# Holy Smokes! Smoking tire



## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Yesterday morning I took my trailer in to a local shop to get the bearings repacked and the brakes checked and just a good look over. Well, on the way there everytime I applied the brakes, the left front trailer tire stopped spinning completely and smoked :shock: no bueno.
I told the guys at the shop this so they are aware to look into it. I have 3 theories (well 2 I came up with, 1 hubby came up with, and I think he's right)

1. A bad bearing making it so the tire stops spinning too easily.
2. Sticky brake caliper
3. (Hubby's idea) My stinger isn't dropped enough with the truck I am borrowing, so there's not enough weight on the front tires so it stops too easily then drags and smokes.

Any thoughts? I should hear from the mechanics today and regardless I am picking up a bigger drop stinger to get the trailer level.


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## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

That happened to me once, the brake on one wheel was locking up, causing the wheel hub to get hot. My poor horse Hombre, who always traveled like a pro, was reluctant for a while to get back in the trailer. I disconnected the brake wiring to that wheel only. But I'm getting ahead of myself: if you have electric brakes on your tow vehicle that are connected to your trailer, what I mentioned above could be the problem. Try adjusting the settings on your electric brakes. And check the bearings.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

If it was just about being level, why only the left tire? I don't think that's it. 

If one wheel stops and the other doesn't, my first check would be wiring. Is the right brake getting power? Jack up the trailer, apply the brakes and try to spin the wheel.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Brakes can be grabby if the drums get rusted, which if parked wet takes no time at all. That and not being level could very well be all it was.


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

sounds like a sticky/grabby brake, my dad used to have issues with his boat trailer all the time with sticking brakes


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Well, it was a bit of corrosion on the brake making it grabby combined with not enough weight on it to overcome the stickiness. It hauled home smooth as butter.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I'm not a complete idiot. Lol.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Overly agressive brake adjustment coupled with an overly agressive setting on your brake controller. Lower the boost/gain settings in your controller until the trailer is loaded and you should be fine.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

That was the first thing I did, pilot. I actually turned them as low as they would go. I'm just happy to have her fixed up.


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## STT GUY (Apr 23, 2014)

karliejaye said:


> Well, it was a bit of corrosion on the brake making it grabby combined with not enough weight on it to overcome the stickiness. It hauled home smooth as butter.


 
For whats it worth, any time brakes get wet and don't dry completely before storing the trailer the drums/rotors rust. Its normal on cast iron drums and rotors and even stainless rotors will rust. The first couple of applications of the brakes usually allow the pads/shoes to remove this. Problem with drums is if the trailer is parked at angle water can pool in the bottom of the drum repeatedly causing a lot of corrosion in a single area. sounds like that's what happened to you.


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