trailer brakes help

[Justin_NSA]

Anyone know where to find drum brake wheel cylinders for a 1992 26S trailer? It has the surge brakes. When I went to replace the wheel bearings I noticed the wheel cylinders are rusted solid. I have no brakes! I checked the BWY catalog and they sell a whole kit with cylinder, shoes springs etc.

 

[Sumner]

If you had to get a whole kit then I might think about switching to the surge disc brakes as I thing they are better and easier to maintain.

Have you tried taking a wheel cylinder down to a parts store and seeing if they can match it up. Are there any markings that indicate whose brakes they are (who MacGregor used)?

Good luck,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Justin_NSA]

Thanks Sum. I should have said I tried a couple automotive places already. The Macs have an odd single plunger setup. The counter guys couldn't help. I sent an email to BWY to see if they sell just the cylinders. I will follow with a call tomorrow. I think a disk conversion would be more than I want to spend. I only use the trailer twice a year, from the yardspace to the ramp and back again.

I'll wager there are a lot of Mac brake systems out there that aren't working. It's a PITA to check them too.

 

[Sumner]

... I think a disk conversion would be more than I want to spend. I only use the trailer twice a year, from the yardspace to the ramp and back again...

I think if that is the case I'd forget it at this point and address the situation if you ever decide to take a trip or something. Then the parts would be new. We hauled to Canada and back without brakes since the trailer didn't have them. I don't recommend that though and it sure is nice now to have the second axle and brakes that work.

That would be another option. If you ever do decide to do a long haul maybe put on a second axle and have brakes on that one and forget these,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Justin_NSA]

I hate to put the wheels back together without fixing the brakes. I found the wheel cylinders ar Champion Trailers for $25 each.

I recommend everyone check your systems. The boots on the cylinders were deteriorated terribly and let the pistons lock up. I suspect I'll need to inspect the master cylinder next. It's empty.

 

[timebandit]

Try NAPA and get the book out and goto the section with pictures and spec's and see if you cannot find them..

 

[Justin_NSA]

Got the new wheel cylinders at the local Big Tool Store. They were actually less than online. The next thing to look at is the actuator. I'm thinking it needs replacing as well. Too bad it's welded on, it won't make the job easy. Meantime I can get the trailer rolling again. We're watching the lake level. The Mac can stay in the docks longer than its fixed keel brethren but I still need enough water to get the trailer underneath it if it keeps dropping.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Just an update on my trailer brakes. Someone may benefit from this info:
My bearings and new wheel cylinders are on. I re-greased and put new plastic covers on the Bearing Buddies. Now it seems my actuator is bad also. Bought a new one at Northern Tools but I have to cut the %$#@! welds on the old actuator to get it off! Every new actuator seems to be a bolt-on, why didn't Roger follow conventional assembly practice? It's not like these don't ever fail! I had to buy a 4 1/2" grinder to cut the welds, my Rotozip and cutting wheel don't have the cutting diameter needed to cut all of the way through. I suppose I'll also replace the brake lines before I'm done. Northern has a kit that will work fine.

Looking back. and here's where the real advice comes in. My original plan was to only replace the wheel bearings. Then it was one problem after another. I should have just converted over to a disk brake kit like Sum advised. It would have cost me more but I would have a state-of-the-art braking system.

General tip. To free up and remove rust, soak parts overnight in white vinegar. The next day you can just wipe the rust off!

 

[tkanzler]

Sounds like you have this handled at this point, so I'll just make some general comments for anyone considering doing the work in the future.

I'm in the process of replacing the brakes on my original 26X steel trailer, with a second axle added. I priced out the 2-axle drum brake kit from etrailer, which included a new coupler, lines, fittings, (4 each) drums, bearing and seal sets, and free-backing brake assemblies. About $400 complete, with free shipping.

A single-axle disc brake kit was about the same money, with the same coupler (disc brake master cylinder, though), and included a reversing solenoid (normally open, though), so I went with that. If I feel I need brakes on the other axle, I can add them later with an expansion kit. The 2-axle kit was $200 more, so $600 would have done it all, but blown my budget.

Parts to rebuild the surge coupler was about the same price as a new coupler, so no savings there. I did have to cut off the old coupler, as it was also welded, but I probably could dismantled the new coupler and put all the parts into the old housing and not messed with the welds. New parts separately, without drums, was more money than a kit with drums, so no savings by buying piecemeal.

A kit was the most economical way to go, in my case, and based on the strong recommendations for disc brakes these days (and some inspiration from Sumner's web pages), I decided to go that way. No more work to switch over to disc as compared to replacing the drum brakes in-kind, and I shouldn't have to worry about them for years to come. Hopefully.

 

[Sumner]

Sounds like you are in good shape.

Here is a link for anyone who is interested in the surge discs to what I used...

http://www.google.com/products/cata...&sa=X&ei=cm5STs6KPKbTiAKPk9Bx&ved=0CGIQ8wIwAQ

and we bought ours from Black Bear Sporting Goods....

http://www.blackbearsportinggoods.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ELLTIED82101&click=12

.... They usually seem to have the best pricing if you also figure the shipping charges. One thing though is that their prices seem to constantly be swinging up and down. When I first looked at their site a kit was about $420, but by the time I had ordered it was about $390. Since then I've seen it higher and lower.

We had no problems ordering from them and the brakes came pretty fast as I remember. This is a good kit. Over the past week I've finally been documenting on our site the addition of the second axle, brakes, third bunk, etc.. Some of it is there now....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/trailer-mods-index.html

... down near the bottom of the above link and I'll try and finish the rest this week including the brakes and other mods that aren't there right now. I'll post when all of it is up,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Fred Villiard]

If you replace the brake lines, I would go with stainless steel lines once and done.

I have had stainless on my Grady trailer, since 1990 and still as good as new, before that it was replace every two to three years.

Champion trailers has them and probally a mulditude of other places.

Fred

 

[Justin_NSA]

Good grief! I've replaced the wheel cylinders and the actuator. Now I have a flex hose that is corroded shut. I can't find a replacement, not even at BWY. Looks like I'll be replacing the whole brake line system next. Thanks for the tip Fred.

This is a better design than the original.
http://www.championtrailers.com/Universal brake tube kit 2.pdf

 

[tkanzler]

You're probably looking in the wrong places. etrailer.com and many others have flex hose for brake systems, with the customary female bulkhead fitting on one end, that seem to be universal on trailer brakes.

Make sure what you get is long enough. The really short ones are for torsion spring axles (one at each end), and the longer ones are typically used for solid axles with leaf springs, with the tee fitting welded to the axle (rigid tube to the cylinders).

http://www.etrailer.com/p-T0776500.html

I just finished replacing the whole mess on mine with disc brakes on just one axle using a kit from etrailer. Hardest part was grinding off the welds on the coupler. I may add disc brakes to the other axle next year, depending on how it stops with this arrangement.

 

[Justin_NSA]

I found the hose. Then I thought, if it was so bad then what shape is the T-coupler and the rest of the lines. I found a kit locally for $60 at Redneck Trailers so I'm replacing it all.

I hope some of this thread and the responses are helpful to other sailors in the future.