I was double manning one of our wagons today, and had a front wheel catch fire on the A40 near Headington. Had flames about 2 inches long coming out the wheel so mate calls fire brigade. The fire went out as if you’d turned the gas off of a cooker as he was on the phone (but was glowing red) and fire brigade sent 2 pumps and a water tanker. Felt a little bit embarassed but then we had no fire extinguisher. Still, 2/3 of our collegues sped by whilst the fire was visible and didn’t stop, and we were asked “have you parked somewhere where you can transfer the load onto another lorry?” By our concerned gaffer.
Still, my first tow home in 12 years.
Brake or bearing?
Retired Old ■■■■:
Brake or bearing?
Knowing an ex tipperdriver most likley excessive speed…
Pete.
Almost had the same yesterday morning on the A34, speed dropped as i approached Oxford so pulled into a layby with smoke pouring off the o/s rear wheel. Knew it was the brakes as the same thing happened a few years ago on the M4. Mechanic arrived and diagnosed something to do with the handbrake was seized. Not bad considering the truck is only 8 months old and he changed the rear pads the day before. An hour later i was on my way again.
nickyboy:
and he changed the rear pads the day before.
… and there lies the clue 
Can you drivers not tell or smell when you have a binding brake?
When you roll to a normal stop, releasing the brake pressure just before you stop (unless a loaded road tank) it will stop quite suddenly if a brake is binding.
A mate of mine noticed smoke coming off one of his trailer wheels a few years ago, realising that it was about to catch fire, he pulled into the nearest ‘Safe Place’ a ‘Petrol Station’
I wasn’t surprised when he told me that he got a lot of assistance & plenty of water to cool it down ! Lol !
Retired Old ■■■■:
Brake or bearing?
According to the driver I was with, it’s had some problems within the last week. New pads but has been back to have them looked and was either passed fit or “company needed it.” I don’t know either way as I was off last week and I’ve been on a forklift course this week save yesterday. The Daf in question is a pile of junk. Had two replacement centre bearings and has a awful clunky gearchange. It’s also only 2 years old. We were a little upset when the fire went out…
I had an incident last year. Something went at the front end on the M40 and let out a puff of smoke. I had a look around but couldn’t spot anything and rang it in, but was advised to continue. They always do that anyway don’t they.
Next call was 15 minutes later after I’d rung the fire brigade and made it to a layby before Oxford on the A34. At the time I hadn’t found the extinguisher, but the FB were onsite in about 5 mins. By then the red glow in the O/S/F wheel hub had stopped.
They hung around and I was recovered back to base, but it was a scary thing for me.
The front O/S wheel bearing had given way.
Also saw a tractor in Hinckley last week where the rear wheel had come off. It was a new one, less than a year old and it looked like the wheel studs had all sheared off. I was on an evaluation drive at the time and the examiner/tester was happy with me squeezing between bollards and across a footpath to get around without touching anything else…
It was an agricultural tractor, with a full trailer of something dark and brown. Being in a bin wagon I couldn’t tell you if it was smelly stuff but I couldn’t smell anything worse than what I was driving!
martinviking:
A mate of mine noticed smoke coming off one of his trailer wheels a few years ago, realising that it was about to catch fire, he pulled into the nearest ‘Safe Place’ a ‘Petrol Station’
I wasn’t surprised when he told me that he got a lot of assistance & plenty of water to cool it down ! Lol !
martinviking:
A mate of mine noticed smoke coming off one of his trailer wheels a few years ago, realising that it was about to catch fire, he pulled into the nearest ‘Safe Place’ a ‘Petrol Station’
I wasn’t surprised when he told me that he got a lot of assistance & plenty of water to cool it down ! Lol !
Safest thing to do if you do get a wheel fire on a moving truck is to keep moving until the fire brigade catch you up. If you stop and its in flames it can easily set fire to the truck or trailer.
Driveroneuk:
martinviking:
A mate of mine noticed smoke coming off one of his trailer wheels a few years ago, realising that it was about to catch fire, he pulled into the nearest ‘Safe Place’ a ‘Petrol Station’
I wasn’t surprised when he told me that he got a lot of assistance & plenty of water to cool it down ! Lol !Safest thing to do if you do get a wheel fire on a moving truck is to keep moving until the fire brigade catch you up. If you stop and its in flames it can easily set fire to the truck or trailer.
I didn’t know that the Fire Engine’s hose was that long ! (What happens if it take 3 miles to catch up ■■? Lol )
Driveroneuk:
nickyboy:
and he changed the rear pads the day before.… and there lies the clue
Can you drivers not tell or smell when you have a binding brake?
When you roll to a normal stop, releasing the brake pressure just before you stop (unless a loaded road tank) it will stop quite suddenly if a brake is binding.
You can usually if doing stop start but if doing 56 you wont notice or smell it unless it slows the truck as in my case.
I’ve flagged down 2 artics on the M40 in the past who from the smell had binding brakes, both were unsuprisingly thankful
if new pads ,guaranteed t be over adjusted,better to go back an extra click as the pads will adjust up though they won’t adjust off if over tightened …though I do know the caliper manufacturer has modified the calipers due to an issue with them sticking /binding
We took the lorry in question ot yesterday and had no problems. The braking system wasn’t damaged, fitters said it was a problem with the pads and adjustment was how it should be.
We were thanked by MD though for “doing what we did” which was nice.
I had a front wheel bearing collapse a few years ago and it was the driver following me who could smell something getting warm as I have little sense of smell and could feel nothing odd with the steering! We pulled into a laybye, he knew someone following who had a jack with him so we shouted him on the CB to lend me it and we soon had it stripped down. Another call on the CB found another local haulier’s driver who collected a bearing etc for me and delivered it to the laybye on his next trip. All in I lost a couple of hours and one place in the queue for the paving machine so no real harm done and little work lost!
Pete.
I was using a 6x2 with a centre lift …well it was in for a service the night before …sooo about half way through the day i was getting loaded up …,about 10mins after lowering the axle all sorts o smoke /burning from the centre axle.
seems they had relined the axle overnight but had not wound the brakes back.
transfleet tried to drop the blame on m e for not noticing the binding brakes in the morning inspection …but as the axle was up and not needed till later in the day my manager backed me up.
yup near as good as them fitting the brakes backward on your truck eddie(erfguy) and wondering why the brakes wound off every day…lol…
jimmy.
My uncle is a fireman and 3 weeks ago they were going to a shout. On route they were stood down as they slowed the vehicle the driver felt something was wrong. My uncle looked out the window and saw flames from the front wheell. The driver did the same and his was on fire too. They pulled over and nearly forgot to pit it oit laughing so much 
Long distance clara:
My uncle is a fireman and 3 weeks ago they were going to a shout. On route they were stood down as they slowed the vehicle the driver felt something was wrong. My uncle looked out the window and saw flames from the front wheell. The driver did the same and his was on fire too. They pulled over and nearly forgot to pit it oit laughing so much
Ha ha !
That’s a bit like “how does the snow plough man get to work in the snow ?”
“Who puts the fire out, when the Fire Engine is on Fire ?” Lol !
I had one 6 years ago. I didn’t notice anything and pulled in for lunch as usual. Another driver and the burger van guy alerted me to the new burning smell than had only started since i arrived. A quick check and all my yellow pointers had melted on a trailer wheel. Brake chamber apparently.
someone else actually had a trailer catch fire from the wheel/s. I don’t know what the problem was but the finger was pointing at the mechanics. That was last year and the partially burnt trailer is still there. I reckon someone was hoping they would lose a crappy old trailer and get a new one. Not yet 
martinviking:
Long distance clara:
My uncle is a fireman and 3 weeks ago they were going to a shout. On route they were stood down as they slowed the vehicle the driver felt something was wrong. My uncle looked out the window and saw flames from the front wheell. The driver did the same and his was on fire too. They pulled over and nearly forgot to pit it oit laughing so muchHa ha !
That’s a bit like “how does the snow plough man get to work in the snow ?”“Who puts the fire out, when the Fire Engine is on Fire ?” Lol !