Trailer Wheel Problem

D

dinows

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2002
RO Number
7679
Messages
216
Well i grabbed my duel axle Shorlander today to try and pull the boat out but one wheel was locked up tight. The interesting thing was that it was NOT locked up when you went in reverse. The trailer does not have breaks. Any ideas Thanks
 
Did it ever have brakes? Are there brake parts still in the hub.
 
One of the shoes came loose and is binding. Remove the brake parts and you will be good to go.
 
Must be Drum Brakes. If so, they "energize" when applied if you're going forward. They don't when going backwards. That's why we need a shutoff valve with Disc Brakes. They'll apply in either direction.
As Cam said, remove the old brake parts. They are falling or dragging into an "applied" position and once applied, their design causes the brake to "energize" which means the brake produces more stopping power than what the apply pressure might produce.
Not clear to me if the boat is currently on the trailer. If it isn't, you may have to do what I had to recently with a stuck brake. Remove the Tire/Wheel to move Trailer to where it can be worked on.
 
OK will do, now it has been a long time...........Do i push the brake tool in a downward motion or an upward motion to release the shoes
 
Am I missing something as to why a trailer shouldn't have functioning brakes?
 
If they are hydraulic open a bleeder screw
 
They do have brakes but they dont work, opened the bleeder, nothing came out nor did it help the situation
 
What size boat and weight do you have?

Chances are the shoes are pretty stuck to the drum. You'll have to pull the wheel. The drum may be a problem getting off.

What axle are these brakes on? The more info you give, the more solutions we have to work with.
 
Well you were right, got the drums off and the brakes were a mess, just pulled the brake hardware off and i am in business, of course i dont have any brakes now but they didnt work in the first place. Thanks for everyones help in getting me back in the water
 
Specs say this boat is 6,750#. Add gear, fuel, etc. isn't that pretty heavy for no brakes? What's your tow vehicle?
 
IMO, if you're going any distance it should be one heck of a good tow vehicle to have over 7,000# behind it (boat and trailer) with no trailer brakes.

From: http://www.discoverboating.com/resources/article.aspx?id=596

"This varies from state to state but most (35) require brakes for boat trailers carrying 3,000 pounds or more." NH is listed as a state with the 3,000# specification.
 
When you replace those brakes, Disc Brakes are a far better arrangement. Popular brands are Tie-Down and Kodiak. Kodiak seems to be the preferred one but I think T-D may have come out with a Kodiak "clone." Used to be common to have brakes on the forward axle of a two- or three-axle trailer, but state laws (which could be based on federal rules, not sure...) now call for a brake on every wheel. We have four-wheel Kodiak disc brakes with a Tie-Down Actuator. A Drum Brake Actuator CAN be used with Disc Brakes, BUT its internal Check Valve has to be removed or a hole punched in it.
 
You can replace the brakes fairly easy. The last time I did mine I bought the whole assy. The backing plate came with the shoes and wheel cyl attached. All you have to do is remove the old assy, install the new and bleed the brakes.
 
Actually it is a different boat, a 23 ft single engine Sea Ray, only has to go about 12 miles to splash her
 
Trailer drum brakes are designed to be "free backing." This is so that the process of backing doesn't result in brake application as the surge actuator moves. No mystery why it backs okay.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top