Boat trailer brakes

[ozscott]

Yeah that all sounds good White Pointer. I do appreciate the greater sofistocation and efficiency of a hydraulic system. I have just had no decent luck finding calipers that last any longer than a year or two without failure.

I am just curious though why your cables wouldn't keep adjustment. I do quite a few miles and only need very minor adjustment at most about every 3 months or longer and it only takes less than a minute to do.

But you do need to take all the stretch points out and minimise any changes in direction. I have seen some silly cable runs that go around too many severe bends, no grease and too small a diam cable. Yes designed to fail.

Good cable ran correctly can be cheap and efficient. have had to stand on the brakes a few times lately and everything pulls up quite well, but yeah I fully loaded and fueled my boat, went to the weigh bridge and made sure it was under the magic 2000kg. Weighed in at 1940kg so a little head room there but not much. I can't think of any extra significant weight to be added. Just some fish on the way home perhaps but the lack of fuel will offset that.

I just try and keep things as simple as possible. Reliability and low maintenance is a priority for me.

I mentioned on another thread that my friends new CC625 is sitting in his shed with the calipers siezed after two trips out. After a bit of to and fro mayfairs are sending him 4 new calipers, but he has to do the changeover being a few hundred Kms from the factory. Mind you even if he lived around the corner his trailer still aint going no where. He has had to belt the calipers off with a decent hammer!
One would think this couldn't happen this far down the marine trailer braking development track??? Wasn't exactly a cheap trailer..

Thats my experience mate, with just under 2 tonn and larger than standard diameter wire, one pulley per side for the direction change after the goose neck, thimbles in the calliper arms and double crunched at the end of the short bit left after the calliper arms. Only needs adjusting every 300-500k or so.

Cheers

[wrxhoon]

]Yeah that all sounds good White Pointer. I do appreciate the greater sofistocation and efficiency of a hydraulic system. I have just had no decent luck finding calipers that last any longer than a year or two without failure.

Why not use Stainless steel calipers? Problem solved on the seized caliper side of things.

Next issue the crap solid rotors (15 mm thick) that local manufacturers use, will get very hot when you have a caliper that works and an actuator that pumps 1600 PSI
The next problem is rust on the rotor when she is parked for weeks on end.
23mm vented S/S rotors solve this one as well.

Hot dipped gal hubs or even S/S and S/S brackets for the calipers will solve all your braking problems for good.
Not cheap but much cheaper in the long run..
.

I am just curious though why your cables wouldn't keep adjustment. I do quite a few miles and only need very minor adjustment at most about every 3 months or longer and it only takes less than a minute to do.

Maybe to tight to start with??

But you do need to take all the stretch points out and minimise any changes in direction. I have seen some silly cable runs that go around too many severe bends, no grease and too small a diam cable. Yes designed to fail.

Just cheap and nasty!!

Good cable ran correctly can be cheap and efficient. have had to stand on the brakes a few times lately and everything pulls up quite well, but yeah I fully loaded and fueled my boat, went to the weigh bridge and made sure it was under the magic 2000kg. Weighed in at 1940kg so a little head room there but not much. I can't think of any extra significant weight to be added. Just some fish on the way home perhaps but the lack of fuel will offset that.

As long as you stay bellow 2000kg you are fine but you will never have the braking effect of hydraulic brakes and the fact you can pull the trailer up without pushing the cars brakes can help in a snaking situation.

I just try and keep things as simple as possible. Reliability and low maintenance is a priority for me.

Sure but a S/S set up needs even less maintenance.

I mentioned on another thread that my friends new CC625 is sitting in his shed with the calipers siezed after two trips out. After a bit of to and fro mayfairs are sending him 4 new calipers, but he has to do the changeover being a few hundred Kms from the factory. Mind you even if he lived around the corner his trailer still aint going no where. He has had to belt the calipers off with a decent hammer!
One would think this couldn't happen this far down the marine trailer braking development track??? Wasn't exactly a cheap trailer..

I would think they should last a little longer than that , maybe a year or two .

Not cheap to buy but cheaply made!!

[johncar]

Thanks for your comments wrxhoon.
I never got try SS calipers as I was pretty much over the systems that were available a few years back and have not looked at it again.

If you are getting good long term performance from these particular SS calipers that is great to know and I guess the value of forums such as this.

The calipers themselves is where the main problems have always been for me, eventually gumming up and not working well after a year or two.

Not sure what all the good gear would cost though, I imagine it would be quite a bit and have to watch the $$ these days with low income. So in that I have tried to keep it simple basic and legal although not the best system I know.