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CARRERA
08-09-2005, 03:03 PM
Anyone ever come down the Grapevine (5 Fwy) and have the brakes on the trailer over heat? That happen to me :( this weekend, the brakes on the trailer over heated and me not knowing the situation (brakes overheated), I just happen to be in need of gasoline, so I pulled off into the first gas station to gas up and realize one of my tires was going flat due to a leaking valve stem and also the bearing grease was leaking out of the four wheels (six wheel trailer) which have the breaks.

termiteguy
08-09-2005, 03:06 PM
that does not sound to good it has never happend to me thank god. :D

bunny 166
08-09-2005, 03:09 PM
http://www2.***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82542&highlight=trailer+brakes+surge

CARRERA
08-12-2005, 07:56 PM
Bump

Nubbs
08-12-2005, 09:34 PM
Is it possible that your cylinders are sticking with the brakes on? I had that with my trailer brakes. I pulled the drums off and found I had two rusted cylinders. I discovered the problem because the wheels were extra hot from the brakes sticking. Do you have disk brakes? Disk brakes typically activate a lot easier than drums. It could just be that the brakes were on due to the decline in the road. My buddy had that happen to his coming down the mountain from Big Bear. I would jack the wheels of the ground and try to spin them.

BoatFloating
08-12-2005, 09:58 PM
On my 238 Carrera a few years ago that happened to me. It was a defective master cylinder that didn't have a return hole (bad cast) so when you hit the brakes it would fill with fkuid but never release. This was on a competive traiker but the brake system was Bearing Buddy....

CARRERA
08-13-2005, 12:30 PM
Is it possible that your cylinders are sticking with the brakes on? I had that with my trailer brakes. I pulled the drums off and found I had two rusted cylinders. I discovered the problem because the wheels were extra hot from the brakes sticking. Do you have disk brakes? Disk brakes typically activate a lot easier than drums. It could just be that the brakes were on due to the decline in the road. My buddy had that happen to his coming down the mountain from Big Bear. I would jack the wheels of the ground and try to spin them.
I have the disk brakes and that is what I think happen. The breaks were on due to the decline on the road, and yes they did get hot and the bearing grease was running out.

Havasu Hangin'
08-13-2005, 12:50 PM
On a downhill, don't use short, frequent braking, as the surge mechanism will have a tough time disengaging.
If you use a good Moly (no-melt grease)...it should help keep most of the grease in when it gets hot. Most trailer manufacturers use that cheap, blue "marine" grease, which melts pretty quickly.

058
08-13-2005, 02:31 PM
Brakes fail on the Grapevine? Yep, only difference was I had 48,000lbs of wine helping me get down the hill. :D Pretty scary and thank God the traffic was light [3:30 AM] When I got to the bottom of the hill all the brakes were gone and the engine was spinning 2700 rpm [governed at 2150 rpms]

CARRERA
08-14-2005, 08:14 AM
Brakes fail on the Grapevine? Yep, only difference was I had 48,000lbs of wine helping me get down the hill. :D Pretty scary and thank God the traffic was light [3:30 AM] When I got to the bottom of the hill all the brakes were gone and the engine was spinning 2700 rpm [governed at 2150 rpms]
So what was it that cause your brakes to fail?

meaniam
08-14-2005, 08:40 AM
if the angle of the tounge on the trailer, is not set correct. (meaning that the front of the trailer is lower the the rear. you will already have the weight pushing forward cuasing the brakes to drag. try flipping your reciver upside down to achive the front of your trailer height 1 to 2 inch higher then the back. when tow the montery between big bear and storage at perris all the time. trailer brakes were getting really hot. even towing to havasu the bearing grease would boil out. then i figured it out. instantly recived better gas milage.
good luck
mike
measure bottom of tounge at lowest point. then measure rear of trailer from bottom. if you dont do alot of hills or mountain towing try to achive flatness between the 2 points

Havasu Hangin'
08-14-2005, 11:45 AM
Brakes are designed to stop only so much energy (so quickly) before they overheat. Whenever I am climbing up a hill, and I am watching the tranny temp climb, I am even more afraid of the downhill. Those poor brakes have to slow down all that stored energy I just put into the rig.
I remember once when I was at Extreme, there was a guy who had a small boat, but kept burning up the brakes coming down from Big Bear. He had to run the biggest disks possible on all three axles just to keep from melting the brakes.
Just make sure that you aren't constantly engaging the brakes, which will give them a chance to cool down slightly.

purrfecttremor
08-14-2005, 01:04 PM
if the angle of the tounge on the trailer, is not set correct. (meaning that the front of the trailer is lower the the rear. you will already have the weight pushing forward cuasing the brakes to drag. try flipping your reciver upside down to achive the front of your trailer height 1 to 2 inch higher then the back. when tow the montery between big bear and storage at perris all the time. trailer brakes were getting really hot. even towing to havasu the bearing grease would boil out. then i figured it out. instantly recived better gas milage.
good luck
mike
measure bottom of tounge at lowest point. then measure rear of trailer from bottom. if you dont do alot of hills or mountain towing try to achive flatness between the 2 points
that is the best answere ive herd yet.i got rid of my f150 and bought a f250 and it hasnt seemed right since.the f150 was higher and my brakes have been heating uf since i got the f250.i just flipped the hitch over and ill try it next week.this didnt make sence as i tow only from the launch ramp to the house in
s.havasu.next weekend im towing to laughlin and was kind or stressed about it.ill post my results in two weeks!
thanks meaniam

Mandelon
08-14-2005, 01:24 PM
Obviously you are just going too slow. Just go faster, that trailer will have to run to keep up, not try to slow you down. Plus the higher speeds will keep it cooler too. Simple, eh? Duh.... :D

CARRERA
08-14-2005, 07:59 PM
Obviously you are just going too slow. Just go faster, that trailer will have to run to keep up, not try to slow you down. Plus the higher speeds will keep it cooler too. Simple, eh? Duh.... :D
Mandelon, yes, you are right that would work but, remember I am talking about going down the Grapevine and you do have to keep slowing it down, one just can't let it run away coming down that hill.

meaniam
08-17-2005, 09:20 AM
that is the best answere ive herd yet.i got rid of my f150 and bought a f250 and it hasnt seemed right since.the f150 was higher and my brakes have been heating uf since i got the f250.i just flipped the hitch over and ill try it next week.this didnt make sence as i tow only from the launch ramp to the house in
s.havasu.next weekend im towing to laughlin and was kind or stressed about it.ill post my results in two weeks!
thanks meaniam
just make sure the nose of you trailer is not to high. for weight distro, and for proper action of the trailer brakes. try to keep tounge 0 to 2in higher in front then rear. anymore and the trailer brakes may not engage as well as needed. plus if it is to high the trailer brakes will fight you when backing up

purrfecttremor
08-17-2005, 03:27 PM
Got Ya.

Beer-30
08-17-2005, 03:39 PM
Going over Tehachepi, and decending east into Needles, I never touch the brakes. Just drop a gear, or two on the steepest hills and the engine fighting against the closes throttle keeps the speed in check. Ya never know when you will need full braking around the next curve for a crash, so don't use'm till you have to. An over-safe rule is, whatever gear you go up is the same gear coming down.

Mandelon
08-17-2005, 04:26 PM
Mandelon, yes, you are right that would work but, remember I am talking about going down the Grapevine and you do have to keep slowing it down, one just can't let it run away coming down that hill.
You know I was mostly joking right? I downshift too, try not to touch the brakes at all. I think raising the hitch height might work.
I had a trailer with drum brakes before the turn of the century, ( i love to say that :2purples: :cool: ) They would stick all the time. I finally just disabled them.... :eek:

Havasu Hangin'
08-17-2005, 04:27 PM
You guys do know that downshifting still activates surge brakes, right?

CARRERA
08-17-2005, 05:11 PM
You guys do know that downshifting still activates surge brakes, right?
That's what I'm talking about.......................

Beer-30
08-17-2005, 05:20 PM
Ah, yes, but not as much as with a brake application. I try to drop from OD to 3rd at the peak, just before starting downhill. A blip of the throttle will "decompress" it also. If I do apply the brakes at all, it is very gentle so as not to pressure them. I doubt you can avoid it 100%, but the softer the better.

058
08-17-2005, 06:23 PM
So what was it that cause your brakes to fail?
Junk trailer brakes, Container chassis only used the cheapest parts money can buy. :burningm: Trailer brakes were gone about half way down the hill...wasn't long before the tractor brakes went too.

Riverkid
08-17-2005, 06:30 PM
Junk trailer brakes, Container chassis only used the cheapest parts money can buy. :burningm: Trailer brakes were gone about half way down the hill...wasn't long before the tractor brakes went too.
That's some scary Schiat right there. Glad you drove it out. Those harbor chassis and some of the pigs are downright scary! :mix: