trailer brakes frozen

[gerard]

I was going to private message Bird due to his extensive trailering experieince, but figured I'd throw it out to the whole board. Have a horse trailer w/ electric brakes. Infrequent use, extensive salt in Central NY and yup, went to move it today and one of the brakes was frozen. Kind of broke free and then grabbed intermittently for awhile. I drove around for a bit, cycling the brakes and now it seems ok. I pulled the wheel but wasn't sure how to pull the drum. Did see four bolts on the backside that seemed kind of hard to get at. Are these what have to come off to access the works? If so what should I be using to lube them and what am I lubing? Any maintenance tips appreciated.

 

[Bird]

Gerard, it sounds to me as if you simply had corrosion that locked up the brakes and you've broken it loose so they'll at least work for now. However, you're right; need to pull the drum and clean things up a bit. Bolts on the backside will be for the backing plate, I'm sure, and you do not want to remove them. I think you'll find the brake drum and hub are one piece (remember when cars had drum and shoe instead of disk on the front?). You have to remove the grease retaining cup, castle nut, and wheel bearings and pull the entire hub off. It might help to look at the pictures of electric brakes.

Keep in mind that I've only worked on Dexter axles on travel trailers, so I'm assuming your brakes are about the same.

 

[bgott]

It sounds like you have a broken spring. To pull the drum you have to undo the spindle nut, like Bird said, and yank the hub off the spindle. You're probably going to have to fight it. On my little trailer the backing plate is open so if I had to deal with something like this I could pry the shoes up off of the drum to get it off. I think my big trailer has full backing plates so it would be strictly a twist and cuss operation. If worse came to worse you could torch a couple of holes in the backing plate. You can try to back off the adjusters but they are probably frozen, too. If you live in the boonies with nothing to hit on your road you could always drag it around in circles with the spindle nut off and let it fly off. I've used this method successfully a couple of times. Never on purpose, though. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Bird]

A broken spring is certainly a possibility. I based my guess on corrosion instead because he said after it broke free, grabbed intermittently, and then worked right, and I wouldn't think it would have gone back to working OK if the spring were broken, would it?

 

[gerard]

Thanks for the replies - I'm guessing it's corrosion cause they seem to be working fine now after I drove it around awhile. Still plan on pulling the drums off and taking a look at what I can clean up in there. First time doing something like this is always a pain if you're not sure how to do it. I don't mind "bulling" something off if I KNOW that's how it comes off, just don't like doing it if that's not how it's supposed to come off!! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Bird]

If one did that, the others probably need cleaning up, too, and it may be time to clean and repack wheel bearings anyway, so you can get it all at once. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[bgott]

A broken spring on a front shoe will lock 'em up when ever the trailer moves. Forward movement will kick the trailing shoe in but also give you the possibility of funny things happening. Now I have to go look at the parts breakdown of a trailer brake assembly, about the time I hit reply my mind went blank and I have to look at one to either explain my though or appologize for a brain fart. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[mikim]

I had a couple of hours set aside for that this past weekend -- on my 1 year old 18 ft lowboy -- pulled off the cap fully expecting to pull the cotter pin & nut, pop out the bearings and pack 'em like Dad taught me -- and I found a zert fitting! since time turned out to be short - I took full advantage and had those bearings greased in about 15 minutes! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[gerard]

You hit it right on the head bgott - pulled the hub and the bottom return spring was broken AND the barke lining had broken loose from the shoe and was free floating. Picked up the parts at NAPA and brought to a mechanic friend who had the shoes and return spring replaced in about 15 minutes. Since the brakes come in pairs we changed the other side too. Pulled that drum off and THAT brake lining had broken off too and was free floating!! Gonna go back to NAPA and but another set of shoes and change out the other axel just to be safe. My friend said brake shoes used to be riveted and they wouldn't brake free so easy but it must be easier to manufactur by gluing. I'm not impressed with the glue they use!!!!!!

 

[Bird]

That's a new one to me; I've seen broken springs and only heard of linings coming loose, never seen it. And of course I'm surprised that they seemed to work OK after you broke them loose when the one was stuck. Bgott's a better brake mechanic than I am. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[bgott]

Sorry I didn't get back with an explanation, stuff came up. I've had this happen a few times over the years, including when I left a spring off when I was a kid. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif The reason it's so hard to explain is that I can't really explain it, they come in with the problem, you pull the drum after one he11 of a fight and junk falls out. I just hate answering "why" with " just because". /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[cisco]

Corrosion from salting roads - try a trailer used for boat launching in salt water (dozen times a year). I got by for 8 years, until this afternoon, by hosing the trailer after use, and yearly pulling the drums, spraying everything, letting it dry and then lubing everything expect the pads and drums with WD-40 or grease, and reapplying the "buddy bearings". I ran the engine of the boat and recharged the battery every month or so this winter, but did not move it on the trailer until this afternoon - one wheel was locked up and the other making major noise. Just what I wanted to do - jack the trailer, remove the tires, pull the bearings, pry off the drums, remove the rusted pads, and put everything back together so I could trailer the boat to a launch site tomorrow (pick-up can handle the boat/trailer, with or without trailer brakes) - and just because my teenagers decided they "absolutely needed" to waterski tomorrow.
Took awhile to clean up enough for my wife to let me into the house, and a beer.
Those of you around inland lakes, pity us who have to deal with salt water, and teenagers.