Wheel locked up ....... do I need these damn brakes?

[Hannibal]

Well, after working all winter to eliminate the "bugs" on my boat, I thought I had everything taken care of. Took advantage of busted Mem. Day weekend plans to seize an oppertunity on the water. After prepping the boat and hooking up to the truck, I went to pull out of my driveway to find that the front drivers side wheel was locked up on my trailer (Load Rite tandem axle). For about 15 minutes, I switched between forward and reverse. I even got out to bang on the drum (surge brakes) all in an attempt to free them up. This has happend to me before (on this same wheel) and a little "prodding" usually solves the issue. Finally, after dragging the tire out of it's gravel parking spot and onto asphalt, she freed up. So I thought. After about 5 minutes of driving, she was blasting smoke. So I limped her back home and put her away. The drum was terribly hot. Really, everything was.

I am convinced the brakes have seized up - most likely due to corrosion. They get rinsed after each trip but the trailer ends up sitting for several weeks at a time.

My question is, being that it's a tandem with brakes all around - can I just strip the brake guts from inside the drum and go about my business? I pull the boat (2110) with a new Silverado 2500 HD. I am quite confident that the truck can handle the weight easily. I don't travel far to the ramps (maybe 25 miles tops) and am Sunday driver with the boat.

I know some trailers don't even have brakes at all so I am trying to figure out if I really need them (all the way around).

Brakes are a sore spot for me. I've done heads/cam swaps on pony cars before; however, I've always been anxious about touching the brakes.

 

[Megabyte]

Best advice I can give is to remove the drum brakes and replace them with a disc brake kit.
The kit will include everything you need for the conversion to include the disc brake spec coupler.

Best prices I have found is at Eastern Marine in Newark, DE.

http://www.easternmarine.com/

 

[Hannibal]

I thought about doing this - haven't done much looking into the expense. Is there any advantage/disadvantage with going with electric? I believe my truck is rigged for this.

 

[Megabyte]

Some folks here have considered electric over hydraulic, but not straight electric.
Electric brakes are generally reserved for travel trailers, not for something that gets immersed in salt water.

Check out Easterns web site for an idea on the cost for a kit, then give them a call.
I think they do installations too if you aren't comfortable doing it yourself.

Another option is Daves Trailers in Glen Burnie.
http://davestrailersales.com/

 

[miky2884]

No brakes on my trailer, Sick of having that problem, then again I use my trailer twice a year and go no more then 2 miles round trip to the ramp. I know here in CT in order to register your trailer if its tandem axle the brakes must be operational.

 

[WAJSKI]

is it front or rear brake? I would eliminate the pair(l/r). I don,t think just getting rid of the problem brake will work. I have dulaxle trailer with brakes on one axle but they are disc. I would repair the problem with disc brakes if you have or get into a accident there might be a liabilty issue, put discs on one axle.

 

[Hannibal]

Front brake. I've thought about all the options:

1) Remove front brakes on both sides leaving just brakes on the back axle.
2) Replacing both front brakes with new.
3) Removing all brakes and replacing with disc.

Cheapest/easiest is to simply eliminate the front brakes. I don't think I'd have any issues just having the back brakes in use (we aren't talking about 10,000lb boat) but then again, when it comes down to it - you are talking about a couple hundred bucks for more safety vs. a saving a couple hundred bucks for less safety.

At the end of the day, I just want something functional that doesn't have to be dealt with constantly (aside from normal maintanance and wash offs).

After spending all winter working out the kinks of the boat (really a process over the past 2 years), I was about at my snapping point when the freaking trailer acted up. For just a split second, I considered seeing where the flash point was on that wheel ..................... :twisted: :shock:

 

[Parkerman]

No brakes on my rig and I trailer like a mad man with a much smaller truck- dodge Dakota with a factory tow package.

 

[windknotnc]

I do not have brakes on my 21SE with tandem axle trailer and have no problems with 1500 Chevy Truck or Ford Expedition. My boat and trailer weighs 5000lb easily. When I had the 23SE I did have brakes and they were problematic also. I ended up putting anti seize grease between the components in the brakes so they would not stick...worked for a while but saltwater is murder on drum brakes. Your 2500 should not have any problems stopping that boat without brakes.

 

[Megabyte]

Check the trailer laws for your particular state.
MD requires brakes for anything over 3000 pounds.

 

[gw204]

You can always gut the brakes so it looks like they are still there. :wink:

 

[jeffnick]

I like full electric brakes.
http://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/2011/05/trailer-tires-brakes.html?m=1

I've got them on my latest boat trailer too.

The cost and simplicity of totally electric brakes is unmatched by any other braking system.

 

[sparky]

We tow a 9000# boat about 20,000 miles a year. Its on a Load-Rite dual axle, 12K# trailer, with Kodiak Stainless discs (from Eastern Marine). The boat trailer's brakes are strong enough to stop our F350 and the boat without a problem. I'll never tow using surge brakes or drums again. The discs don't lock up, they are easy to inspect and service, and they stop on a dime.

 

[Mike S]

You don't need the brakes... until you need them.

I trailed my boat from coast to coast last February. The brakes will slow your trailer slightly BEFORE your tow vehicle and contribute extra straight line stopping power, especially on slick surfaces. The brakes also provide break-away stopping.

I also tow an Airstream tandem axle that weighs about 6K lbs and like the electric brakes, but they are not fool-proof. The magnets can fail and lock up a wheel, shredding the tire in less than 100 yards. I am thinking that the Kodiak stainless hydraulic disc brake set may be the way to go for the travel trailer AND the boat trailer.

Last thing I want to see is my trailer passing me in the fast lane.

 

[jeffnick]

Wouldn't a failed magnet result in NO braking?

Another thing about totally electric is if you disable braking on a single wheel, the others are uneffected...and unlike Kodiak, parts available anywhere at RV dealers.