toddwulf
Silver Member
Looking for some collective wisdom on adding brakes to the trailer. Surge or Electric? Any brand superior to another. Tandem Axle 18'. Thanks in advance.
Adding Trailer Brakes
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wroughtn_harv
Super Member
Adding brakes is a simple thing. Electric brakes is the simpler of the two to add. Running wires is a lot simpler than running brake lines and adding a straight coupler is about a fifth the cost of a good surge brake coupler.
Electrics are great cause they're adjustable from the cab for your load weight. When you're loaded you dial in more trailer brake. When you're empty you dial in less to keep the tires from locking up.
Surge are great because anything can tow the trailer and you'll have brakes. But they have to be locked out when backing up grade or over a curb or bump.
Changing from one to the other happens with the coupler and the backing plates. So if you had electrics and you wanted to go with surge all you'd need to change out would be the coupler and backing plates and plumb it up. From surge to electric means abandoning the plumbing and replacing the backing plates unless you don't like the slack in the coupler. And of course running the wiring and if required plugging in an actuator in the cab.
It used to be a bugger bear wiring a vehicle for electric braked towing. Now on the newer pickemups come with a pigtail for the actuator. You just splice the marked wires of the pigtail to the marked wires of your actuator. Then you mount the actuator and plug in the pig tail and you're in business. Stop by an auto parts store and pick up the adaptors from RV plug to four wire and six pin and you can borrow your bud's trailers anytime.
I go for electric. I like the flexibility of control and general simplicity. Surge works good for situations where you have more than one tow vehicle. Some contractors run surge because some of their subs use the contractor's equipment like trailers and aren't up to hooking up brake actuators. So the contractor has surge brakes to give himself a small amount more protection for his equipment. Rental yards use surge for the same reason. The military also uses surge brakes on their trailers.
Electrics are great cause they're adjustable from the cab for your load weight. When you're loaded you dial in more trailer brake. When you're empty you dial in less to keep the tires from locking up.
Surge are great because anything can tow the trailer and you'll have brakes. But they have to be locked out when backing up grade or over a curb or bump.
Changing from one to the other happens with the coupler and the backing plates. So if you had electrics and you wanted to go with surge all you'd need to change out would be the coupler and backing plates and plumb it up. From surge to electric means abandoning the plumbing and replacing the backing plates unless you don't like the slack in the coupler. And of course running the wiring and if required plugging in an actuator in the cab.
It used to be a bugger bear wiring a vehicle for electric braked towing. Now on the newer pickemups come with a pigtail for the actuator. You just splice the marked wires of the pigtail to the marked wires of your actuator. Then you mount the actuator and plug in the pig tail and you're in business. Stop by an auto parts store and pick up the adaptors from RV plug to four wire and six pin and you can borrow your bud's trailers anytime.
I go for electric. I like the flexibility of control and general simplicity. Surge works good for situations where you have more than one tow vehicle. Some contractors run surge because some of their subs use the contractor's equipment like trailers and aren't up to hooking up brake actuators. So the contractor has surge brakes to give himself a small amount more protection for his equipment. Rental yards use surge for the same reason. The military also uses surge brakes on their trailers.
jrlichina
Platinum Member
I'd go with electric hands down. Also, surge brakes are not legal in all states so check your local laws and where you plan on driving with it.
Charlie_in_TX
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2002
- Messages
- 480
I do not have the experience of the others so take my post for what it is worth. I like the surge brakes. Too often I see electrics improperly adjusted. A senerio. They lock up and flatspot tires when the trailor is unloaded. Then you adjust them for the light load. Load your tractor on and there no longer adjusted. You pull up to a stop sign expecting some help from the trailor brakes. There goes the soccer mom in her suv right in front of you. CRUNCH. The surge brakes are self adjusting to the load. I give it the term idiot proof (and yes I do need things idiot proofed).
As far as the problems backing up, I havn't seen it in my limited experience. My experience includes the one 16ft I own, numerous rental flat beds as well as a few concrete trailors. All of these trailors have drum brakes. They operate like the emergency brakes did on the old drum brake autos. When you are going forward there is a cam in them that applies more braking pressure. When in reverce the cam relieves pressure. No backing problem.
As far as legality. Check that for yourself. Again I havn't been around as long as this fellas but that is the first I have heard of surge brakes being illeagal. I have heard of states requiring a means of activating the brakes if the trailor disconnects from the tow truck. In big rigs the brakes are held open by air pressure, if air pressure relieved (from a disconnect) the brake lock. On surge brakes there is a chain connecting the trailor to the tow truck. The chain locks the brakes. On the electrics it requires a backup battery on the trailor. That battery must be maintained.
If you can't tell yet, I recommend surge with drums.
As far as the problems backing up, I havn't seen it in my limited experience. My experience includes the one 16ft I own, numerous rental flat beds as well as a few concrete trailors. All of these trailors have drum brakes. They operate like the emergency brakes did on the old drum brake autos. When you are going forward there is a cam in them that applies more braking pressure. When in reverce the cam relieves pressure. No backing problem.
As far as legality. Check that for yourself. Again I havn't been around as long as this fellas but that is the first I have heard of surge brakes being illeagal. I have heard of states requiring a means of activating the brakes if the trailor disconnects from the tow truck. In big rigs the brakes are held open by air pressure, if air pressure relieved (from a disconnect) the brake lock. On surge brakes there is a chain connecting the trailor to the tow truck. The chain locks the brakes. On the electrics it requires a backup battery on the trailor. That battery must be maintained.
If you can't tell yet, I recommend surge with drums.
I have both. (different trailers of course /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)
They both have their benefits & drawbacks. Yes, surge breaks are essentially "idiot proof" and are very much "hook up and go" - simple, and they work well. Electrics are far more flexible and can be adjusted “on the fly” as you go over different terrain or haul various weight loads.
SURGE:
If you use reverse and are on anything other than a flat surface, you will have to use the lockout key to prevent the brakes from actuating in reverse. (for years I lived in a house with a slight hill (maybe 1% grade) and if I neglected to insert the lockout key, it was impossible to get the trailer up the hill in reverse without smoking the clutch - not a good thing.)
Just look at the physics of how they work - pressure between vehicle & trailer tongue actuates a piston, piston pushes brake fluid to actuate brakes - if you are on a hill and your vehicle is preventing the trailer from going forward (e.g. downhill) there's pressure on the piston and brakes are being actuated. Going in reverse only increases pressure - (e.g. try pushing something up hill - more effort is required than just holding it in place). That's why the lockout is required - to prevent the piston from actuating the brakes while backing up. If you are on flat land and ease in to backing up, you will probably not need to lock them out (that whole physics thing about mass/momentum.)
Towing in mountains? FORGET IT! (Dangerous too because you can't "disengage" them going down hill - riding brakes down a 6% grade for several miles will cause you BIG problems! DON'T DO IT!!!) (Probably where the legal issues come in to play in some states.)
ELECTRIC:
Well, they can be a pain to adjust and are far from perfect as well. If you get a good controller, the problems are minimized, but you can definitely burn out the magnets if you allow them to get too hot from overuse (seen it happen). Overall, electrics give you much more control over how your braking works. Yes more to fiddle with, and yes, not perfect, but some big benefits (especially in hilly terrain.)
You'll most likely have to adjust your controller with each load, but this is pretty easy from the cab (adjust the slider on the controller from the driver's seat). If someone can't keep track of where there controller is set whenever they change loads, I question how seriously they take the responsibility of towing. Don't want to get on my "safety soapbox," but I question the wisdom of letting that person share the roads with other drivers. Seems to me those folks should spend a bit more time concentrating on the task at hand - they're towing something, not going for a "Joy Ride" on a Sunday afternoon. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif
Both systems "work" - just depends on how you will use your trailer. If you are going to operate on any type of hilly surface, forget surge - electrics are a must for safety and flexibility. Yes, more to mess with and “tweak,” but that’s the “cost.” Flatland use? Surge work and are simple to "operate" - probably a good choice for the average boater (constant loads, generally short hauls, sealed system, etc.) - just realize their limitations.
Ironic thing about this thread is I just got back from a 3 day/2100 mile trip towing a trailer/load. (Yes, I used the electric-braked equipped trailer, not the surge brake equipped one. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)
They both have their benefits & drawbacks. Yes, surge breaks are essentially "idiot proof" and are very much "hook up and go" - simple, and they work well. Electrics are far more flexible and can be adjusted “on the fly” as you go over different terrain or haul various weight loads.
SURGE:
If you use reverse and are on anything other than a flat surface, you will have to use the lockout key to prevent the brakes from actuating in reverse. (for years I lived in a house with a slight hill (maybe 1% grade) and if I neglected to insert the lockout key, it was impossible to get the trailer up the hill in reverse without smoking the clutch - not a good thing.)
Just look at the physics of how they work - pressure between vehicle & trailer tongue actuates a piston, piston pushes brake fluid to actuate brakes - if you are on a hill and your vehicle is preventing the trailer from going forward (e.g. downhill) there's pressure on the piston and brakes are being actuated. Going in reverse only increases pressure - (e.g. try pushing something up hill - more effort is required than just holding it in place). That's why the lockout is required - to prevent the piston from actuating the brakes while backing up. If you are on flat land and ease in to backing up, you will probably not need to lock them out (that whole physics thing about mass/momentum.)
Towing in mountains? FORGET IT! (Dangerous too because you can't "disengage" them going down hill - riding brakes down a 6% grade for several miles will cause you BIG problems! DON'T DO IT!!!) (Probably where the legal issues come in to play in some states.)
ELECTRIC:
Well, they can be a pain to adjust and are far from perfect as well. If you get a good controller, the problems are minimized, but you can definitely burn out the magnets if you allow them to get too hot from overuse (seen it happen). Overall, electrics give you much more control over how your braking works. Yes more to fiddle with, and yes, not perfect, but some big benefits (especially in hilly terrain.)
You'll most likely have to adjust your controller with each load, but this is pretty easy from the cab (adjust the slider on the controller from the driver's seat). If someone can't keep track of where there controller is set whenever they change loads, I question how seriously they take the responsibility of towing. Don't want to get on my "safety soapbox," but I question the wisdom of letting that person share the roads with other drivers. Seems to me those folks should spend a bit more time concentrating on the task at hand - they're towing something, not going for a "Joy Ride" on a Sunday afternoon. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif
Both systems "work" - just depends on how you will use your trailer. If you are going to operate on any type of hilly surface, forget surge - electrics are a must for safety and flexibility. Yes, more to mess with and “tweak,” but that’s the “cost.” Flatland use? Surge work and are simple to "operate" - probably a good choice for the average boater (constant loads, generally short hauls, sealed system, etc.) - just realize their limitations.
Ironic thing about this thread is I just got back from a 3 day/2100 mile trip towing a trailer/load. (Yes, I used the electric-braked equipped trailer, not the surge brake equipped one. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)
Inspector507
Super Member
I just sold my camper due to lack of use /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif but that meant I was getting seat time instead of camping /w3tcompact/icons/love.gif. It weighed around 5,000 lbs on dual axles. It had electrics on it and I loved them. Whenever I pulled out of the driveway, the first mile or less I would make my adjustments if there was no other traffic. Couldn't do it in the driveway..........gravel. I had surge brakes on trailers I rented with equipment but never did care much for them. I liked the control in the cab. And if there ever was a case of trailer sway, just push in on the button on the controller. Stopped it right away.
Just my opinion
Just my opinion
Charlie_in_TX
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2002
- Messages
- 480
Like I said in my first post in this thread, there are many people with more experiance towing then me. I can now understand why surge are illegal in some states. I have heard it in many locations and from many people about the backing with surge brakes and the lockout pin or solinoid. They can't all be wrong and me right but maybe I can get someone to explain what I experiance.
My current trailer with surge brakes I can understand how I can back with it. As I discribed in my first post there is a cam in it that takes care of backing. I have backed the trailer thru mud, up curves and up slopes all with a tractor on it. I have also locked the brakes in a panic stop.
Another time I rented a 16fter to take a JD Model B with a 7ft disk from Austin to Elcampo. I am not sure on the exact weight but I believe it to be over 7000lbs. The trailer had surge brakes. No problems backing and no problems stopping. I think I would have noticed if the trailer brakes were not working with that much load.
A local rental store rents concrete trailers. They have a machine there that premixes the concrete and dumps it in the trailer. You hook onto the tralor and take it home. One time I had 4 yds to poor so they gave me there 2 yrd trailor. If I remember correctly thats 6800lbs of concrete. Made it home with somewhat less than 2 yrd when the previosly mentioned soccer mom pulled out in front of me. Smoke was coming from all 4 corners of the truck and the fronts on the trailer. When I got home I had to back thru a ditch about 3 ft deep with gental slopes, over a small bump (about a foot hi by 2 foot deep) and thru mud. No problems backing and no lockouts.
Surely I am not the only person who has seen and used the surge brakes that don't require locking out to back. And no way they are only availible in Houston.
My current trailer with surge brakes I can understand how I can back with it. As I discribed in my first post there is a cam in it that takes care of backing. I have backed the trailer thru mud, up curves and up slopes all with a tractor on it. I have also locked the brakes in a panic stop.
Another time I rented a 16fter to take a JD Model B with a 7ft disk from Austin to Elcampo. I am not sure on the exact weight but I believe it to be over 7000lbs. The trailer had surge brakes. No problems backing and no problems stopping. I think I would have noticed if the trailer brakes were not working with that much load.
A local rental store rents concrete trailers. They have a machine there that premixes the concrete and dumps it in the trailer. You hook onto the tralor and take it home. One time I had 4 yds to poor so they gave me there 2 yrd trailor. If I remember correctly thats 6800lbs of concrete. Made it home with somewhat less than 2 yrd when the previosly mentioned soccer mom pulled out in front of me. Smoke was coming from all 4 corners of the truck and the fronts on the trailer. When I got home I had to back thru a ditch about 3 ft deep with gental slopes, over a small bump (about a foot hi by 2 foot deep) and thru mud. No problems backing and no lockouts.
Surely I am not the only person who has seen and used the surge brakes that don't require locking out to back. And no way they are only availible in Houston.
Well, I'll admit that my statement was a bit over-inclusive of surge brake systems regarding the lockout "key." (Kindof ironic since I'm always getting on others about "over generalization" - oh well - guess I'm allowed to stub my toe once in a while too...)
In actuality, all surge breaks require some type of "lockout" - the "key" system is just one method (cheapest/simplest). There are others, but they add varying degrees of complexity/cost. Different manufacturers approach the issue differently, hence there are several methods of addressing the backing problem.
Most trailers I've seen simply use the lockout "key" which you physically put in place when you are ready to back up. When you start going forward, the key falls out (it's tied to a cord, so it doesn't go far) and then you have brakes again. As far as your situation, yes, there are a couple of other ways to address this issue.
I've heard of (but haven't seen) of a system where the rear shoe is hinged - when backing, the reverse rotation pushes the shoe away from the drum, releasing pressure (I guess through some type of cam setup.) DICO might have been the company, but don't quote me on that. Sounds like you have probably used something similr to this in your experiences.
Another way to address the issue is an electrically based solenoid solution that uses the reverse light signal to actuate a solenoid/valve that prevents the brakes from engaging while in reverse (e.g. "automated" lockout - same function as a key, just no getting out to operate). Of course now we are getting in to "intelligence" (e.g. electrical signals based upon the driver's wishes), so we are starting to get away from a completely stand-alone surge brake setup.
I have also seen at least one other system advertised that is supposed to add quite a bit more intelligence. It retains the hydraulics of the surge brake setup, but removes the "surge" from the system. Basically it mates an electronic controller (as with traditional electric brakes) with the hydraulic actuation of the surge brakes. To me, this seems like the "best of both worlds" as you don't have to worry about magnets & such "going bad" but you still retain all the intelligence/adjustment associated with the electric brake controller. Course, this could be a dud (haven't seen it in action), but seems like a good idea. Now we're way beyond surge brakes setup, as there is no "surge" left in the system.
Most surge brakes have no braking ability or a fixed braking force (i.e. I've seen 20% advertised) when in "reverse." Again, for flatland ops that wouldn't be THAT big of a deal, but if I have to stop half way up a mountain pass, I want all the braking power I can muster - true surge brakes won't give it to me, or give me some limited "fixed" amount (e.g. 20%). Not good enough for me when I have a heavy load. (Don't get me wrong, I don't make a habit of stopping on the side of a mountain, but it has happened due to necessity in the past.)
Again, I have both, and believe it or not I do like my surge brakes - but only for very specific circumstances. For general utility/towing use, I believe that electrics are the way to go. They're simple to install, give the operator a far greater degree of flexibility to adjust to the load being carried, and work equally well in both in forward and reverse.
In actuality, all surge breaks require some type of "lockout" - the "key" system is just one method (cheapest/simplest). There are others, but they add varying degrees of complexity/cost. Different manufacturers approach the issue differently, hence there are several methods of addressing the backing problem.
Most trailers I've seen simply use the lockout "key" which you physically put in place when you are ready to back up. When you start going forward, the key falls out (it's tied to a cord, so it doesn't go far) and then you have brakes again. As far as your situation, yes, there are a couple of other ways to address this issue.
I've heard of (but haven't seen) of a system where the rear shoe is hinged - when backing, the reverse rotation pushes the shoe away from the drum, releasing pressure (I guess through some type of cam setup.) DICO might have been the company, but don't quote me on that. Sounds like you have probably used something similr to this in your experiences.
Another way to address the issue is an electrically based solenoid solution that uses the reverse light signal to actuate a solenoid/valve that prevents the brakes from engaging while in reverse (e.g. "automated" lockout - same function as a key, just no getting out to operate). Of course now we are getting in to "intelligence" (e.g. electrical signals based upon the driver's wishes), so we are starting to get away from a completely stand-alone surge brake setup.
I have also seen at least one other system advertised that is supposed to add quite a bit more intelligence. It retains the hydraulics of the surge brake setup, but removes the "surge" from the system. Basically it mates an electronic controller (as with traditional electric brakes) with the hydraulic actuation of the surge brakes. To me, this seems like the "best of both worlds" as you don't have to worry about magnets & such "going bad" but you still retain all the intelligence/adjustment associated with the electric brake controller. Course, this could be a dud (haven't seen it in action), but seems like a good idea. Now we're way beyond surge brakes setup, as there is no "surge" left in the system.
Most surge brakes have no braking ability or a fixed braking force (i.e. I've seen 20% advertised) when in "reverse." Again, for flatland ops that wouldn't be THAT big of a deal, but if I have to stop half way up a mountain pass, I want all the braking power I can muster - true surge brakes won't give it to me, or give me some limited "fixed" amount (e.g. 20%). Not good enough for me when I have a heavy load. (Don't get me wrong, I don't make a habit of stopping on the side of a mountain, but it has happened due to necessity in the past.)
Again, I have both, and believe it or not I do like my surge brakes - but only for very specific circumstances. For general utility/towing use, I believe that electrics are the way to go. They're simple to install, give the operator a far greater degree of flexibility to adjust to the load being carried, and work equally well in both in forward and reverse.
jrlichina
Platinum Member
Some clarification on the subject of surge brakes being legal in all states. Some states have low weight limits on trailers with surge brakes so it depends on what you are towing. And from what I've seen the laws vary quite a bit from state to state some high some low. Just thought I'd put that out there because you know how things go, the one time you don't check something like that it bites you in the butt.
Wingnut
Veteran Member
aha MAGNETS !!!
Learned something new today.
I've got electric on my 2 axle trailer and never really thought about how the electric energy was translating to stopping power.
thanks!
Learned something new today.
I've got electric on my 2 axle trailer and never really thought about how the electric energy was translating to stopping power.
thanks!
mbrule
Gold Member
Yes, In my opinion, VERY large sadvantage to electric, manual control to prevent sway or in emergency situations! I have towed with both types and currently have two trailers with electrics. I like the ability to customize braking power and application time, on both the car trailer with its varying loads and the camper for terrain / speed differences.
Bottom line, again IMO, unless your trailer is very light relative to your tow vehicle, brakes on the trailer are necessary for a safe tow experience. I once spun a rented trailer out and banged up my truck because I had been too lazy to make an adapter so the brake control would work! Trailer started to sway going down a hill and I couldn't stop it.
Matt
Bottom line, again IMO, unless your trailer is very light relative to your tow vehicle, brakes on the trailer are necessary for a safe tow experience. I once spun a rented trailer out and banged up my truck because I had been too lazy to make an adapter so the brake control would work! Trailer started to sway going down a hill and I couldn't stop it.
Matt
<font color=blue>Trailer started to sway going down a hill </font color=blue>
Yea, oscillation can be a pretty un-fun thing! I put <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.drawtite-hitches.com/WD/sway_control.htm>one of these </A>on my trailer to address sway. WOW! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Watta difference! I think it was probably the best $90 "do-dad" I bought for the trailer.
Yea, oscillation can be a pretty un-fun thing! I put <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.drawtite-hitches.com/WD/sway_control.htm>one of these </A>on my trailer to address sway. WOW! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Watta difference! I think it was probably the best $90 "do-dad" I bought for the trailer.
mopacman
Silver Member
I have a trailer with two 6000lb axles with hydraulic brakes.It has an AUSCO trailer braker unit that is controlled from an electric brake controller. This unit is an electric motor driven hydraulic pump. It works very well, it is easy to adjust from the controller. This controller also works with electric brakes.
Scott_in_WVA
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2002
- Messages
- 414
Ozark................
Whats your opinion?
Whats your opinion?
I use and prefer surge brakes. The inconveniences are minor compared to the ease of use and ability to switch from one tow vehicle to another and still have trailer brakes. I'm pretty generous about letting friends use my trailer.
How often does anyone actually back up a hill or over a curb? Rarely for most people.....but a consideration for some.
How often does anyone actually back up a hill or over a curb? Rarely for most people.....but a consideration for some.
wroughtn_harv
Super Member
I use and prefer electric brakes. In fact if anyone's interested in converting their electric brakes to surge and they have seven to eight thousand pound Dexter Axles I'll give them the backing plates to do so. These are new unused surge brake backing plates with new shoes and wheel cylinders.
Through luck and fortune along with some this and that I ended up with a total of four HMVEE trailers and six axles for same. I made some money and had some fun. These were great trailers. The ones I used personally immediately went electric. Those I sold did the same at the request of the buyers.
They're at the shop and they're yours just for picking them up.
One of the reasons I like electric so much is the flexibility they offer me. My main trailer has two eight thousand pound Dexter Axles. When it's empty or lightly loaded I scale down the activator to nil to almost nil. But when I have the tractor, mixer, buckets, forks, and job materials on the trailer I scale the activator up to where the trailer brakes are carrying the load of the trailer.
My small trailer, a single axle six thousand pound Escot tilt, I bought with surge brakes, fifteen inch nylon eight ply tires, and a wood floor. The brake assemblies and the wood floor went into the trash day one. It has new Dexter electric brakes, a trick two and five sixteenths coupler that you back into, and sixteen inch wheels with ten ply radials. Again, the electric brakes allow me to adjust the effort of the trailer brakes according to my load.
If I've got a small job locally that only requires one attachment sometimes I'll use the small trailer. It's GVW is six thousand. The tractor weighs fifty four hundred. On a single axle I like having the ability to dial up plenty of brakes just in case.
Very few people borrow my trailers. Those that do have to have pintle couplers to borrow the big one and two and five sixteenths inserts to borrow the small one. Folks so equipped always have brake controllers. I can't explain it, well I could, but having heavy duty equipment eliminates most of the borrowing by amateurs.
Through luck and fortune along with some this and that I ended up with a total of four HMVEE trailers and six axles for same. I made some money and had some fun. These were great trailers. The ones I used personally immediately went electric. Those I sold did the same at the request of the buyers.
They're at the shop and they're yours just for picking them up.
One of the reasons I like electric so much is the flexibility they offer me. My main trailer has two eight thousand pound Dexter Axles. When it's empty or lightly loaded I scale down the activator to nil to almost nil. But when I have the tractor, mixer, buckets, forks, and job materials on the trailer I scale the activator up to where the trailer brakes are carrying the load of the trailer.
My small trailer, a single axle six thousand pound Escot tilt, I bought with surge brakes, fifteen inch nylon eight ply tires, and a wood floor. The brake assemblies and the wood floor went into the trash day one. It has new Dexter electric brakes, a trick two and five sixteenths coupler that you back into, and sixteen inch wheels with ten ply radials. Again, the electric brakes allow me to adjust the effort of the trailer brakes according to my load.
If I've got a small job locally that only requires one attachment sometimes I'll use the small trailer. It's GVW is six thousand. The tractor weighs fifty four hundred. On a single axle I like having the ability to dial up plenty of brakes just in case.
Very few people borrow my trailers. Those that do have to have pintle couplers to borrow the big one and two and five sixteenths inserts to borrow the small one. Folks so equipped always have brake controllers. I can't explain it, well I could, but having heavy duty equipment eliminates most of the borrowing by amateurs.
Anonymous Poster
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Here is yet another twist to the trailer brake thing: I had a chance to buy a big single axle trailer with a gooseneck hitch that was made from the rear axle of a truck it had almost new 8.25 X 20 rubber and was a nice setup EXCEPT it had no brakes. The axle had nice hydraulic brakes and even had dual brake cylinders inside the backing plates. Here is what I did......We dumped out the differential and took out the side gears that the axles plug into. one gear we put in a safe place; the other one we welded to an adapter so that it would bolt to a small electric brake hub and drum. We mounted the hub and drum in the banjo housing and put it on a swivel. We drove the hub with the left hand axle using the adapter built from the differential side gear. Then we made a kidney shaped cam that welded to the backing plat such that when the hub put torque on the backing plate, it rotated the cam out and the cam contacted a tomahawk -shaped cam follower which pivoted from above and which had a rod that operated a Chevrolet truck master cylinder and sets the brakes. A tiny amount of current actuates the electric brake which then tries to rotate the backing plate which brings the cam out which touches the cam follower which then operates the brake master cylinder. It works perfect and even has brakeaway protection. it works in fwd and in reverse of course. We took this trailer over the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada mtns last year with lots of weight on it. We grossed over 20K with my 3/4T GM pickup pulling it. I have used LOTS of different trailer brake setups from vacuum to electric to air, and I have to say that the one we invented was real smooth and very controllable, and we had no worry about the magnets building up too much heat.
Kodiak
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Heres a easier version for the same truck axle. If you had left the guts in the differential you could have attached a brake disk to the yoke and braked the disk with an electric actuated caliper. One brake for both wheels and could be utilized as a emergency brake also.
Anonymous Poster
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That was just one of about twenty different designs that I dreamed up and rejected as possibly ending up as too expensive, too little braking area, too vulnerable to heat build up, and which could allow the gears in that big truck axle to suck up horsepower. Since this had to be a setup which could successfully challenge the fearsome heights of Donner Pass and the Rockies after that, heat buildup was a huge consideration. I thought and thought about what to do, and had oodles of ideas that ranged from chain driving an electric hub to you-name-it. I knew that if I couldn't think up something good that I could always shell out 2500 bucks for the brainy electric/hydraulic servo system that is available. What I ended up with was the least cost and fewest pieces with only two items that had to be taken to a machine shop. .To make matters even more complicated, I was building this AFTER we sold our place, and AFTER I no longer had a shop to work in so it was a driveway-fabbed project at a house were were renting for just eleven months before shagging to the Midwest. A very pressurizing and very challenging project to say the least. There would be no opportunity to test it either, the trip WAS the test. SHEESH!....Dave
Kodiak
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2002
- Messages
- 859
- Location
- Monroe,Washington
- Tractor
- New holland TC29-9x3 Woods 1012 FEL, Woods, 7500 Backhoe / Kubota L345DT 4WD, Kub FEL, Kub Backhoe
Well I definitely wasn't taking Donner Pass into consideration. On second reflections, maybe a drogue chute off of a fighter plane might have been a good addition.
