Front Hub getting hot (1 Viewer)

[Slow N Steady]

Wuz wondering if anybody had ever noticed how warm their front hubs get after driving a bit - warm to the touch, hot, etc.?

After driving a bit (1/2 hours or so), the front hubs get warm to the touch. This is without heavy braking - just normal "sedate" driving around the block and errands. I haven't checked yet where it's hottest - hub or rotor. That's next (dirve around and pull the wheel upon return to the driveway).

What started as a normal fixing of the PO's ineptness and lack of maintenance - repacking of the Birf's, then turned into a complete rebuild of all things front end - rotors turned, new pads, all seals, tie rod ends, etc. Everything looks great and is per spec (via FSM). The birfs were cleaned and repacked. The rotors have appox 4 to 6 lbs on resistance via the fish scale (spec 0.9 to 7.9 lbs). The bearings are all packed properly and torqued correctly (I've done it three times just in case I've missed anything). The brakes add a little drag to the rotor when the caliper is put on, but that typically is to be expected I would think.

Also, if anybody is running with a vacuum guage, what the typical vacuum of an 87 w/full smog at 55mph on a level incline (No AC)? I'm guessing 10 to 15 inches??

So, any thoughts on the subject? I've run out of ideas to check!

Thanks!

 

[Doc]

My best guess is a dragging brake pad.

 

[schaats]

Wuz wondering if anybody had ever noticed how warm their front hubs get after driving a bit - warm to the touch, hot, etc.?

After driving a bit (1/2 hours or so), the front hubs get warm to the touch. This is without heavy braking - just normal "sedate" driving around the block and errands. I haven't checked yet where it's hottest - hub or rotor. That's next (dirve around and pull the wheel upon return to the driveway).

What started as a normal fixing of the PO's ineptness and lack of maintenance - repacking of the Birf's, then turned into a complete rebuild of all things front end - rotors turned, new pads, all seals, tie rod ends, etc. Everything looks great and is per spec (via FSM). The birfs were cleaned and repacked. The rotors have appox 4 to 6 lbs on resistance via the fish scale (spec 0.9 to 7.9 lbs). The bearings are all packed properly and torqued correctly (I've done it three times just in case I've missed anything). The brakes add a little drag to the rotor when the caliper is put on, but that typically is to be expected I would think.

Also, if anybody is running with a vacuum guage, what the typical vacuum of an 87 w/full smog at 55mph on a level incline (No AC)? I'm guessing 10 to 15 inches??

So, any thoughts on the subject? I've run out of ideas to check!

Thanks!

There's no point which cause heat at front knuckle out only except brake.
Check caliper first.
Generally, there's no heat at freewheel hub.

 

[lovetoski]

I posed this question on the 80's forum last summer, and got lots of informative response. Upshot I think is that it's normal for the hubs to be warm to the touch due to mild friction from bearings. Read on though...


https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=18063&highlight=hub+temp

 

[Slow N Steady]

Doug (and all),

Thanks for the reply's! Seems everytime I dive into a new area on the truck I discover all sorts of things I didn't notice before. From your post, it seems my hub temps are right in line with what they should be. I'm also to the point where I can get both sides apart and back in about 45 minutes! Nothing like experience. BTW - like the idea of the IR Probe to check things out! I'll have to pick one up (good excuse for another tool!).

Anyway, thanks again and looks like worry free cruising ahead!

 

[Slow N Steady]

One last post on this for anybody who's interested -

Drove on the highway for about 1/2 hour at 60mph, used the tranmission to downshift and come to a crawl getting off the highway and applied the E-Brake for the last 5mph. The front hubs and rotors were completely cool and at ambient temperature.

Seems the front brakes dissapate a huge amount of heat to slow the beast down. 5000 lbs of rolling mass is a fair amount to grind to a halt. Physics lesson learned!

 

[yooper]

Warm is ok. If it's too hot to hold your hand on, then it's too hot.

Think brakes first.

At the 3FE Bash last weekend we had an FJ62 with a hot hub and rotor on one side only. It turned out to be a seized spindle bushing. I've never seen this before. It probably happened due to lack of grease.

 

[Tapage]

Anyone think in hub bearing .. ?

 

[yooper]

Anyone think in hub bearing .. ?

You mean wheel bearings? Could be.

 

[Tapage]

You mean wheel bearings? Could be.

yup .. I got this issue one time. In fact, if my hubs, take temp in normal situation I would check my bearings, and change if is necesary.