How warm should hubs feel? When to worry

Pen n pep · Member

How warm should hubs feel? When to worry

rgren2 · Guru

Get an infrared handheld thermometer, you can also use it to check tyre temperature, engine/radiator/intercooler temperatures. Cheap and a very handy bit of kit.

Ivan 01 · Guru

Warm to hot hubs or any heat in hubs can have varying causes.

Dragging brakes.,
Will need inspection and adjustment.

Using brakes to stop and then checking hubs.
Hubs will be naturally hot if you have braked repeatedly like driving in traffic. Try to stop slowly without using heavy or repeated pressure while braking.

Bearing incorrectly adjusted.
Usually noted after a service or if the owner has attempted repair without suitable knowledge of procedures.

Bearing failure.
Usually only one hub and it will be very much hotter than the others. But not to be confused with a dragging brake.
It could be both hubs on one side if the hubs have had water ingress, eg driving through flooded roads.
Check for signs of oil or grease leaking from either the cap on the outer part of the hub or from the seal from behind the road wheel.
A strong smell of burning oil will be a give away as will smoke and the hubs being extremely hot.

Generally if the hubs are warm to touch after a highway run then that will be fine.
If you cannot touch the hub then you have a problem and it needs to be dismantled for further inspection. Continue driving may ge at your own peril.

Hub temperature is something that comes from experience when judging exactly how things are going.
Ensure tyre pressures are correct and you can get an infra red type thermometer that you can get a read out of the hub temperature by pointing the beam at the hub and taking a reading.

It is like asking how long is a piece of string.
Driving with a failing bearing will be in stages from hot to smoking and smell to the hub very hot and glowing with heat which is generally a dull red to the hub beginning to melt and seizing on the axle and the axle then snapping off nd what is left of the wheel and tyre leaving the vehicle.

On a side not I had a conversation, be it a bit unpleasant, with a bloke towing a large van without suitable mirrors as he could not see past the front corner of his van.
He rudely informed me that he had a rear view camera and didnt need mirrors.
Well the failing hub is a classic reason for having mirrors that comply so that the driver can see the wheels.
I will leave that there for now as it is a bit off topic.

-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Sunday 19th of June 2022 06:57:58 PM

Mike Harding · Guru

Others have covered it well, just two points:

Since covid, infra red thermometers are expensive and hard to find.

If you can keep your finger touching a surface for, say, five seconds then the surface is below 60C, give or take.

Edit:

>bluetooth wheel monitor

Serious overkill.

-- Edited by Mike Harding on Sunday 19th of June 2022 07:30:42 PM

rgren2 · Guru

Infrared thermometers are not expensive and easy to find. If not at Bunnings, eBay.

www.bunnings.com.au/matador-surface-infrared-thermometer_p0276145

Mike Harding · Guru

rgren2 wrote:
Infrared thermometers are not expensive and easy to find. If not at Bunnings, eBay.

Yep, you're right I just checked eBay and sanity has returned.

oldbloke · Guru

I regularly do the "finger" test. It becomes obvious if there is an issue.

Craig1 · Guru

I use the back of my hand/fingers 1st then to fingers if needed, mucheasier to not get burnt if something amiss

Clarky 1 · Senior Member

oldbloke wrote:
I regularly do the "finger" test. It becomes obvious if there is an issue.

It is a regular chore for any driver of a truck to have a little feel of the hubs.

It is a long way around a road train biggrin

Feeling hubs on a regular basis gives the operator a good indication of what feels normal and what may be a problem.

Now I am retired I tend to do short days, 4 hours at the most if I can and during that time I stop once or twice to stretch the legs.

This is the best time to become very familiar with your hubs. You will soon know what is normal and what may become a problem.

While bending to check the hub temperature it is a good time to do a visual on the tyres, rims and wheel nuts and as you walk around the vehicle you do the standard * idiot check* on all the other things like vents, windows, doors, hitches and connections between the van and the car.

A routine is a valuable tool when checking any vehicle while travelling.

I would forgo a Bluetooth accessory that checks the hub temperature but if you feel you need to have a check on the wheels then a tyre pressure monitor would be a better way to spend your money.

A correctly serviced set of hubs and bearings will rarely give you any trouble between services but a tyre can become punctured at any time and being pre warned might save you a tyre or something worse happening.

Good luck with it.

Are We Lost · Guru

When stopping after a highway run I like to do a quick walk around and feel all 8 wheels ... tyres and hubs. I used to carry a temperature gun in the driver's door pocket for that purpose, but now just do it by hand. If a hub was burning hot I'm sure the heat would be noticeable before getting burnt.

It's usually done before my partner has exited the car with her things. I may not do it every time, but pretty close.

oldbloke · Guru

Clarky 1 wrote:
oldbloke wrote:
I regularly do the "finger" test. It becomes obvious if there is an issue.
It is a regular chore for any driver of a truck to have a little feel of the hubs.
It is a long way around a road train
Feeling hubs on a regular basis gives the operator a good indication of what feels normal and what may be a problem.
Now I am retired I tend to do short days, 4 hours at the most if I can and during that time I stop once or twice to stretch the legs.
This is the best time to become very familiar with your hubs. You will soon know what is normal and what may become a problem.
While bending to check the hub temperature it is a good time to do a visual on the tyres, rims and wheel nuts and as you walk around the vehicle you do the standard * idiot check* on all the other things like vents, windows, doors, hitches and connections between the van and the car.
A routine is a valuable tool when checking any vehicle while travelling.
I would forgo a Bluetooth accessory that checks the hub temperature but if you feel you need to have a check on the wheels then a tyre pressure monitor would be a better way to spend your money.
A correctly serviced set of hubs and bearings will rarely give you any trouble between services but a tyre can become punctured at any time and being pre warned might save you a tyre or something worse happening.
Good luck with it.

Yep, same here

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

All the above is good. I'll just add, if the hub is too hot check if it needs grease. I've seen too many trailers and caravans on the side of the road with missing wheels. Sometimes due to flats but also due to lack of maintenance. Greasing the bearings can save a lot of time and money.

I once saw a wheel overtake its vehicle. It seemed to roll for ages before it disappeared into a paddock. The driver was sensible enough not to brake hard but had a long walk to find the wheel and a long wait for the tow truck.

Cupie · Guru

Are We Lost wrote:
When stopping after a highway run I like to do a quick walk around and feel all 8 wheels ... tyres and hubs. I used to carry a temperature gun in the driver's door pocket for that purpose, but now just do it by hand. If a hub was burning hot I'm sure the heat would be noticeable before getting burnt.

It's usually done before my partner has exited the car with her things. I may not do it every time, but pretty close.

Me too.

Every time I stop, I have a routine walk around with the temp gun in hand looking for any abnormality including hub temp, smells & dragging stuff as well as gas not turned off, windows & vents not closed etc. My first stop is when I leave the built up area .. after about 20km or so.

I expect all wheels to be about the same with a bit of an allowance for heavy breaking. Usual temp under 60.

elliemike · Guru

When I started my apprenticeship we all started in the Blacksmiths shop. First lesson was, before picking anything up, TEST, using the back of your hand (the hairy fingers just below your knuckles) to ensure the object is not HOT.

The fine hairs on the backs of the finger would sizzle and you would detect really hot stuff without doing any damage.

Also the skin there sense's teperature a lot better than the pads on your finger tips.

I still use that method to this day, checking my wheel bearing when ever we stop.

Oh and yes as a dreamy smart ar$$ed teenager, not paying attention, I soon learned HOT STEEL Loves nice soft schooboys hands.

evelyndavis · Newbie

When you touch the hubs of your caravan, they should feel warm but not too hot. If they're too hot to touch comfortably, that's a sign they might be overheating, which could cause problems. So, if they feel super hot, it's time to worry and get them checked. Some folks recommend a Bluetooth wheel monitor to keep an eye on things, but a simple touch can often tell you if something's up with your caravan's wheels.