Smoking surge brakes

[Bigbeast]

I just got back from a road trip, my surge brakes started smoking at the end of a 9 hr day. Only my right side brake was smoking and hot. It was hot enough that when I jacked it up I could not turn the wheel. It took about 20 gallons of water to cool it down. After it cooled down I could turn the wheel. The other hub was not hot, it was just warm.

Any ideas on what can cause the lock up failure?

Thanks

PS. I put the lock up pin on the hitch to keep the brakes from enagaging to get the rest of the way home, and drove slow.

 

[photogod]

My uneducated guess is a bad bearing or shoes that didnt return after applied.

 

[Bigbeast]

At first I thought it was bad bearings, but I have never seen bad bearings unseize? Has anyone else seen bearings unseize? I am going to change the bearings out anyways, because they got too hot, but I want to make sure I get the orginal problem fixed.

 

[Degnol]

My uneducated guess is a bad bearing or shoes that didnt return after applied.

Or a dropped shoe. In any case you need to pull the drum and look. Seems like you can pop off the grease cap, remove the cotter pin and spindle nut and pull the Tire/wheel/drum assembly.

GL

Ed