Remove surge brakes from

[AFM]

Just got a S/A trailer chassis at auction. I got it to use it for some light hauling. I would like to lower it get some standard trailer tires. I want to replace the pintle and get rid of the hydraulic surge brakes. I tried a search but couldn’t find anything on removing the surge brake. Does anybody have some advice on removing the hydraulics?

edited to try and clarify

 

[Mullaney]

Just got a S/A trailer chassis at auction. I got it to use it for some light hauling and would like to lower it get some standard trailer tires for it replace the pintle and get rid of the hydraulic brakes. I tried a search but couldn’t find anything. Does anybody have some advice on removing the hydraulics?

.
So... If you are going to remove the hydraulic brakes - does that mean you have no need for brakes at all? These hydraulics could definitely be repaired (assuming they don't work?).

If you don't need brakes at all and another assumption - and you mentioned removing the pintle - I am guessing that you are a welder? Or know somebody that can?

Couple of ideas.

One is to measure the width of the springs, then measure the body and head out to the local "pull-a-part" or maybe the local scrapyard. See if you can find a straight axle that would fit onto your springs and bolt in place. That would net you matching rims if you do a little planning. Look only at a Dodge or only at Fords or Chevrolet axles to make that possible. Heck, you might be able to sell your axle for as much or maybe more than whatever you have to buy.

Back to the surge brakes and removing the pintle: The pintle and that master cylinder is something that could be sold too. It should unplug from the trailer in one big piece. And then the welder guy (or you) can fabricate the ball hitch to fit your tow vehicle. Could be done with bolts, but welding would be a lot safer...

Maybe some of the other guys will chip in with ideas too.

 

[chucky]

Just my 2 cents but your wrecking a really good trailer ! It has torsalastic suspension axle that needs no mods for the sise trailer it is and i wished every bumper pull trailer i had was surge brake ! Electric trailer brakes on trailers are one notch above having NOTHING ! Hell ive been trying to get one of the trailers you just got but around here local and cant find one at a non-rape price but no luck ! I would just find another trailer with electric brakes and leaf spring to use for whatever before butchering that one up ! You can just get/make a piece of bar stock with a 2in ball receiver on it if you dont like pintle hitches just pull the pin out of yours slide the pintle out and the new one in and off to the races !

 

[MarkM]

What is the main reason for doing away with brakes? I have an M101A2 and absolutely love the setup. You can obviously go with smaller tires to lower the trailer. Awfully nice trailer to change this around. Just my .02 cents.

Mark

 

[porkysplace]

Odds are that trailer has a GVWR that requires brakes .

 

[chucky]

Odds are that trailer has a GVWR that requires brakes .

Hear in Tn a single axle not used for compensation do not have to have tags and the empty wt. is i think 1400 lbs gvw 4200 lbs

 

[glcaines]

You should keep the trailer as is. It is a very nice trailer and the surge brakes work great and are significantly better than no brakes. Just get a pintle hitch for your 2" receiver. Pintle hitches are much more secure than ball hitches. If the hitch on the towing vehicle is too low, you can get a 2" riser hitch for your receiver that that will effectively raise your hitch to the proper height for the trailer.

 

[AFM]

Odds are that trailer has a GVWR that requires brakes .

You are correct I did not think to check that honestly. The GVWR is 4200 lb which requires brakes. I was thinking about the M1101 which doesn’t require brakes because it’s under 4K lbs.

.
So... If you are going to remove the hydraulic brakes - does that mean you have no need for brakes at all? These hydraulics could definitely be repaired (assuming they don't work?).

If you don't need brakes at all and another assumption - and you mentioned removing the pintle - I am guessing that you are a welder? Or know somebody that can?

Couple of ideas.

One is to measure the width of the springs, then measure the body and head out to the local "pull-a-part" or maybe the local scrapyard. See if you can find a straight axle that would fit onto your springs and bolt in place. That would net you matching rims if you do a little planning. Look only at a Dodge or only at Fords or Chevrolet axles to make that possible. Heck, you might be able to sell your axle for as much or maybe more than whatever you have to buy.

Back to the surge brakes and removing the pintle: The pintle and that master cylinder is something that could be sold too. It should unplug from the trailer in one big piece. And then the welder guy (or you) can fabricate the ball hitch to fit your tow vehicle. Could be done with bolts, but welding would be a lot safer...

Maybe some of the other guys will chip in with ideas too.

I am planning to keep the axle and suspension. Just looking at smaller tires.

Hear in Tn a single axle not used for compensation do not have to have tags and the empty wt. is i think 1400 lbs gvw 4200 lbs

Tag says empty weight is 1170 gvwr is 4200. I wish NC didn’t require tags.


I got this honesty just to haul the trash and recycling to the town center. Only private pick up by me and the center is only a mile away. The cheapest trailer I could find around me was $1000 and I had to build it myself. I figured for $700 this could do the job.

 

[juanprado]

Keep the brakes.
Buy a simple riser with a pintle hook. Or a combo unit. Low $
Tag it in Maine. Much cheaper and easier than any other state.
Ymmv

 

[porkysplace]

You are correct I did not think to check that honestly. The GVWR is 4200 lb which requires brakes. I was thinking about the M1101 which doesn’t require brakes because it’s under 4K lbs.




I am planning to keep the axle and suspension. Just looking at smaller tires.




Tag says empty weight is 1170 gvwr is 4200. I wish NC didn’t require tags.


I got this honesty just to haul the trash and recycling to the town center. Only private pick up by me and the center is only a mile away. The cheapest trailer I could find around me was $1000 and I had to build it myself. I figured for $700 this could do the job.

Here in Michigan any trailer over #2500 empty weight has to be titled. Any GVWR over #3000 has to have brakes .

 

[98G]

Opening the bleeders should disable the brakes.
But I honestly can't imagine why you woukd want to.

 

[flyfishtrailer]

And of course, if you keep the axle/brakes on it, you also keep the important part not mentioned yet.....parking brakes for when you want to walk away and not have the trailer disappear down the hill.

 

[AFM]

And of course, if you keep the axle/brakes on it, you also keep the important part not mentioned yet.....parking brakes for when you want to walk away and not have the trailer disappear down the hill.

It should be possible to remove the hydraulic surge on the tongue but still have the parking brakes if I don’t remove the actual brakes right? Those levers don’t activate the hydraulics and the hydraulics shouldn’t need to work for the brakes to stay installed right

 

[Coug]

If you remove the hydraulic surge you can still use the parking brake.

The below info is if you are wanting to get rid of the surge brake assembly because you don't want the pintle ring. As you are legally required by your state to have trailer brakes, I can't recommend removing them or disabling them.



95% certain it's a Dexter Marine model 6 surge brake assembly. Only real difference is the military uses a cast housing, where the civilian version uses sheet steel.
parts breakdown

Model 6 - Titan Parts Breakdown by Dexter Marine

Croft Trailer Supply is your One-Stop Trailer Shop. Buy trailers, parts and accessories, or have your trailer serviced or repaired by the best in the industry.

www.crofttrailer.com

Over at Croft Trailer Supply they have different inner slides you can install, such as the adjustable height one (not listed on the above parts breakdown)

47451 --- Inner Slide with four hole Channel - Model 6

Croft Trailer Supply is your One-Stop Trailer Shop. Buy trailers, parts and accessories, or have your trailer serviced or repaired by the best in the industry.

www.crofttrailer.com

Then you buy the hitch of your choice, whether it's a pintle ring or a ball type.
for 2" ball I believe this one will work (same channel diameter, but I don't know enough about them to know if it's an industry standard hole spacing)

05823-81 --- Demco Slide-Lock Adjustable 2" Coupler - 7,000 lbs Capacity

Croft Trailer Supply is your One-Stop Trailer Shop. Buy trailers, parts and accessories, or have your trailer serviced or repaired by the best in the industry.

www.crofttrailer.com

I've read many comments in the past about Croft being helpful, so if you're interested in going this route maybe give them a call.

 

[AFM]

If you remove the hydraulic surge you can still use the parking brake.

The below info is if you are wanting to get rid of the surge brake assembly because you don't want the pintle ring. As you are legally required by your state to have trailer brakes, I can't recommend removing them or disabling them.



95% certain it's a Dexter Marine model 6 surge brake assembly. Only real difference is the military uses a cast housing, where the civilian version uses sheet steel.
parts breakdown

Model 6 - Titan Parts Breakdown by Dexter Marine

Croft Trailer Supply is your One-Stop Trailer Shop. Buy trailers, parts and accessories, or have your trailer serviced or repaired by the best in the industry.

www.crofttrailer.com

Over at Croft Trailer Supply they have different inner slides you can install, such as the adjustable height one (not listed on the above parts breakdown)

47451 --- Inner Slide with four hole Channel - Model 6

Croft Trailer Supply is your One-Stop Trailer Shop. Buy trailers, parts and accessories, or have your trailer serviced or repaired by the best in the industry.

www.crofttrailer.com

Then you buy the hitch of your choice, whether it's a pintle ring or a ball type.
for 2" ball I believe this one will work (same channel diameter, but I don't know enough about them to know if it's an industry standard hole spacing)

05823-81 --- Demco Slide-Lock Adjustable 2" Coupler - 7,000 lbs Capacity

Croft Trailer Supply is your One-Stop Trailer Shop. Buy trailers, parts and accessories, or have your trailer serviced or repaired by the best in the industry.

www.crofttrailer.com

I've read many comments in the past about Croft being helpful, so if you're interested in going this route maybe give them a call.

I will look into this if it works for this trailer will have to try it on the m1101 too. I didn’t want to get rid of the brakes to get rid of the pintle I just want to get it so I could connect the trailer without a huge riser. This looks like it might help that and with smaller tires I might be at a good height

 

[Coug]

I will look into this if it works for this trailer will have to try it on the m1101 too. I didn’t want to get rid of the brakes to get rid of the pintle I just want to get it so I could connect the trailer without a huge riser. This looks like it might help that and with smaller tires I might be at a good height

Several other people in the past have had the ring cut off and the channel welded on in it's place, which would allow you to have it more offset/lower, then add the bolt on coupler of your choice. Should only be done by a reputable weld shop.

Looking at just the channels, a 5 position one that would give you greater height adjustments is only about $40 before shipping, and could probably find one cheaper out there. The amount of price difference is probably more than enough to get a shop to do the welding for you.

Bulldog AC500 5-Position Adjustable Channel

Used with Cast Head or Stamped Steel Adjustable Couplers, this 5-position channel can be welded or bolted to front of a trailer. Mounting hardware is not i

www.reese-hitches.com

adjustable height lunette ring

Wallace Forge 909330 Forged Adjustable Tow Ring

Forged 3 inch I.D. x 1-3/8 inch Tow Ring rated 25,000 lbs.<br>Fits in 2-7/8" I.D. adjustable channel. <br/><br/>This item requires a <a href=/product

www.reese-hitches.com

I might end up doing this to my M1102 at some point, or my DRASH trailer chassis if I start towing it more often behind the puckups, because I really don't like using hitch risers either

 

[AFM]

Several other people in the past have had the ring cut off and the channel welded on in it's place, which would allow you to have it more offset/lower, then add the bolt on coupler of your choice. Should only be done by a reputable weld shop.

Looking at just the channels, a 5 position one that would give you greater height adjustments is only about $40 before shipping, and could probably find one cheaper out there. The amount of price difference is probably more than enough to get a shop to do the welding for you.

Bulldog AC500 5-Position Adjustable Channel

Used with Cast Head or Stamped Steel Adjustable Couplers, this 5-position channel can be welded or bolted to front of a trailer. Mounting hardware is not i

www.reese-hitches.com

adjustable height lunette ring

Wallace Forge 909330 Forged Adjustable Tow Ring

Forged 3 inch I.D. x 1-3/8 inch Tow Ring rated 25,000 lbs.<br>Fits in 2-7/8" I.D. adjustable channel. <br/><br/>This item requires a <a href=/product

www.reese-hitches.com

I might end up doing this to my M1102 at some point, or my DRASH trailer chassis if I start towing it more often behind the puckups, because I really don't like using hitch risers either

I did that to my last m1102 it worked pretty good. Original idea here was to make the changes reversible which that wasn’t but I might just go that way.

I did see on here a guy who who chopped the trailer to raise the axle and lower the trailer I might just look into that sinceit seems that taking off the brakes does seem like an idea people like.

 

[Coug]

looking at the pricing, the 3" lunette slider is apparently only sold by Croft, and they say it's over $400 for a replacement, so if you want reversible the 4 hole one I linked earlier is probably a better option.
Though occasionally you can pick up the entire surge assembly from auction for cheap. A couple years ago I bought a pallet of 9 surge assemblies brand new for under $500, so to me modifying one doesn't seem as permanent. (and no, I don't have them all anymore; just a spare for me)

 

[kblazer87]

Smaller tires and a reasonably sized riser for your receiver should be all you need to get a good ride height on your trailer.
I am not a fan of excessive to near ridiculous riser height adjustments.
They can and have caused hitch failures due to over stressing the hitch and receiver.
Also the m1101 and m1102 are the same trailer. Only difference between the two is which hmmwv the trailer was to be hitched to. So if you already have an m1101, which you say doesn't need tags, it will handle the same weight the m1102 will even though data plate lists different max gross weights.

 

[G744]

Ball hitches are strictly prohibited here at the radio ranch.

Pintle hook and lunette ring only. Even have one for our Tiguan.

Really cuts down on friends wanting to borrow trailers.