Question about trailer brakes

[Lonesome715]

How do the trailer brakes work on these trailers? I have two empty drums and crimped off brake lines. Is it really worth dropping the money to get it all working again? Also, how do the brakes know when to engage? I am assuming the big rectangular object on the tongue has something to do with that.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I am not an expert, but I play one on TV. Anyway, the box attached to the lunette of the trailer rides on rails. When you slow down that allows the master cyl inside the box to slide against a push rod, which in turn pushes fluid out of the master cyl and down the line to the wheel cyls. They expand and apply pressure to the brake pads which causes friction on the brake drum, and you slow down.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yes, I feel it would be to your advantage to hook the brake system back up. If you have more specific questions, please post up.

 

[Lonesome715]

Thanks for the heads up. My issue is the cost. I was thinking about just going with electronic rakes because they are cheaper. I am assuming anyway because I do not know where I cane get the brake hardware for this specific application.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Somebody should post part numbers here soon. I doubt electric would be any cheaper than returning you trailer brakes to stock.

 

[swbradley1]

I'm not sure how you would put electric brakes on the trailer short of replacing the axle. My Brother just did a tandem civi trailer and I think he just went to a camping place and got everything. They had the parts, he already had the electric brake axles.

I think Gimp is right, if you want to do it you may want to put original equipment back on.

sw

 

[RKBA]

converting to electric requires a new axle, the breakaway switch and a breakaway battery. Keeping the hydraulics would be cheaper/easier assuming that your drums and surge coupler are serviceable.

If you are willing to give up the parking brake feature, you can get brand new complete ready to bolt in hydraulic brake assemblies from etrailer.com for as little as $70 per side:

Trailer Brakes Hydraulic Brakes Brake Assemblies 12 x 2 Inch : etrailer.com

The only place I have seen the brake assemblies that retain the parking brake is directly from Dexter. They do jump up to $235 per side that way.

Dexter Axle - Trailer Axles and Running Gear Components - 12" x 2" Brakes

 

[emmado22]

Nice M101A3 trailer..

 

[glcaines]

I would bring the brakes back to stock. Much less work and expense and the surge brakes work quite well. Brake lines from NAPA are cheap.

 

[Lonesome715]

Wow, that is pretty cheap. $70 per side is a whole lot less than I would have thought it would be. Now the question stand, are the civi parts the same as the gubermant parts?

 

[m16ty]

Much less work and expense and the surge brakes work quite well.

Yes, they do work quite well except when backing. While I'm not familiar with the M101 trailers, most surge brake systems have a way to lock it out while backing up.

 

[Lonesome715]

Before I start dropping money I do not have right now on brake parts, how can I varify the surge thing works?

 

[RKBA]

Wow, that is pretty cheap. $70 per side is a whole lot less than I would have thought it would be. Now the question stand, are the civi parts the same as the gubermant parts?

Those particular brakes aren't the "same" but they should bolt right on. (at least they will on the A2 trailer I had.) If you have a five bolt brake flange and 12x2 drums they will work.

The cheaper marine style you are looking at are single servo, free backing w/o parking brake. The will certainly get the job done; those are very common trailer brakes for large/heavy boats.

The original A2 brakes were Dexter dual servo 12x2 w/parking brake. Dexter will sell you the exact thing that came on the trailer from the factory at about $230 per side or so.

I haven't dug into the brakes of an A3 like yours, but I would be really surprised if it was any different. Everything in the braking system of these is actually commercially produced trailer bits, they just happen to be very HD and not commonly used on general purpose trailers most folks are used to working on.

 

[RKBA]

Before I start dropping money I do not have right now on brake parts, how can I varify the surge thing works?

I would download a copy of the tech pub and follow the maintenance procedure. The surge coupler is just a simple pressure actuated master cylinder. If it pumps fluid while being operated and doesn't leak, I would call it good to go.

The surge actuator that I had on mine was an OD green painted Toledo Acuator. Parts and supplies are still available for it.

Toledo Actuators | Balcrank Products Inc. Customer Service 800-747-5300 Fax 800-763-0840

You can even interchange the lunette coupler with a ball mount or adjustable channel if you are so inclined.

 

[Lonesome715]

Thanks man, that was very helpful information. I dubt I will go back with the parking brake, but for $70 a side I think it would be wise to at least go with those.

One more thing, how do thses type of brake do off road?

 

[RKBA]

Thanks man, that was very helpful information. I dubt I will go back with the parking brake, but for $70 a side I think it would be wise to at least go with those.

One more thing, how do thses type of brake do off road?

I hear you; I can buy a lot of wheel chocks for the extra hundred and sixty bucks it costs to get the brakes w/parking feature.

My OPINION of surge brakes and a lunette coupler for off road use is pretty low. I find that the normal play in that style hitch combined with rough terrain makes the brakes engage/disengage rather more violently than I like. Others may have different experiences with that. My tow vehicles are on the light side and that may play into my impression.

I suppose for rough terrain you could simply use the reverse lockout feature of the actuator, but that sort of defeats the purpose of having brakes!

 

[Lonesome715]

Those are good points. I do want to use this to pull behind a truck when I am on moderate trails, but the surge thing was troubling me as well. I will have to get the brakes working then see if it will work for me off road.