Another trailer brake check/replacement

[Michael Clemensen]

Just finished with another tri-annual brake replacement on a tandem axle surge brake boat trailer. The best that I've gotten is three years of trouble free stopping, at some time the wheel cylinders just rust up and are non-functional. This year I replaced the aft axle backing plates, complete and the front axle wheel cylinders. At this time they were ALL functional, but we have a LONG haul ahead this season. Tomorrow I'll finish up the repair and hope it will last another three years. Next time I think that I'll replace the entire brake lines in addition to the wheel cylinders and complete backing plates.

What do you guys find as the magic replacement threshold?

 

[jtybt15]

You must be in fresh water. I had to do a complete replacement every year...mainly cuz it was cheaper and easier to do a complete replacement than individual parts. I changed over to disc brakes and it lasted a little longer but the company only had single rotor kits and the wore crooked badly. This year, I'm replacing with vented rotor discs and hope to get better results.

 

[j-d]

Our trailer had drums on one axle when we bought it used. I replaced with Tie-Down "plate rotors" like Charlie mentioned. They wouldn't clear my 13" wheels and I was lucky to be able to sell them. Put Kodiak vented on, much improved. Added Kodiak to the other axle, even more improved. I'd really recommend going to disc next time. I think all of them come with information on which automotive pad sets they use, so pad replacement is easy and inexpensive. And that's a good thing. In saltwater use the pads get trashed fast, even with rinsing. I had to take a wheel off the trailer to get it to move from where it was parked to where I could work on it. I'd been able to break the other three free, but the pads on the fourth were rooted to the rotor surface. Easier to get apart than when a drum gets like that.

 

[LouC]

I've bee able to make drum brakes last and work well by packing the area inside the dust boot on the wheel cylinder with OMC triple guard grease. I use high temp rtv to seal the boot to the cylinder and around the pushrod to keep out water. I also grease the threads of the adjuster and the pivot points for the shoes with the same grease. Doing that the brakes have worked properly much longer.

 

[mdoherty]

Maybe you should spray them down with oil so they don't rust

 

[Michael Clemensen]

LouC, I put silicone grease under the wheel cylinder seal, use anti-seize on the adjusters and the lug nuts and triple guard on the pivot points and the 6 flats on the backing plate. The RTV on the seal and push rod may give another year or ?? Thanks!

 

[LouC]

I got the idea for using the grease there from Champion Trailers. The idea of using RTV to seal out water is my own. I have one cylinder in use for 6 seasons that I did that to and it still works fine.
Keep in mind that disc brake calipers can get seized up by salt water the same way.
I have also seen drum cylinders made by UPF that uses an o-ring seal not a boot that retains water. So far my modification is working well. In salt water unless you get stainless rotors the discs will rust up pretty bad. I have zinc plated drums that have held up well.
The OMC/Bombardier triple guard grease is the most water resistant grease I have ever used. I put it on the threads of the adjuster and a few years later looked through the adjusting hole in the drum and the grease is still on there! Does not wash out even in salt water.