5th Wheel brakes SUCK! Help please.

[Blythkd1]

Mfg’s aren’t burnishing in the brakes. So sending out safety hazards and either dealers aren’t aware of it or just don’t care.

While I absolutely agree the manufacturers aren't burnishing the brakes, I've done it many times and still didn't gain much. They're typically a little better by the time I drop them off at the dealer's lot, but still fairly weak.

OP said he had his brakes smoking and they still don't supply any braking. Sounds like he's got some other gremlin.

 

[AF_Hemi]

Found the problem. Someone needs to lose their job. Unbelievable.

 

[Brutal_HO]

Hate to say it, but post #4...

LOL

Glad you found the issue. Bet you'll have great brakes after Lippert/Dexter/Maker sends you new ones for free.

While you're in there, toss the chicom bearings and put in a set of Timken bearings and seals.

 

[AF_Hemi]

Hate to say it, but post #4...

LOL

Glad you found the issue. Bet you'll have great brakes after Lippert/Dexter/Maker sends you new ones for free.

While you're in there, toss the chicom bearings and put in a set of Timken bearings and seals.

It's something I've suspected for a while, just haven't been at a place I could dig in and look.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I have seen that far to many times unfortunatly one reason i Have a love hate relationship with grease able spindles on one hand they are great for a couple quick shots of grease on the other hand some people think they need to pump the whole tube in them. Packing bearings by hand alleviates this problem…

 

[AF_Hemi]

I have seen that far to many times unfortunatly one reason i Have a love hate relationship with grease able spindles on one hand they are great for a couple quick shots of grease on the other hand some people think they need to pump the whole tube in them. Packing bearings by hand alleviates this problem…

Tell that to the factory. I (probably like you) have never used the grease zerk. I repack and inspect the bearings annually.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Tell that to the factory. I (probably like you) have never used the grease zerk. I repack and inspect the bearings annually.

Factory workers dont tend to have much ambition in my experience…

 

[Blythkd1]

I have seen that far to many times unfortunatly one reason i Have a love hate relationship with grease able spindles on one hand they are great for a couple quick shots of grease on the other hand some people think they need to pump the whole tube in them. Packing bearings by hand alleviates this problem…

I'm not a big fan of the grease zerk on the hub cap. They cause more problems than they help, especially when folks that don't know anything about greasing bearings are the ones pumping the grease. And I can tell you something else that contributes to this problem - battery powered grease guns. I watched a guy that knows better just yesterday greasing a square baler. He had extra grease oozing out everywhere, some of it likely to end up places that it shouldn't be. Those automatic grease guns just make it way too easy to over-grease things. I could just see a rooking greasing trailer wheel bearings with a $300 grease gun. Snap the coupler on and grease the snot out of it. More grease must always be better, right?

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I'm not a big fan of the grease zerk on the hub cap. They cause more problems than they help, especially when folks that don't know anything about greasing bearings are the ones pumping the grease. And I can tell you something else that contributes to this problem - battery powered grease guns. I watched a guy that knows better just yesterday greasing a square baler. He had extra grease oozing out everywhere, some of it likely to end up places that it shouldn't be. Those automatic grease guns just make it way too easy to over-grease things. I could just see a rooking greasing trailer wheel bearings with a $300 grease gun. Snap the coupler on and grease the snot out of it. More grease must always be better, right?

One trailer i picked up from a guy for a family member the seller bought it and it sat in the same spot for 10 years no big deal but the seller was trying to argue with me saying i should grease the hubs before towing it 2 hrs. I simply told him to much grease is not good and it has not moved the grease already in the hubs will be perfectly fine its not like it was sitting in water the grease is perfectly fine…. Every 10,000miles i will repack my trailer bearings and lube up the brake parts needing lube on all my trailers except my boat trailer i will repack and service brakes every 5k miles

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Found the problem. Someone needs to lose their job. Unbelievable.

Looking at the spindle it appears the hub nut was to tight as well, the outer bearing inner race appears to have been spinning on the shaft judging by the marks on the spindle