Please explain differance between Surge brake and "brake-away brake?

[tuckered]

I have seen several posts about "brake-away" brakes and "surge" brakes for m-101 trailers. Are folks calling the same things by different names or are they different things? It seems as though some a1's, a2's and a3's have surge brakes and others do not. My GL trailer does not have the large box near the pintle hook, so no surge brakes on my trailer. (stinks for me). But may it have brake-away brakes?

It does have the standard hand brakes.\\TY


I'm thinking about getting another one, and make a portable deer stand out of one.

 

[Derrickl112]

They are not the same thing. Breakaway kits are designed to bring trailers safely to a stop by activating the brakes should a trailer disconnect from the tow vehicle during transit. Ideally, the safety chains will prevent a trailer from disconnecting if the coupler comes off the ball. However, if the safety chains fail, the breakaway kit acts as a last line of defense against a runaway trailer.


http://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailer-breakaway-kit-installation.aspx


its not a military setup....but same concept

 

[LanceRobson]

tuckered, the surge brakes are hydraulic brakes that have a brake master cylinder on top of the telescoping trailer tongue. When the towing vehicle slows down the trailer surges forward and compresses the fluid in the master cylinder which in turn sends brake fluid under pressure to the wheel cylinders. When the brakes activae and the trailer slows down to the same (or slower) speed as the towing vehicle the trailer draws back from the towing vehicle on the telescoping tongue, the pressure drops and the brakes stop working. The master cylinder has a shock absorber mounted to it to keep the braking action smoother.

The break away action comes from a lever on top of the master cylinder assembly that has a chain attached to it. The chain has a snap hook which is hooked to the towing vehicle. If the trailer breaks away from the towing vehicle the chain pulls the lever up and notches on the bottom of the lever engage a spring plate on top of the brake master cylinder assembly. This in turn pressurizes the master cylinder and sets the brakes. The notched lever and spring lock plate ensures that the brakes lock up and stay locked until you manually lift the locking plate and release the brake pressure.

All surge brakes have a similar break away function.

Electrically operated trailer brakes require a trailer mounted battery to activate the brakes in the event of a trailer break away and are usually activated when a pin is pulled out by the safety chain which allows a spring loaded switch to close and activate the brakes. Any trailer with service brakes requires some sort of functioning break away feature.

If you tow a trailer with a break away chain and you are using a receiver hitch, especially a long one that accepts stabilizer bars you often need to lengthen the chain. In all cases there must be enough slack that the chain does not get pulled when the trailer is almost jack knifed.

Hope this helps

Lance

 

[tuckered]

Thank you for the info. . . The trailers in my old Army unit did not have either brake system on them. I guess either I was in a In a cheapo unit or I predated that stuff. . . or I'm just older than I thought.

 

[Westech]

Old

 

[englishmauser]

Just wondering, do they use silicone brake fluid for the 101 trailers with surge brakes?

 

[Westech]

yes