Please help with M101A2 problem

[dubois9837]

I have a 1990 Kasel M101A2 trailer I just picked up from GL and I am running into a problem I hope someone on here can help me with. I jacked the tires up to check the wheel bearings by grabbing the top of the wheel and shakeing it to see if the bearings seemed ok. One side was very solid and the wheel spun easily and smoothly. When I engaged the brake lever the wheel froze up like it should and was unable to spin it. The other side of the trailer is much different. The wheel also feels solid when shaking it but it REQUIRED ALOT OF FORCE TO SPIN WHEEL. I also feel/hear a little grinding while moving it. When I engage the brake lever it also locks the wheel up like it should.
My question is, does this sound like a problem with the brake or the wheel bearings? I was planning on putting new wheel bearings on it anyway but I can't seem to find any civilian part numbers for the wheel bearings and seals. Does anyone know the civilian part numbers ( NAPA ? ) for these? How hard are they to change? Do you think that a guy with no experience replaceing wheel bearings could do it with the TM? Any help you can give me would be appreciated!

Also does anyone have a part number for the shocks? One of mine is bent at about a 90 degree angle. Thanks, I appreciate your help.

 

[coyotegray]

I have a 1990 Kasel M101A2 trailer I just picked up from GL and I am running into a problem I hope someone on here can help me with. I jacked the tires up to check the wheel bearings by grabbing the top of the wheel and shakeing it to see if the bearings seemed ok. One side was very solid and the wheel spun easily and smoothly. When I engaged the brake lever the wheel froze up like it should and was unable to spin it. The other side of the trailer is much different. The wheel also feels solid when shaking it but it REQUIRED ALOT OF FORCE TO SPIN WHEEL. I also feel/hear a little grinding while moving it. When I engage the brake lever it also locks the wheel up like it should.
My question is, does this sound like a problem with the brake or the wheel bearings? I was planning on putting new wheel bearings on it anyway but I can't seem to find any civilian part numbers for the wheel bearings and seals. Does anyone know the civilian part numbers ( NAPA ? ) for these? How hard are they to change? Do you think that a guy with no experience replaceing wheel bearings could do it with the TM? Any help you can give me would be appreciated!

Also does anyone have a part number for the shocks? One of mine is bent at about a 90 degree angle. Thanks, I appreciate your help.

Does sound like the bearings are going out or the spindle nut is too tight..
Try searching and you will find the part numbers.. They are there.. ODIron has the bearings...

 

[porkysplace]

Either way you should just tear it down and inspect everything , with it coming from GL
If you don't already have it youn download the TM from : www.jatonkam35s.com

 

[coyotegray]

Also, be sure to inspect the bolts on the surge brake/frame. I have come across several A2's that were missing one or more or they were very loose.

 

[doghead]

Without a thorough disassemble and inspection, anything we say is just a guess. We've seen them without spindle nuts, with dry bearings, wrong parts, missing hardware that holds the pintle on, etc. You purchased a used piece of surplus that you know absolutely NO history of it's use or maintenance.

Your brake may be dragging from a sticking brake cable.. Try releasing the brake handle and wiggling the flexible steel wrapped cable vigorously to see if that helps reduce your brake drag.

 

[Recovry4x4]

As a quick check, try rotating the brake handle adjuster counter clockwise to relieve some of the adjustment of the parking brakes. Changing wheelbearings is so simple, a caveman can do it.

 

[dubois9837]

Thanks alot for all the help. I think I might replace bearings and seals first and look for any missing or damaged parts during replacement. If that does not solve it, I'll start looking at the brake and cable. Right now I think it's a toss up between the wheel bearing and a sticking brake drum.

 

[Barrman]

There is no need to replace anything until you take it apart and inspect all the pieces. A new bearing will fail just as fast as an old one if there isn't grease on it, tighten too much or too loose. Take it apart before you buy anything. Unless you just want to have a spare set sitting around for future use.

Download and read the manual for the trailer. The hydraulic brakes can be adjusted by moving the shoes. The hand brake can be adjusted at the handle and the bearings have to be pre loaded properly. Unless all 3 are correct, things won't work correctly.

The little 101 trailers are super easy to work on. I picked one up last month that had dry bearings on one side. 10 minutes and a hub swap from my other 101 and all was well to go down the road 400 miles home.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yeah, I can't imagine it would take more than an hour to go through it.

 

[harleyhouse]

Remove the hub and inspect everything before you spend any money
Buy a tub of wheel bearing grease to start. The hardest part of removing the hub on my M101A2 was taking off th two philips head drum retaining screws.
I used an impact tool. and it worked fine.

Remove the drum, then pull the cotter pin, retaining spindle nut cap, Castle hub nut then the hub. Inspect the bearings for heat or water damage.
and that the rubber saels look soft.
see that all of the roller bearings are present and the race is not damaged.

Take a shop rag and solvent and clean them well.
pack them well with the new wheel bearing grease and add more into the hub. More not Mess!

With the hub on tighten the spindle nut tight with a wrench to seat the bearings then back off 1/8 turn.
Spin the hub on the spindle and see how it feels. replace the spindle nut retainer and cotter pin.

Snap the dust cap back on, mount the drum and you are good to go.

 

[Barrman]

You can pull the hub with the brake drum still attached. Makes things go faster and it is easier to turn the drums in a brake lathe if you are going to get that done.

 

[dubois9837]

Thanks again guys. I guess it does make more sense to wait and see exactly what it needs before I just purchase stuff for the sake of replaceing it. I spoke to a old friend of mine that served 7 years on active duty in the Army and is still serving in the PA ANG who has quite abit of experience working on these and he thinks it sounds like the brake just needs adjusted or the bearing is dry. Says that it's pretty rare for a bearing to fail in these trailers and that most of these trailers are lucky to leave the motor pool one or two times a year. I know I spent 4 years in a Engineer Co. @ Fort Bragg and I don't ever recall seeing our M101 trailers move in that time. We used our low boy trailers to transport our heavy equipment every week but all the smaller stuff never moved.

 

[3dAngus]

You need to follow the brake line from the handle to the hub. The forklifts that pick these trailers up pinch that corregated cable sometimes, and even when the brake handle is released, the brake will bind from the crimped cable not fully releasing the brake iaw the normal release procedure. If the cable is crimped, you need see if you can get it perfectly straight and retest with wheel up, but then, it could still bind again "inside" the cable sheath, so you might have to replace anyway. A couple pair of good pliers should work when trying to straighten it out, if, that turns out to be your problem. You would need to bend it in the opposite direction more than straight in order to straighten out the inside cable.