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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,322

    Default Override Brakes - Drum to Disc?

    My tandem trailer has mechanical override drum brakes, which I don't think have ever worked particularly well, and have a habit of locking up, such as yesterday while ferrying a little tractor making a hell of a noise and requiring a fair bit of belting to convince it to let go.

    So I'm thinking of changing them to disc, and at the same time, maybe replacing the cable actuation with hydraulics.

    Any thoughts on the wisdom of this? Am I missing something with regard to maintaining drum brakes?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    68
    Posts
    1,373

    Default

    Have you considered changing the system to electric brakes? That way you get to choose the level of braking you want based on the load you are carrying plus you get manual over-ride so you can control speed on long down-hill runs using just the trailer brakes. I'm been running them on my tandem for the last 5 or 6 year, they are far and away better than the hydraulic setup that was on it previously. No maintenance needed thus far and the trailer has seen plenty of high-speed trips between Adelaide and Phillip Island in that time as well as lots of local work.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,945

    Default

    As Gavin said above. Plus you have the benefit of not too many people being able to "borrow" your trailer.
    Should you decide against Electric brakes, hydraulics drum or discs are a go, also, if you decide to go this way, use a synthetic brake fluid. It won't allow moisture to accumulate in the system, like normal brake fluid will. Another thing is to fit a metal peach size can over the hydraulic reserve lid, to protect it from UV rays, they don't last long in the sun, 3-4 years. Discs are normally used on boat trailers, where they dry out very quickly from being submerged.
    What I'd be doing before going to far, is to see WHY the brakes are locking up, do you use it often, are the brakes rusty causing things to seize up? As you're in Canberra, are the brakes frozen up???
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,322

    Default

    The trailer gets used with a couple of different vehicles, so electric isn't really an option, although the not being able to lend it would have considerable benefits given the amount of damage it got last time I made that mistake

    Not sure why the brake locked up - I was looking where I initially reversed it and noticed the wheel must have had been locked then (it doesn't usually need the reversing latch engaged, hence my doubts about is efficacy), but it didn't make any noise on the way out, only coming back with a load on it, although I'm thinking it might have got jammed on during a fairly steep descent out of the property and not come off once I got on the road.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,945

    Default

    If the latch isn't being used in reverse, it would be applying the brakes, and should be almost impossible to move, if the brakes are working effectively.
    I'd pull the hubs off and check that something hasn't either seized on or is broken in there. Posting some pics of what you find there, may help in solving the problem.
    With either hydraulic or mechanical O/R Disc or drum, braking the effectiveness would be the same, just a different way of actuating it.
    Disc brakes can also be actuated by cable, have seen a conversion done on a 4X4 where a disc brake was connected to a hand brake cable. It was working in real muddy conditions where the normal H/B drum setup wore out very quickly.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,322

    Default

    I got a chance to have a look at it - the hub with the stuck brake stinks of cooked grease and a bit looks to have come out the rear seal.

    The problem was the top of one shoe had popped out of its slot and was thus sitting far enough out to be essentially stuck on - in the pic below the top of the right shoe should be sitting in against the actuating lever.

    Trailer Brake Shoe.jpg

    Buggered if I know how it could do that.

    I fiddled a bit with it, but have since found the Alko instructions and will have another go - I think I need to grease the actuating plate as it seemed very stiff, perhaps stopping the shoes from self-centering properly.

    Once the brakes are adjusted properly I'll have a closer look at the override business - there might be too much slack at the plunger/lever mechanism.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    429

    Default

    No matter what brakes you use .... they all require maintenence .... that is just unavoidable.

    Most trailer brakes are quite crude and spending some time tweaking them can bring results.

    Lots of brake assembiles are not even properly lubricated from day 1.

    spending some time cleaning, file off burs, making sure it all fits and runs properly and is correctly lubricated is realy worth it.

    If you are going to persist with cable op brakes ....... replace the cheap clothesline rubbish with some decent cable ......

    Some of the cable brakes I have see are just twisted wire joins others have only a single wire rope grip ..... no thimbles ....... no wonder cable op brakes have a bad rep.

    I have my cable op brakes running on stanless wire rope with swaged eyes with thimbles and shackles attaching to the brake arms.

    Paying some attention to the route of the brake cables can improve performance ....... in most systems the cables go direct to the brake levers in a path that is different to the suspension travel ..... thus there has to be considerable slack to allow for the suspension travel difference.

    keeping up the lube in the coupling and in all the parts of the system can make a big difference.

    cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

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