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bugman
23-11-2004, 06:16 AM
Hello all.

Coming home from Saturday's trip I just went around the trailer and laid my hand on the hubs to check whether they were getting hot - early diagnosis of wheel bearings.

Anyway 3 of the 4 were HOT so decided to jack up the worst and have a look. Result was a third degree burn after putting my hand on the brake disk. Further examination revealed brake locked on and outside pad 2mm into the steel.

1.5 days latter and I've still only done two - took me about 6 hours to get the two cups out of the housing - rusted in pretty hard. Both are working fine now but I was just wondering whether it's a part of life having to pull the brakes out every 6 months and clean them up.

I know another member of this board doesn't worry about them too much but I like having the brakes there when I want to stop 2 tonne in a hurry.

What do others do?

Bugman

ken4159
23-11-2004, 07:20 AM
Brett, I wash mine out with fresh water after every trip & don't have any problems with them.

Ken

SeaHunt
23-11-2004, 08:17 AM
Brett, must have been a bit hard to tow. #???
Are they the steel cable operated #manual type, with a plunger thingy on the trailer coupling?
I push my boat out of the shed by hand, (only got about an inch to spare each side) , so I #soon notice if they are draging or stuck on.
Flush them with fresh water and spray the rods the pads slide along with WD40 or similar after every trip, try to keep it off the actual pads and discs. # :)
If one is stuck you can usually free it up with a few taps from the hammer and spray it, shouldn't need to pull it apart unless you want to replace the pads.

bugman
23-11-2004, 10:21 AM
Yeah,

I'm thinking that's while the old girl was feeling a bit sluggish ;D

It's a manual hydrolic system working off the coupling. The issue is with the main piston cup in the brake housing. They're meant to have rubber seals on the outer but they had obviously perished. Even with new ones you can see they're not going to be water tight.

There's also a rubber seal halfway down the inside of the cup housing the stops water getting to the back of the cup and rusting it in place from behind. That doesn't stop the water getting in the front though does it.

I'm just wondering how many boaties out there have actually got their brakes working in a propper fashion. I thought mine were but only 1 out of 3 was working as designed.

Bugman

Aaron_Fogarty
23-11-2004, 12:38 PM
If your not big in the preventitive maintenance field due to lack of time or like me ,shear laziness you can purshase trailer brake sets made from either brass or bronze.(I cant remember now) Expensive though.
Has any one got a set (I cant afford them)?Are they worth the money?
On buying a new trailer I usually replace all the Gal; bolts with stainless ones and use a anti sieze product on the threads. Grease in that department on pad plungers ect collect alot of road grime and usually leads failure. I just use the WD40 now after every trip.
Like I said before they can build a trailer that will naver rust or break but if they do the will never sell another one.
2 bob
Aaron

Big_Kev
23-11-2004, 02:14 PM
Brett you will be able to get the cylinders bored and sleaved with stainless at any of the brake specialists.
You can put Rubber grease under the outer rubber to keep the water out.
You can apply loctite to the threads and the pins etc to keep the tin ants at bay.
A hole in the backing plate to shove the hose in when washing the boat will help to lengthen the life of the brakes.
A service of the brake and the bearings replaceing the grease and resealing the cylinders at least once a year is a must.
I rekon that poor old Landy would have been wheezing pulling the boat with the brakes stuck on.
PM me if you need any other info.
Cheers Kev. :)

Cheech
23-11-2004, 04:02 PM
Brett,

I have a problem with my brakes as well, but mine are full mechanical so will start a separate post as the answer may be different.

snappa
23-11-2004, 04:37 PM
bugman
change to mech brakes...
i have a full set of sunbird hydro. brakes if they suit...

bugman
24-11-2004, 05:45 AM
Pete,

given I've just spent a fair degree of time, money and effort on the fixing the current system I'll see how they progress over the next 12 months before I consider your offer.

Aaron,

I've heard of the brass, bronze models but I think the ocst is exremely prohibitive. I think we're talking over a grand from memory.

Kev,

I've pretty much got the whole fix sussed now but sure could have used you on Sat arvo when I was swearing like a trooper after not being able to remove the piston. As for the Landy - she took it all in her stride with little complaint but I'm sure I had noticed the decline in power. The funny thing is I probably went to 1770 last time which the brakes in the same condition. I reckon I can knock 30 mins of the trip this saturday ;D

Brett

Big_Kev
24-11-2004, 03:29 PM
Piston won't come out, hit it with a bigger fuken hammer.

blaze
24-11-2004, 03:59 PM
and if that fails
get a bigger hammer (ever seen the damage a 32lb sledge will do, only ever seen 1 in use)
cheers
blaze

davo
24-11-2004, 04:04 PM
I've got mechanical over ride disc brakes and when the trailer was new I disassembled the lot a never-seized all the threads as well used the lanolin on it.

I give mine a squirt with lanolin each time I go fishing. After 2 years they are still perfect. I important thing is that I have alloy rims which means I have easy access to the from section of the disc. The lanolin is excellent all round protection.

Aaron_Fogarty
25-11-2004, 05:54 AM
If something has grown together and you cant hammer it apart, you need the oxy my friend and a little heat.
Aaron

bugman
25-11-2004, 08:36 AM
Because they live in a cast housing you have to be little bit carfeul with force. Have said that after the first hour I was past the caring stage.

Worst part was that on one I only had about 2 mm of the piston hanging outside the housing. After just gripping it in the vice - one hit poppe the whole thing out of the jaws. took me a long time to get it out.

PS did the other two last night and everyting is very good now.

Brett