Help...

[kguess]

I pulled my first hub off to see if my seal is leaking. Hideout 19 FLB tandem wheels. Dumb question but how do I know grease got on the pads/ or seal is leaking? Looking at the rear seal there is light grease around it, not globs , brake shoes are dusty. Would it be obvious if grease contaminated the pads?
If so, can things be cleaned or should I replace the entire brake assembly. I saw that e-trailer sells the complete system for something like $45.
Oh, would the inside of the drum show any signs of grease because they don't. Any help would be appreciated.... thanks , kenny

[Yak]

You'll know it

[Yak]

http://www.boyandjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/d60-drums-06.jpg

[kguess]

Yak, thanks for the picture.....ugly stuff. After pulling one hub, I am good, nothing like that !!!!! One think I hate about getting old, is I over think EVERYTHING.

[ksbowman]

When I was still working and we had grease and oil get on friction clutches we would clean them with carbon tet. Should work on brake shoes too.

[kguess]

Just so I know, what is carbon tet.?

[JRTJH]

It's carbon tetrachloride, a very strong solvent/cleaner. There are several "brake cleaner sprays" available at auto supply stores/WalMart. Some of the cheaper ones are Acetone/Toluene. If you read the MSDS or the contents list, you'll see tetrachloride as the main solvent.

Be very careful with use. Carbon Tet is a dangerous solvent, restricted in some locations and not something to spray and let soak into the ground. Use protective clothing/gear and dispose of the waste properly. Don't use it where pets or children will be playing.

Depending on how contaminated your brake linings are, sometimes you can clean the grease off of them, but if they are "really, REALLY covered" with grease, it's probably better to just get new ones. You'll probably spend as much on brake cleaner to try to clean them as you would on new shoes. Also be sure to clean the hubs thoroughly. Most people would recommend having the hubs "turned" (machined) to remove the glaze/surface contamination, but some people take the "shortcut" and just clean them. I prefer to turn my hubs if I'm putting new shoes on. That removes any surface grooves, assures they are "round" and also gets rid of any glazing caused by grease contamination.

Don't forget to use new grease seals and read up on how to install them. A damaged or improperly installed grease seal will leak much faster than one that's "done right".....

Good Luck

ADDED: After posting this and thinking about it for a few minutes, I wanted to add my opinion on cleaning brakes. I believe that brake cleaners are OK to use for cleaning a smudge or fingerprints and some "assembly contamination" off hub surfaces and brake lining surfaces, but once contaminated and the grease has been "ground into" the linings, pretty much no amount of cleaning the surface is going to provide a good, clean lining surface. So, if you're installing new brake shoes and happen to get a little grease on your fingers and onto the lining surface, it's OK to use brake cleaner to remove that kind of contamination, but, if you remove your hub to inspect and find the inside of your hub filled with grease and the brake shoes coated with grease, I'd recommend not even considering an attempt to clean them. At that point, I'd strongly recommend just buying new brake shoes/magnet (or complete brake assemblies) and having the hubs turned. Then you'll know you've got a good "friction surface" if you really need to stop in a hurry.

[kguess]

JRTJH, thanks for your info, first wheel shows no grease just some dust / light grim. A small dark spot or two on the brake pads. Trailer has maybe 7500 miles on it - 2011 model. Wasn't going to change seals / bearings , just checking things and probably adjust brakes. Of course 3 more wheels to pull and check.... I'll know how they are in a day or more.

[jsmith948]

JRTJH, Wasn't going to change seals / bearings , just checking things and probably adjust brakes. Of course 3 more wheels to pull and check.... I'll know how they are in a day or more.

FWIW, I would clean, inspect and re-pack the wheel bearings while you have the hubs/drums pulled. You will have the piece of mind that the bearings have been properly serviced. IMHO, the ONLY way to properly grease the bearings is to pack them BY HAND. Just sayin':)

[kguess]

Jsmith, will do, that was the plan unless I find some issue.

[JRTJH]

FWIW, I would clean, inspect and re-pack the wheel bearings while you have the hubs/drums pulled. You will have the piece of mind that the bearings have been properly serviced. IMHO, the ONLY way to properly grease the bearings is to pack them BY HAND. Just sayin':)

I completely agree with this statement !!!

In years past, I would have disagreed with this point, but this fall, when I pulled my hubs to check for brake wear, all 4 of my hubs had grease contamination. The only way to repair, IMHO, was to replace the brake shoes/magnets and have the hubs turned.

Previously, I would have argued that using the EZ Lube system was "OK" with every other year inspections. I've done it that way for a number of years and haven't had any problems with seal leakage. But, this year, that certainly changed for me. After buying 4 brake assemblies and new grease seals, I'll be pulling my hubs and hand packing bearings every fall.

It's questionable when my seals started leaking and I didn't notice any significant loss of breaking action, but thinking of all the miles we towed through the Rockies this past summer, I wonder what problems I could have had if we'd been in an emergency situation and needed to rely on the trailer brakes to stop us in "crisis mode".....

I'm no longer a proponent of the EZ Lube system. "Fail me once, there won't be a chance to do it again"....... :banghead: