Surge brake actuators

heymagic · Nov 29, 2011

walt said:
I have a 3000 pound boat/trailer (1990 Mac 26S – an older under 10 hp water ballast model) and am replacing the surge brake actuator on the trailer (hydraulic drum brakes).

I’ll be towing the trailer to Lake Havasu in Feb and will try and avoid poor road conditions as much as possible but want to be as well prepared as I can be.

Because of the possibility of encountering road ice, I want the surge brake coupler to have a lock out feature. I understand with electric brakes, you can simply tune the brake action with an electronic control.. but converting from hydraulic drum to electric just is too big of job at the moment – I just plan to manually lock out the surge brake action if the road conditions get to scary and just drive slow.

If been looking at few models and the one that looks like it has the best lockout is the Atwood 6K
http://www.easternmarine.com/atwood-6k-drum-brake-actuator-84132
Anyone have experience with this model.. I don’t even see how it locks to the ball – but I'll assume it somehow does. The lockout is normally for backing up – is it also adequate for the application where you might be trailering on icy roads?

FYI, the two others I have been looking at but sort of decided against because they have no lockout are:
Titan model 60 http://www.easternmarine.com/titan-dico-model-60-lever-lock-drum-brake-actuator
Tie Down model 66 http://www.trailerpartsdepot.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=47210&eq=&Tp=

Hi Walt,
I have my Atwood 6k coupler off the trailer and in pieces right now. I bought this boat and trailer the end of October, so I'm just getting started. The surge break system is toast because of neglect (rust) and those dang bearing buddies. I ordered and installed new backing plates and replaced all four sets of bearings and seals. Got 4 nice dustcaps too.

I tried to save the coupler, but no luck, so I am getting ready to order one online. Mine has the lockout that looks like the one shown in your link. Mine is the black painted model, rather than the zinc one shown. I can't really give advice about the other models, but I'm sure they will all do the job.
If pictures of what the coupler's innards look like would help you in any way, I will be happy to take and post some.
MikeB

alexco38 · Nov 29, 2011

Should have check Champion Trailers

http://www.championtrailers.com/DRUM BRAKE CLUSTERS.htm

It's galvanized with free backup also there is a solenoid option to lockout hydraulic.

Great people to deal with.

dscribner · Nov 29, 2011

Most of the time, a solenoid is for backing and not for continued use. If it's on continuously it will probably overheat and burn out. Your best bet would be to use the backing pin that they all (I'm guessing) have. I think they all have them because not everybody has free-backing plates.

Have a great time at Lave Havasu! Be sure to walk the London Bridge while you're there!

LloydB · Nov 29, 2011

Hi heymagic will you enlighten about damage caused by the bearing buddies-"The surge break system is toast because of neglect (rust) and those dang bearing buddies."

heymagic · Nov 29, 2011

LloydB said:
Hi heymagic will you enlighten about damage caused by the bearing buddies-"The surge break system is toast because of neglect (rust) and those dang bearing buddies."

Well the brake system IS toast, but it is mainly because the fluid in the coupler was never checked or changed. Rust took over in the whole system. Brake fluid is made to absorb water, and after a number of years, changing it is a good idea.

Bearing buddies. Lot's of folks like them. I'm talking here about the kind that replace the grease cap, and supply grease through the front only. I don't like them.
I never want my trailer to hurt anyone. If I haven't inspected my wheel bearings, brakes, and checked the play in the wheels, I don't know for sure what's going on in the hub. So my personal preference is no bearing buddies.
The boat and trailer I just purchased has 4 wheels and 4 bearing buddies. The PO said he just had the wheel bearings inspected and lubed for $89. See pics below.
To all of you that like 'em fine. I'll keep repacking mine each fall.
Just my two cents, and that was before inflation,
MikeB

PSTEVEN · Nov 29, 2011

I think you may have missed one of the most important jobs of bearing buddies. When filled they are spring loaded to keep positive pressure on the grease in the wheel bearing which assists in keeping water from seeping into the bearings while the wheels are underwater. Of course I agree you should not depend on them over time but should remove then and check the grease regularly as you would with normal grease caps.

heymagic · Nov 29, 2011

PSTEVEN said:
I think you may have missed one of the most important jobs of bearing buddies. When filled they are spring loaded to keep positive pressure on the grease in the wheel bearing which assists in keeping water from seeping into the bearings while the wheels are underwater. Of course I agree you should not depend on them over time but should remove then and check the grease regularly as you would with normal grease caps.

I have found that few of the bearing buddies I have seen while waiting my turn to launch my boat, have the rubber caps on them. That said, I have never seen a BB on a trailer that still had a working piston. The grease mixed with sand and stuff from the road, binds them up really well. I took the four BB's off this trailer, sprayed them with brake cleaner, removed the snap ring, and still had to work to get them moving. I really don't want anyone to think I consider myself an expert on the subject. I just know what I have observed over the years and really don't trust them. So that, the wasteful amount of grease, and lack of lube to the inner bearing, blown out inner seals; just not a fan. For me the drawbacks and risks outweigh any benefit. When I rebuilt the old "MagicTilt" trailer that came with my Sanibel17, the new axle came with the newer style EZ Lube hubs. Those lube from the center of the spindle. Better but no cigar. I still service them the same.
That's all I have,
MikeB

heymagic · Nov 29, 2011

Sorry! I double posted somehow!

PSTEVEN · Nov 29, 2011

The bbs you describe obviously weren't serviced properly if at all. I was a dealer for 13 years and they always worked fine for my customers. Not much in this world works if you do not take care of it. And I sold a lot of Magic Tilt trailers new and used.

Sumner · Nov 29, 2011

I have bearing buddies on the boat trailer, but not on our other trailers. I guess I'll see how I like them. I think that no matter what you are using a person has to pull the hub apart and still check the bearings from time to time.

The center fill look good, but still the grease is going to go the easiest route and if one side plugs up then it is all going the other way. Same with the bearing buddies. They just need to all be serviced.

Your picture...

...of the drum brakes is exactly why I wouldn't have them on a trailer that is going in the water. Just too many parts to rust up and not work. I have electric brakes on a car hauler trailer, but surge...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/trailer-mods-8.html

...disc on the boat trailer and love them at this point anyway,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

AtlanticAl · Nov 29, 2011

I have the same problem, brakes shot on the trailer. When we bought this boat, a 28 lancer, the owner offered to deliver, from North of Kansas city to Joplin Mo, he did it, hired a one ton truck, and said he had no probs, he had no brakes in the triller, and wasnt bothered, the one ton truck was enough to support it all.

heymagic · Nov 29, 2011

Hey Walt,
Sorry for bringing up the dang BB's and getting the thread going in a different direction.
I ordered a new coupler today from the link you posted, so thanks for the info. That will work well with the new backing plate assemblies that I installed. I will have to make up some new brake lines, I sure would not trust these.
This boat will get hauled up to Bayfied Wi for the summer. I'll bring the trailer back home and stick it back in the shed. That will give me a chance to spruce it up a little more, during the time I can't sail. It probably came with the boat originally in 1978. It looks like it would haul a 25 footer with no problem.
Did you decide what you'll do for a coupler yet?
MikeB

heymagic · Nov 29, 2011

AtlanticAl said:
I have the same problem, brakes shot on the trailer. When we bought this boat, a 28 lancer, the owner offered to deliver, from North of Kansas city to Joplin Mo, he did it, hired a one ton truck, and said he had no probs, he had no brakes in the triller, and wasnt bothered, the one ton truck was enough to support it all.

Al,
This is just a 23 ft O'Day. I hauled it up from Lake Pepin about 2hrs. south of here, with a Jeep Liberty. If it had been a 28 footer, the lack of brakes would have been a real problem. I had hoped to rebuild that coupler, but the cost of the parts were more than the coupler! I shoulda known.

MikeB

Crazy Dave Condon · Dec 11, 2011

Reading this post and the one on the electric brakes, jsut a few thoughts on this.

If trailering alot, it is recommended that you inspect your brakes annually. Some states require inspections. So often I had to repair them for lack of maintenace.

I prefer disc surge brakes. Never had issues as I felt that corrosion would affect electric brakes.

Do unplug the electrical and sit for 5 minutes for lights to cool down before emersing a trailer .

Whatever you get in way of brakes, routing maintenace is a must. By the way, inspect the fluid resivour often on a surge brake. If maintained, no issue with the brakes. Change the fluid out every 5 years and replace with fresh fluid.
Brake pads do wear out contrary to what some have told me in the past.

Be safe and have fun.

crazy Dave

Doug L · Dec 17, 2011

Hi Walt. I wanted to post to question your original premise, that you want to be able to disable the trailer brakes if the road gets icy. I believe that is more likely to get you into trouble. If you let the brakes do their job the trailer will not push so hard on the tow vehicle, and your whole rig should stop faster. If the road oncditions get bad, I would definately drive slow, but I would do it with the trailer brakes working. You may be able to adjust the spring on your coupler to reduce the amount of braking, but I believe that No braking is asking for trouble.

Surge brake actuators

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