Bearing failure

A forum about Trailering, Launching and Retrieving the Telstar.
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Jerry
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: Lake Champlain Vermont side Point Bay Marina
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Bearing failure

Post by Jerry »

Interesting ride home from the marina. Well almost home. About 10 miles into my 22 mile trip I had serious smoke coming from the rIght front wheel(on the axle with breaks). Reading all the brake traffic on this site I was cussing myself from not doing the switch to 4 - disk brakes over the summer. When I started to jack the trailer up to release the brakes I realized it was more serious. The bearing basically exploded. So I now have a scored axle (new axle on order) and will be paying someone to do the disk brake conversion (I do not have the time). I did limp home on a new bearing set but do not trust it.

Interesting facts.
The trailer has been wet three times (in fresh water).
I pumped bearing grease into the bearings twice in the 1.5 years I have owned it.
Other then the drive up from Annapolis when I picked the boat up (490 miles) the trailer has had 6-22 mile trips to the marina location (shrink wrap/launch etc.)

When talking to Venture for parts it was interesting to find the 2011 trailers come standard with disk brakes.

Jerry
Ron
Posts: 1136
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: SW Florida
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Bearing failure

Post by Ron »

According to the Venture web site, disc brakes have been "standard" on most of their larger trailers for several years. Ours were built with a single set of drums. I'm not sure who to blame - both PC and Venture were pointing fingers. Since Venture suposedly knows a lot more about trailers and trailer regulations than PC, I expect that they are more culpable.

It looks like you did the proper bearing maintainence over the year and a half. But you gotta be carefull with 3,000 pounds of stopping power under a 6,500 pound load. Excess heat from the drum will eventually damage the bearing and even blow out the tire. I measured my wheels at over 400 degrees! I'm curious what the drums and shoes look like when you take it apart. Rust or wear?
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Jerry
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: Lake Champlain Vermont side Point Bay Marina
Contact:

Bearing failure

Post by Jerry »

Ron,

All I can say is the Venture statement was "the new 2011 trailers are coming standard with disk breaks). I was playing nice since I needed part numbers but I agree with you that knowing the PC application (obvious due to all the additions that had to be made to the trailer) Venture should have never provided breaks on only one axle (not to mention the various state laws forbidding it). BTW Venture gave me a contact number for a company called something like Boat Trailer Parts. When I priced all the parts for the disk break conversion it came out real close to sourcing them myself through the different parts warehouses on line.

I will post a picture when the drums are off but I did see the one while replacing the bearing and it did not sow excessive wear or heat damage to the drum or the breaks (of course the pads are grease soaked).

Jerry
Ron
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: SW Florida
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Bearing failure

Post by Ron »

The Venture web site 2 years ago had something like "most trailers come with disc brakes". As I recall, the noted exceptions included jet ski, smaller, and pontoon boat trailers. I have no idea why they singled out large pontoon boats as needing drum brakes. Maybe they came with smaller wheels? The trailer that was sold to PC was a stretched version of one of their heavier stock models (which supposedly came with 4 wheel disc brakes then). Nothing makes sense though. When I spoke to them after my failure, then said that there are no disc brakes available to fit under 13 inch wheels. They were obviously wrong. Tony wanted the smaller wheels to lower the boat for easier launching and retrieval. Note that the trailer is actually illegal in most states.

The grease all over the brakes is a definite sign of overheating. The grease turned into a fluid with a consistency approaching water. I had liquid grease all over the wheels when I made emergency overnight stops in Tampa and Jacksonville about 2 years ago. Your bearings could have overheated by themselves (castle nut maybe too tight?) but I'd put the blame on the drum brake. It's a good idea to manually repack the bearings every year or so.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Jerry
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: Lake Champlain Vermont side Point Bay Marina
Contact:

Bearing failure

Post by Jerry »

So now I have 4 wheel disc breaks. I would recommend this for anyone towing. On talking to the trailer repair shop just about everything in this rig is right on the very edge of being adequate for the load. In fact some of the bolts through the leaf springs are 1/2" where they should be 5/8". I will replace them next year when the boat is off the trailer.
Ron
Posts: 1136
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: SW Florida
Contact:

Bearing failure

Post by Ron »

Jerry -

The "load" is about 2500 pounds more than PC or Venture expected, with about 1500 of that just on the boat. I forgot most of the exact numbers (you an find it on other threads on the forum). Wouldn't be a bad idea to use Grade 8 hardware if you can get it.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
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