Trailer brake cable problem

[MTAQ/BTAQ]

I have over ride brakes on my boat trailer which was serviced (including new cable and attachment) in September 2012.

For no apparent reason the cable tightened and forced the disc brakes to stay on - only a short tow to the rope but both brakes/drums were quite hot and steaming in the rain. On return home I put an extra D shackle on the system to lengthen the cable which solved the problem.

I did notice a slight clunk when I pulled out of my driveway and I though this was the disc calliper releasing from the disc.

Any ideas why the cable tightened would be appreciated!

[2 weis]

axle slipped ?????

[Noelm]

be pretty unusual for a cable to "shrink", something has happened, what it is you will need to search and find out.

[Moonlighter]

Check to see that the return springs are still attached to the calipers and are not fouled, loose or broken in any way. It just takes one spring to be broken or fall off etc and the brakes will drag as you have described. So make sure that they are in place and working properly. Had it happen once myself.

[johncar]

Something that happens too it that the trailer is serviced and recabled etc with the boat off and not rechecked with boat on. The extra weight of a fully loaded boat can compress the leaf springs and consequently push the axle back enough to partially apply the brakes.
But yeah otherwise check all your springs and centering bolts for damage or breakage, make sure nothing has moved. Check the cable, adjuster, caliper return springs and caliper adjustment and freeplay at both ends, caliper and O/R coupling.

[Mr__Bean]

A couple of points, not sure if relevant to your situation,

- If cable override brakes are adjusted whislt the trailer is jacked or the load otherwise off the axle, then as the load goes back onto the axle it moves backwards as the spring flattens out. Always adjust with a mid-range weight on the trailer.

- If the brake discs have corroded then the disk has actually grown a little bit thicker than when the new brakes were adjusted onto clean metal. After a bit more of a run the rust is ground off by the pads.

- Parking with the brake on can cause the pads to lock onto the disc, this can lead to the pad parting company with its metal backing plate. Do not leave your trailer parked for any length of time with the brake applied. Safely chock the wheels and remove pressure from the brake.

- And a really wierd one that I had that was hard to find the cause on my freshwater ski-boat.... Whenever I dunked the trailer, putting boat in or pulling boat out, the brakes would drag heavily. I had to continually loosen then tighten the cable to keep it safe without dragging the brakes. It turns out that the cable that was fitted had a gut like compound in the centre that was shrinking each time it got wet, as it dried it relaxed again. A change of cable to the standard trailer cable kit and it was fixed.

Darren

[bigjimg]

Another is if your trailer has a cradle type axle carrier that is U bolted to the main trailer frame, check that the U bolts are tight and the trailer frame has not moved forward on the axle carrier, this will tension the cable and apply the brakes.Jim

[Feral]

Yeah, I would check everything from the tow bar bolts back to the axle. Something has likely moved.
Also check to make sure you have not broken a leaf in a spring, lost a rubber bush in the spring mount, the walking gear being jammed upside down (if not slipper springs).

[sporty1]

Yep the axel has probably moved, same thing happened to me. Measure the distance from the back of the trailer on each side.

[cormorant]

One I don't think anyone has mentioned is the actual overide fitting that goes over the towball can jamb up if it is never greased or one in a million the spring in your override hitch has snapped through rust or a emergency braking manouver.

I bent the arm that the overide fitting pushes against when reversing over a gutter once. That stretched the brainpower of why the brakes wouldn't fully release and we ran out of turnbuckle hmmmm . A three beer problem solving session was required.

Not heard or seen the shrinking cable so that is a new one to me. I only have ever seen the polly looking core and the really old jute ones but it would have had me stumped working it out.

Find the problem as it may be minor or major but "fixing it " without knowing the problem is tempting a bigger disaster.