Bleeding trailer brakes?

[chummer]

Is there a proper method to bleeding the brakes on my boat trailer? I have surge brakes on the rear axle, and will be replacing the brakes shortly (shoes, backing plate and parts) and would like to have an idea as to the steps to bleeding the system once everything is re-assembled.

[FishinMission]

On the Tech Tips Board

Trailer Maintenance How To's Click Here (http://www.ifish.net/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=864791&an=0&page=1#86479 1)

Mark

[MattPark]

The only thing I would add is use a vacuum pump to bleed the brakes, it makes it a simple one person job. Some surge brake activators are a real pain to do by hand, even with decent leverage.

[KChookem]

When I converted my drum brakes to disk, I had a dickens of a time bleeding the air from the system. I tried a pump from NAPA, but that did not work too well either.

I finally made a lever to actuate the surge brakes at the hitch. I took a short piece of plywood, say 18 inches long, and mounted a 2-inch ball on it. Then I could pump hydraulic fluid into the system while the valve at the wheel-brake was opened and closed by a second person.

BTW, during this conversion, I was required to get inside the hydraulic reservoir to make a modification, and it was pretty nasty from brake fluid that had been in their for years. If I had known what it was like, I would have have either replaced the entire actuator (that sits on top of the tongue at the hitch), or would have rebuild the guts inside and put in fresh brake fluid. Mine turned out okay, but I was concerned for a while that some of the gunk I knocked loose would clog something up.

[Okie]

On surge brakes, there is a release mechanizam on the under side of the surge cylinder that can be operated with a screw driver. You can have some one operate it and start from the cylinder farthest from the tongue and bleed the brakes until no air comes out. Keep adding brake fluid to replace what is lost in the process. It is easy once you see how it works. It is a two man operation. One to operate the screw driver and one to be at the brake cylinder being done.

Good Luck;

[Herring Impaired]

I simplified the task by using a device called a "Speed Bleeder". It replaces the bleeder screw on the slave cylinder. It uses a check ball to let fuid out, but when the pressure releases, the ball seals from drawing in air or old fluid.

Makes it a one man job...

Only drawback is you have to pull a bleeder out of the cylinder and measure it, (Length, diameter and screw pitch) to order the proper replacements. Mine were the SB3824 model.

[chummer]

Thanks to everyone for their information. Thanks Mark for the link, I printed that out a while back and kept it, You jogged my memory about that part of it.