Boat trailer breaks

[bigtrout]

Have any of you converted from drum to disk breaks? Mine need replaced and wondered if it is worth the money? :dance:

[jet]

I would say yes. The next time I need to replace them I am going disc. There is a x2 cost on the set but I think that you will save in the long run. The best part is brakes when they are wet, now waiting for brakes for 5 miles. No more adjustments.... Yes they are a good idea.

Jet~~~

[jet]

By the way your title is "Boat trailer breaks", as in broken. I think you really wanted to say "Boat trailer brakes"

Maybe the trailer is breaking...

Jet~~~

[AnnaDraMoss]

Hey Jet, I'm glad you brought this to attention because I didnt have the heart to.

[jet]

This is a good topic of discussion as many of us have large boats and do depend on our brakes working all the time. Disc all the way

Jet~~~

[whitewaterbill]

I like the concept....But would like to here from people that have some run time on them in frequent use with fresh and salt water....Like 2 plus years with a trip a week or more all year??? Do they hold up???

SG

[jet]

SG.. good to see you here been a while.

I have seen reports in Trailer Boat magazine. From what I read the newer Disc have not had failures. The earlier ones did have some problems, when I say earlier that was 5 years ago. They are made from all the good stuff, Stainless steel, bronze, etc.

Jet~~~

[whitewaterbill]

I have seen reports in Trailer Boat magazine. From what I read the newer Disc have not had failures. The earlier ones did have some problems, when I say earlier that was 5 years ago. They are made from all the good stuff, Stainless steel, bronze, etc.

Jet~~~



Magazines???

Like to here good news from a local that has run them...Maybe a guide with 2 plus years on them. I have purchased things with good reports in magazines...And they might be good someplace else...And failed big time in my enviorment....Learning to be careful and check out completely before I jump in for big dollars...Local trailer outfit told me that the parts to convert mine would be $800.00 plus..... w/o labor. They will need to walk on water before that would be a good deal as apposed to what I spend now.

Thanks for the reply!

I get pretty good service on my drum and shoe brakes...You just need to figure out when they need attention based on how you use them.

1. I adjust them about 2 times per year.

2. I replace the slave cylinders about 18 to 24 months..... You can tell when they are starting to get sticky by how they come on when you brake.... About $12.00 each and a little labor. They are built so you can change the cylinder by removing 1 bolt and taking 1 hydraulic line loose...And not disturb the rest of the assemby. Pretty easy.

3. 40 to 48 months I replace the entire assembley from the backing plate out complete and start over with the process. I think those are about $40.00 per wheel.

4. Everytime the hubbs come off the wheel bearings get an inspection and new grease.

None of this cost very much for parts so if I stay on my game and keep an eye on it...I got a pretty low cost set of brakes and bearings...

I do like the concept or disc....I just want to hear from a trusted fisher that these automotive...(car/truck) type brakes work over time when dunked it the water better than the Automotive drum brakes that we are using.

It is going to be different for all of us....This works for me and I go 1 or 2 times per week for 52 weeks per year.

I hate having anything on the boat or road trip that I can not trust. I error on the side of over maintenance...Without over doing it...Again...You got to find what will work for your routine.

SG

[Bucolic buffalo]

I would also like to hear from someone who has performed this conversion. I have found a couple of sources of parts but would feel better if I knew someone who had already done it. You might check the Easternmarine web site. It would give you a good idea of the approximate cost of the parts. They seem to have good prices on trailer parts. There is probably someone closer with the same or better price on the parts. This would at least give you a starting point.

[jet]

Excellent post SG.

Sometimes poeple want less maintenance and from what I read the Disc brakes do have less maintenance. You do have me thinking how little that I mess with the Drums. I adjust them once a year and they do stop just like a Disc brake will.

Jet~~~

[Away2Long]

I put SS disks on my formerly brakeless trailer. Boat and trailer are around 3200# and trailer is single axle. I would estimate I have around 4-5k on them over the past 1.5 years. Only half dozen trips to the salt and I rinse in the nearest lake after every trip.
Install was easy - hardest part was finding a way to get the boat off for the day to do the job.
Brake kit from champion trailers in Louisiana, about $400 if I remember right. Includes new surge tongue which bolted right in place.
Also installed liquid lubrication system on the hubs after a near total loss of one hub. Around the same mileage on those and no issues so far. Drain the oil once a year and put new in filling halfway. Clear caps so you can see it in there at all times. I will be pulling the hubs off this winter just to check the wear and at that time I will replace seals and check bearings for wear.
Why wouldn't SS disks work well? No need for a rinse kit like drums if you are in the salt a lot.
Just my .02 worth ---YMMV.

[Salmonator]

The disks are also completely open as opposed to a drum system. Easy to rinse. I've had discs for close to three years and I'm just now needing pads. A drum coupler can be used with disc brakes with a slight mod, instructions were included with my brake set. <font color="red">DO NOT</font> use an un-modified drum coupler with disc brakes. Go ahead and ask me why I know this if you want :jester:

[KChookem]

I prefer my disk over the drums. I replaced mine about 4 years ago when the drum brakes finally rusted out (after 3 years). I have a single axle trailer with a Gross axle weight of 3,500 lbs. This trailer is primarily used in salt water, probably 20-30 times a year on average. I now need to replace the brake pads, and the hydraulic line has a leak due to rusting-out.

I did the replacement myself, and although I'm not particularily adept, it was not too difficult. I tried a couple of brake shops, but they would not do the work because they had not supplied the parts (liability). The biggest problems I encountered were getting a brake line to fit between wheels, and purging the air out of the hydraulic lines.

I purchased the brakes through Cabela's or West Marine, but there may be other places now days.

If I were to do again, I would also change out the innards of the hydraulic-surge brake unit, and I would try the SS Bearing Buddy seal (while I had the wheels off).

[whitewaterbill]

Great to here the last 2 posts ....Now we are getting down to it!!!!

Anyone else using them? Full time guides?

SG

[Starfish]

I'm not a guide but I do fish a lot... about 50-80 trips per year, anywhere from 50 to 350 mile round trip (usually about 90). I'm on about a year and a half now with disc brakes on a tandem trailer (Tracker Tundra) and they've been flawless. No adjustments or service of any kind... now I'm getting nervous reading this post and thinking I should do something to check them. But they're always smooth, no clunking or grabbing.

I've never had them in salt, though.

[troybuz]

I have delt with Mike from M s Metalworks in Molalla.
His web site is: http://ms-trailer.com/
He seems to know what it takes to make this work.
If the mod deletes the link do a google search for M S Trailer Molalla

[Critr Gitr]

Yep, did the same as the others - added disc brakes to a brakeless King Trailer 3200# single axle. Took me an afternoon - I was cheap so I ordered Tie-Down stuff from a few places. disks &amp; bacup switch from Cabelas, actuator and hoses from Northern tool - total was under $400. Haven't had any problems and I rinse them well (I hope) after the salt.

Some guys like em some don't.... they work for me

[zig]

I wrote this in response to another thread about disk brakes...
In response to your thread...My family and fishing neighbors got on the disk brake band wagon about 4 years ago. We changed out about 8 axles worth of drums to disks. Some of these drums had the flush out kits installed on them but when they were dismantled, WOW! what a mess.

Things were going great on all trailers until this July. While pulling my empty trailer down 405 to pick up my boat, all 4 began to smoke. I pulled over and luckily had a jug of water as they actually caught fire! I put them out, drug the trailer home and spent the next week in repair mode.
Now, after this experience one would think I'd learned my lesson and would put drums back on. Two issues changed my mind and decided to give them another chance.

1. The reason the brakes got hot and caught fire was due to the emergency cable having been accidently and unknowingly pulled when stepping across the tongue (darn non-boat owners).

2. After realizing that a total replacement was neccessary, the supplier told me the brake system has been updated and improved since I bought my 1st set and even though the brakes themselves didn't fail, the new system is more reliable than the older models.

Long story short, I have repaired and replaced probably over a dozen drum brake systems during my backyard boat maintenance hobby. Even ones with flush systems. So far I have yet to see a failure of a disk system. Even my own failure was due to human error, the system worked as designed. Unfortunately, the cable that got pulled, wasn't yanked hard enouph to totally lock up the brakes so I could have noticed sooner.
I will stay with the disk systems (at least for now).