation pressures. I use the temp readouts to tell me the OAT, and which side the sun is coming from.

Given their position, externally, I wouldn't put too much stock in reading a temperature rise of the hub bearings, the rims, or even the internal air temps in the tires.

Remember, that the sensors are simply spinning in ambient air while underway, and that's about all they will reflect, temp-wise.

I have no quarrel with those who expect more, I just don't see much value in TPMS temperature readings.

Pop

gectisme · 03-13-2018, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpringerPop

Though I have TPMS (a 507), I use it to tell my inflation pressures. I use the temp readouts to tell me the OAT, and which side the sun is coming from.

Given their position, externally, I wouldn't put too much stock in reading a temperature rise of the hub bearings, the rims, or even the internal air temps in the tires.

Remember, that the sensors are simply spinning in ambient air while underway, and that's about all they will reflect, temp-wise.

I have no quarrel with those who expect more, I just don't see much value in TPMS temperature readings.

Pop

Have to disagree with you on that. Had a brake dragging heating up a wheel which caused an alarm. We were about a 1/2 hr from the campground so we let it cool down and continued on to the campsite. I could watch that tire heat up as we went down the road and would stop before it got too hot and let it cool and then continued on till we got to the campsite.

D. J. Schuler · 03-13-2018, 12:57 PM

I bought a cheep IR temperature hand held sensor/meter at Harbor Freight Tool. I check axle temps 5r/TV just about every time I stop, so far 5r within +/- 10 degrees. Nope, I don't remember temps from last fall and didn't write anything down. Disc/drum brakes after a long hill will also heat up bearings but they should be about equal.

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