Thanks guys. It looks like my pads are getting low. I read that sometimes you have to bleed off pressure on the reverse selonoid. I greased the tongue slide like Expensive mentioned. I trailered about 30 miles roundtrip this weekend and everything seemed OK.

Another good way of checking temps (besides a laser temp gun) is the hot wheel indicators. We run these on our hazmat trucks.

The DOT like them because that gives them one more thing they can check off on their roadside inspections. It makes them look better to their superiors I guess..

They are little metallic stickers that are applied to the wheel and when the temps reach 250* (DOT "hot tire" level), they turn red/orange. They stay red/orange even after cool down. That way you know if you've had an event that caused temps to come up that high anytime during your trip.

Once they have changed colors, you have to replace them but thats as easy as scraping off the old one and sticking a new one on..
We buy them in packs of 100 so I snag a handful for all my trailers. So much easier than touching the wheel/rim and getting all dirty or having to get a laser gun out..


www.esco.net

http://www.esco.net/tire-changing-eq.../D/40500_2.jpg