Infrared thermometer

[zelmo]

I want to get an infrared thermometer to monitor the temperatures of my hubs. Once I have it where do I take the reading from? Does the heat transfer to the wheel or do I actually need to get a reading on the hub?

Also - keeping in mind the old adage you get what you pay for - any recommendations on one that won't break the bank?

[transdep1]

I bought one from Harbour Freight.....use it to shoot a/c vents in house... Works ok

[CatFan]

The cheap ones work fine for what you are using them for. They are more accurate when they’ve had a chance to come to ambient temperature. If you pull them out of the air conditioned truck into a 90 degree parking lot, the numbers will be strange.

But it doesn’t really matter since you are looking for differences from wheel to wheel or tire to tire. If you have a Bearing Buddy or similar cap on your hub, measure there. I have thick aluminum center caps, so I measure the wheel next to the cap. I measure the tire sidewalls too. 3-5 degrees difference from the side in the sun to the other side isn’t unusual.

I use a cheap thermometer from Harbor Freight. I gave about $40 many years ago and it has done fine.

[zelmo]

Thanks. I would think consistency is more important than accuracy for what we are doing with them. Once you know how much yours is off you can adjust.

Having said that can you point it at boiling water to determine a base line?

Also, if it needs to be at ambient temperature I guess you should keep it in a boat compartment and not in the truck.

[zelmo]

I got one at Harbor Freight and played around with it in the garage. Seems to be fairly accurate.

If the ambient temperature is 80 degrees what temperature should the hubs be after a drive that didn’t have excessive braking?

[CatFan]

I got one at Harbor Freight and played around with it in the garage. Seems to be fairly accurate.

If the ambient temperature is 80 degrees what temperature should the hubs be after a drive that didn’t have excessive braking?

Brakes get hot even when not being used. Pads run against the rotors all the time. Actual temp depends on where you measure.

[zelmo]

Actual temp depends on where you measure.

How about the hub at the outside bearing location?

[CatFan]

How about the hub at the outside bearing location?

I normally see something like 150-175 on the brake axle and 95-100 on the non-brake. Depends on a lot of things though.

[Warrenroadie]

I use the one from Harbor Freight also like transdep1. The better ones will have the ability to adjust emissivity. Just aim directly at hub for closest possible reading from one of these devices. After some readings you will have an idea of your normal readings and then know when you have an issue to address.

[Bob G.]

My brake hubs will run around 120 on a hot day and non-brake hubs around 100 or less. I checked them last week when I got home and all 4 were around 100 or less.

[zelmo]

Thanks guys. That is just what I need to know.

Does anybody monitor them and wait to launch until they have dropped to a certain temp?

[wmitch2]

It really doesn't matter WHERE you take the temp, as long as you take it at the SAME place on all. What you're looking for is a big DIFFERENCE in the wheel temperature. I have Vortex hubs and are covered by a wheel center "Cap", so I take the reading just outside of the cap on each wheel. This is the closest to the hub. I take my meter on mostly all trips, but especially on longer trips and try to check it after 2hr then at least every 3 hrs.

[Bob G.]

Thanks guys. That is just what I need to know.

Does anybody monitor them and wait to launch until they have dropped to a certain temp?

By time I prep my boat in the parking lot, they should be cool enough to launch.

[86 inches]

More data:

This morning after my 40 minute drive to the lake I saw 100 - 104. Ambient temp was probably 77.
When I left the lake ambient was about 100 or so. When I got home hubs were 124 -127. (Reading off wheel hubs just behind the bearing buddies)

[zelmo]

Thank you.

I went to the lake this morning and left off the lug cover. I shot the temp all around the hubs and both wheels when I got to the ramp. With ambient temp of 65 the readings were between 105 and 110 depending on where I marked.

It doesn't take me very long to prep once I am there so the temp only dropped about 5 degrees when I put in the water. It doesn't look like I got any water sucked in this time.