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M105 trailer brakes, elec conversion?

MatthewH

Member
401
3
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Location
Boyne City Mi
I recently aquired an M105 engineers trailer with the hydraulic tailgate. Long story short i decided to keep the trailer whole since it is practially new and everything works. However, it is missing some of the brake componites, mainly the master cylinder and a couple of lines.

I was wondering if somebody made a kit to convert the brakes on a 105 trailer to electric, or if somebody has done this by pieceing togeather parts from a junkyard. The reason i ask is i don't own a duece and would like to use this trailer behind my M887 or other civy trucks with elec trailer brakes.

Thanks in advance
 

papakb

Well-known member
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San Jose, Ca
I researched putting electric brakes on a 101 trailer a few years back and found that unless I had some custom made backing plates made up there wasn't any way to have both electric brakes and keep the trailers original emergency brakes. This may have been because the guy I was talking to just didn't want to be bothered with it.


I know that Stockton Wheel Service does custom work and they might be able to help you. Here's a link to their website: Stockton Wheel Service - Custome Wheels

Even though the 105s aren't that much larger than the 101s, I think you'll find them too heavy to pull practically with your 887.


Kurt Lesser
 
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Nonotagain

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Parkville, MD
Even though the 105s aren't that much larger than the 101s, I think you'll find them too heavy to pull practically with your 887.


Kurt Lesser
Say what? Not that much larger??

A M105 weighs in at 2750 lbs. verses a M101A2 or A3 at 1300 lbs. It's a lot larger.

Until you see both trailers side by side you really can't appreciate the size difference.


MatthewH
If you want to keep the trailer replace the axle with a commercial axle that has brakes and install a set of 8 lug wheels that are common to the M880.
 

MatthewH

Member
401
3
18
Location
Boyne City Mi
MatthewH
If you want to keep the trailer replace the axle with a commercial axle that has brakes and install a set of 8 lug wheels that are common to the M880.
Yeah, after some research i found it would be easier to swap axles in favor of a commercial one. I my try a surge unit off a 101 or a civy unit just to keep the height of the trailer, since it is a good height for working off of. I"ll post some pics when i'm done with the overall project.
 

blybrook

Member
310
1
18
Location
Fairbanks, AK
Don't use a 6k dexter drop axle if you plan to utilize the trailer to it's full potential. It'll bend the axle. Am having this problem currently after about 20 uses and was told that since I didn't follow their recommended spring distance (hard to do without major modifications to the trailer), they voided the warranty.

Probably best to get a surge controller and utilize the stock axle.
 

Oldfart

Active member
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Location
Centennial,CO
I agree with the electric over hydraulic actuator. It works fine on converting surge brakes to electric controllers and gives better control with situations like backing up etc. (Just cost more than a surge system.)
 
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Chief_919

Well-known member
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103
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Location
Western NC
I see it says that this controller is for "Disc Brakes". Are the brakes on the trailer disc or drum??
They are drum, but this still works fine. They label it disc because outside the military market you don't see many trailers with hydraulic drum brakes anymore.

A friend of mine used one of those units on a 105 he converted to a dump and it works wonders. Granted after that and making it dump and smaller tires, he has almost $1500 tied up in a 105 trailer, but he built it to be exactly what he wanted.
 
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el_magico

New member
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Location
Thornton, CO
They are drum, but this still works fine. They label it disc because outside the military market you don't see many trailers with hydraulic drum brakes anymore.

A friend of mine used one of those units on a 105 he converted to a dump and it works wonders. Granted after that and making it dump and smaller tires, he has almost $1500 tied up in a 105 trailer, but he built it to be exactly what he wanted.
Thanks for the info. :beer:
 

blybrook

Member
310
1
18
Location
Fairbanks, AK
Get the controller similar to what is shown in post #7, then reroute the hydraulic line to the controller along with adding the correct wiring to the system.

The controllers run about the same price as an axle (depending on location). In the long run, its an easier swap.

Good luck.
 

Chief_919

Well-known member
2,050
103
63
Location
Western NC
Last edited:

Ray70

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
West greenwich/RI
I know this is a super old thread, but incase any of you guys are still considering an electric / Hydraulic conversion, I just did the conversion on an MEP-005A dual wheel generator and trailer.
I used a Hydrastar HBA 10 1000psi electric actuator along with their battery / breakaway kit and wiring kit.
The conversion was pretty simple and fit very well.
Took some time to remove all the old air components, mount the unit and most time consuming was to run , cut and crimp the wires and make everything look nice and neat, using their junction box enclosure to keep it neat and keep all the connections enclosed in the box where they can be unbolted if ever needed.

Very simple conversion, but takes a full day or more.
I also swapped to 12V bulbs and added a couple orange marker lights at the wide point of the fenders, just for night visibility and safety.

The generator unit is about 4500 lbs. and the buyer has to tow it a LONG way home through the mountains so he wanted to have brakes that could be run off his 3/4 ton pickup truck.

The Hydrastar unit was the easiest but possibly not the cheapest solution. Probably cost about $1000 in parts alone.
 

flyfishtrailer

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
566
1,083
93
Location
Cool, CA
I know this is a super old thread, but incase any of you guys are still considering an electric / Hydraulic conversion, I just did the conversion on an MEP-005A dual wheel generator and trailer.
I used a Hydrastar HBA 10 1000psi electric actuator along with their battery / breakaway kit and wiring kit.
The conversion was pretty simple and fit very well.
Took some time to remove all the old air components, mount the unit and most time consuming was to run , cut and crimp the wires and make everything look nice and neat, using their junction box enclosure to keep it neat and keep all the connections enclosed in the box where they can be unbolted if ever needed.

Very simple conversion, but takes a full day or more.
I also swapped to 12V bulbs and added a couple orange marker lights at the wide point of the fenders, just for night visibility and safety.

The generator unit is about 4500 lbs. and the buyer has to tow it a LONG way home through the mountains so he wanted to have brakes that could be run off his 3/4 ton pickup truck.

The Hydrastar unit was the easiest but possibly not the cheapest solution. Probably cost about $1000 in parts alone.
I did the same with my MKT. Installation was easy, only parts needed were the brake actuator, an adapter for the actuator to the military brake line and a mounting plate for the actuator. The brake away battery box fit on the plate for the air tank and a simple bracket attached to the frame for the actuator and it worked fine. There was a thread on here somewhere that actually had links to all the parts and they were all spot on. I will try and find it an attach the link here as well. I used the Dexter. They make 2 versions, one for disc brakes and one for drum brakes.
 
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