Maintaining trailer brakes

[Twosheds]

How does everybody maintain their trailer brakes after dunking in salt water?

I'm particularly interested in disc hubs with mechanical over ride brakes, not the newfangled electric brakes.

How do you keep the rust at bay from the disc hubs. The gal on the discs doesn't last long and then you have shiny steel exposed to the salt.

I often have a quick squizz at the parked boat trailers at the ramp and see a lot with stuffed brakes, dunno how some of them pass rego.

Waiting with interest...

Twosheds

[Noelm]

There is no miracle fix, wash as well as possible, spray with any water dispersant sprays, maintain as best you can, my mate has a garden sprayer of fresh water he keeps to wash his brakes after launching, then WD40, it's a lot of fooling around, but kind of works.

[Lovey80]

Stainless calipers and rotors. Tape up then paint extra layers of cold gal on the back of the pads.

[Noelm]

I think you can buy stainless backed pads these days?

[Lovey80]

I think you can buy stainless backed pads these days?

Don’t tell me that. Another expense.

[gazza2006au]

I spent big bucks on my hydraulic bracks.. i was just out in the boak and took a look at my trailer (boats not on that trailer) and noticed rust or dry rusty water on my caliper

[brett62]

Yes correct, you can get pads with s/s backing plates and when I replace my pads that's what I will be getting.

I went full s/s brakes also. If you need brakes on a trailer it's for a good reason and they should work. You still need to do maintenance on S/S brakes but nothing like gal setups. If you can launch the boat without having to submerge the trailer you are way ahead. Bigger boats are a little harder with trailers and you do find yourself having to keep on top of trailer maintenance. Try and make it as easy on yourself as you can.

[Paul071978]

Stainless hubs calipers and rotors is the only way. I’m going through the process also. I have a couple of spare calipers and pads that I swap out when one over heats I just swap out and refurbish the seized one. Now I’m trying stainless calipers.

[stevej]

Treat them as a disposable service item
anytime I took someone fishing and they wanted to chuck some money in it went in a tin for replacing things to keep it running

I pressure washed them with hot soapy water at home and used a water dispersant on them to dry them out

[rexaway123]

As others have said salt water will eat everything, but a little effort each trip will save you and save you any dramas ever too. I run 2300 noosacat and still have my original NON stainless Discs 9 years and they like new with electric hydraulic brakes, have replaced stainless calipers once the piston jammed but now they are stainless too and holding better.
Alot of damage occurs when you launch and leave trailer there all day with salt water all over it, the salt bonds, then you dunk it again end of day go home and think all will be good after you wash with fresh water...wrong!

If you really want your brakes to last and service well. spray off 2 mins with fresh water when you park after launch in morning ( which I do with 12v fresh water sprayer pack in back of car)...after you pull out at end of spray off again fresh water at ramp so you drive home and brakes get completely dry and do NOT wash again at home....then if boat will sit for while I give light spray over discs/calipers with Marine 66 spray...leaves non drying film...burns off second you touch brakes on next trip out....shiny discs for 9 years now when i hugely reliant on my brakes to work well due to weight of rig

my 2 cents on tried and proven method...and yes I see all the rust at ramp carpark too... I have lost count of number of people that see me do my thing and say " ohh I should do that"...but I have never see a single other person to date bother

[stevet]

AAlot of damage occurs when you launch and leave trailer there all day with salt water all over it, the salt bonds, then you dunk it again end of day go home and think all will be good after you wash with fresh water...wrong!

If you really want your brakes to last and service well. spray off 2 mins with fresh water when you park after launch in morning ( which I do with 12v fresh water sprayer pack in back of car)...after you pull out at end of spray off again fresh water at rampr

I agree and do something similar - I keep a 5 litre spray pack with a saltaway type of product in the ute that I use after launch to get rid of the salt only spraying those parts that were submerged I would use fresh water if the ramps I went to had easy access to a fresh water tap and hose prior to parking for the day - . the damage is done whilst the boat is on the water not the half hour of hour from the ramp to home

[The Mad Cat]

I'm currently building a new trailer and the plan at this stage is a water tank mounted on it and use a cordless pressure washer to rinse after the boat has been launched.
https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/worx-20...YaAjB4EALw_wcB

TMC

[Fed]

I've never seen a stainless steel replacement for 'standard' mechanical disc/hubs, by standard I mean your typical ARK or maybe ALCO hubs running slimline bearings, marine seals in Ford or Holden bolt patterns.
Not sure about SS for mechanical disc pads either, can't remember ever seeing them.

I reckon my rusty discs are caused by the brakes never applying under normal usage, boat/rig too light or resistance spring in coupling too strong maybe?
(I do drive steady & brake gently when towing)

[shakey55]

I'm currently building a new trailer and the plan at this stage is a water tank mounted on it and use a cordless pressure washer to rinse after the boat has been launched.
https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/worx-20...YaAjB4EALw_wcB

TMC

Mad Cat, I like your way of thinking and that cordless pressure washer is a beauty (might just invest in one of those).

Unfortunately I don’t think is a foolproof method to maintain the trailer and it’s parts, but a good wash down after each use will extend the life of the trailer, brakes, etc.

Just my opinion, and definitely not an expert


Shakey - If only I lived near the coast

[Twosheds]

Thanks for all the replies, very interesting what everyone else does. Although it does seem there is no magic solution when it comes to salt water and brakes.

I've been using WD40 to give the hubs and calipers a spray when I park the trailer after launching. It has stopped the rust but I get a build-up of cruddy sticky black stuff around the hub and calipers which no doubt reduces the effectiveness of the brakes to some extent, but at least they still work. I try to give it a bit of a scrape and clean every so often (or when I remember) but its time consuming and a real pain in the proverbial.

I never thought of carrying a garden sprayer of water and salt away mix to give them a quick touch up at the ramp, that sounds a really good idea. I already use that for my rods and reels before I give them a final rinse with the hose - another solution was right under my nose for years and I couldn't see it. Doh.

Is the Marine 66 any better than WD40 for this exercise. I chose WD40 because I already had some spray cans and it's cheap.

Thanks again for the replies
Twosheds