Trailer Brakes Do I need it ?

N

nymack66

God
I am posting this under modification because its exactly what I am thinking on doing. My Trailer Brakes are locking up again on a different hub this time.
The last time this happened the dealership replaced the entire hub/caliper hoses etc all under warranty.
When I cam back home from Boating last week it was so hot it was melting the grease and slinging it around the rim, what a mess ...
I am seriously thinking on removing all four disc brakes, I rinse and wash this crap and yet it acts up on me.
My fear is it will lock up, overheat the hub/rim and explode my tires and create havoc on the HWY.
My old trailer which was also a double axle no brakes was easier to haul.
Any DOT regulations I need to worry about? or I am doing something wrong?
 
ny. i am also in fl and i believe you are required to have brakes on anything over 3000lb. with brakes on ALL wheels. so far i have not seen a lot of enforcement and don't know of anybody getting a ticket. i also have a tandem axel with no brakes and would not consider putting them on unless they step up enforcement. my normal trailering is about 5 miles and speeds under 35 mph. i do trailer to the keys every 2 years and have been very lucky, it is a 12 hour drive with a very high pucker factor. i guess a lot of the decision is your normal route to the water.
 
X2, over 3K and legally you are required to have em. With that said I don't have em on any of my boat trailers, and probably never will. If you have a decent size tow vehicle then I say use your head and disconnect em. Just remember though, if you get into a bad accident without em, you could be found liable even if it wasn't your fault because you didn't have brakes.
 
phatdaddy said:
ny. i am also in fl and i believe you are required to have brakes on anything over 3000lb. with brakes on ALL wheels. so far i have not seen a lot of enforcement and don't know of anybody getting a ticket. i also have a tandem axel with no brakes and would not consider putting them on unless they step up enforcement. my normal trailering is about 5 miles and speeds under 35 mph. i do trailer to the keys every 2 years and have been very lucky, it is a 12 hour drive with a very high pucker factor. i guess a lot of the decision is your normal route to the water.
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A lot also depends on the tow vehicle. Legal considerations aside for the moment, the one thing you must consider is can you stop the trailer and the boat safely in an emergency? If you have a big tow vehicle like a full size pick up in the F150 class or above then you shouldn't need brakes on the trailer. But for lighter vehicles (even those with good braking systems) you have to have brakes on the trailer. In an emergency stop situation the mass and the inertia of the boat and trailer can literally push your car right into an accident.

As to the brakes themselves, I know that everyone in the industry says get disk brakes.... but I've been using drum brakes for tens of years with no problems... Just remember to clean them and do normal maintenace on them and they will last you as long as your trailer. Oh... and (IMHO) use surge brakes, not electric.. I've heard too many horror stories about electric systems.. Hydraulic surge brake systems are simple... and simple is usually better. Just my 2 cents :head:
 
I had never had brakes on a trailer before I got my new trailer last year for the V........now every timeI have to stop in a hurry I say, "man its nice to have trailer brakes".

Of course my trailer is new and not acting up yet.

Like the other say, if its a short slow tow and you have a big truck, and you can stand the liability, take em off.
 
I have never had them and never want them!! The ones on the Sea Ox were messing up when I got it and nw the drums are empty and I never filling them up again!
 
My trailer was brand new in 2005. The drum brakes were toast by 2007. I went to move the trailer one day and one side was locked. I love trailer brakes but salt really takes a toll on em. I just take it easy and remember to keep a good distance b/t other vehicles and start braking well before any stops and it doesn't seem to be a problem. I'm sure it wears out the brake pads on the Yukon much faster but its a trade-off.
 
Blue_Runner said:
My trailer was brand new in 2005. The drum brakes were toast by 2007. I went to move the trailer one day and one side was locked. I love trailer brakes but salt really takes a toll on em. I just take it easy and remember to keep a good distance b/t other vehicles and start braking well before any stops and it doesn't seem to be a problem. I'm sure it wears out the brake pads on the Yukon much faster but its a trade-off.
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They have flush kits you can install so that when you flush your engine you can just attach the hose to the kit and flush your brakes also. Gets the salt out.. Yes, they will still rust, like everything else that's made of metal.. but it really helps lenghten the service life of them. I figure a hundred dollars every 4-5 years is a sound investment vs the cost of a single lawsuit. :head:
 
My trailer had the flush kit from the factory. Flushed every time every time I took out of the salt. I spray the leaf springs at the car wash with freshwater immediately after taking out as well. Always put in at the lake when I get home which should help the trailer some too. The Yukon does a pretty good job stopping it so I'm not too worried about it. One less thing to maintain.
 
Are all disk brakes giving problems? Is it just one manufacturer? I installed a set of SS Kodiak Disks on one of the trailers. So far so good.
 
I've been using S.S Kodiak disc brakes on all my trailers, never had a problem of a lock up or not working, the only major break down i usually have is with the back up solenoid, which trailer companies had send me new one for free.
 
Thanks guys all good ideas so far. Ridge its one hub at the moment starboard front , last time its was port front ! This trailer is brand new with less than 500 miles.
Here is the tag on the trailer I will call Shorelander in regards to the brand of brakes. I have no idea what brand or type it is.
My Dealer is useless, they are happy to bill Shorelander with all repairs, my issue is this should never happen something is wrong, it will create a disaster blowing out my tires etc on the highway, I just know it. The wheel was so hot it was frying the water off when I arrived home. I know something was wrong on my way home I refuse to believe the brakes were locking up again. Little did I know ...My that Chevy was hauling it with ease. I did notice the 3K on the RPM's ...Great one once said common sense is not so common :)
 

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I know that there are people on this site that do not agree with me on this one, and I respect their opinions, but I still think that brakes are a necessity for boats of our size and larger. We're not talking about a little 14 foot rowboat with a 9.9 on it, we're talking about 4-5 thousand pounds of needed extra stopping power you're putting on your vehicles brakes. Somethings gonna give some day and I pray no one dies when it does. There's a reason that they put brakes on trailers... and it's not just to make extra money when they're sold. So respectfully, I disagree with anyone that says you don't need them. :head: IMHO

And if you're having problems with your disk brakes, then switch to drums.. Yes, they rust, and yes, you'll have to maintain them, but they've never locked up on me in all the years I've been boating. (and that's a loooooong time)
 
My 250 Sportsman's trailer does not have brakes. On a good day it does not cause an issue. But i am towing with a diesel 3500 srw. The only time i ever had trouble was on a rainy night a light changed on me and i hit the brakes right on top of a manhole cover after a few seconds of hopping it slowed right down. Thats the only problem i have had in the 4 years i have owned the boat.
 
In New Jersey you would be subject to a ticket and fine for towing like that. Our law states, and I quote: "If the GVWR (including load) is more than 3,000 lbs. or 40% of the towing vehicle's gross weight, the trailer must be equipped with brakes."

http://www.dmv-department-of-motor-vehicles.com/NJ_New Jersey_dmv_department_of_motor_vehicles.htm

(It's nice to have a wife that works for the DMV.. She knows where to find all the laws)

Since a V20 and trailer is over 3000 lbs, you're required to have brakes on your trailer.

Additionally, if you are in an accident, and your trailer doesn't have brakes and is required to have them, you leave yourself open to bigger lawsuits if the accident is deemed to have been caused by you, due to negligence on your part. If the accident isn't caused by you you still are open to a charge of contributory negligence due to the fact that you didn't have the required safety equipment.

To me, it's cheap money to have your trailer equiped with brakes.
 
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I still have brakes on the rear axle, I only remove the front ones.
I use the SR528 which is the Autobahnen of Florida, legal at 70 MPH folks drive at 90 MPH with little or no enforcement and absolutely no shoulder to pull over in an emergency.
A very good friend of mine died on the Van Wick Expressway in NY 25 years ago changing a flat tire, and I never seem to forget the way it happened. I am scared to death been at the side of the road ever since.
When my Brakes locked up the wheel is literally on fire, this will eventuality explode the tires which in turn will take out my rear the rest will be obvious.
To prevent this is why I remove the front brakes so if a lock up happens it will be on the rear only and hopefully minimize damage.
I appreciated the warnings do get me wrong I would have love to keep it on all four wheels. But the lockups is driving me crazy. This is a relatively new trailer and this should not happen but it does.
The dealer replace the starboard front a while ago, now the port front locked up a few months back.
I was amazed at the corrosion around the brake cylinders when I removed them not a lot to cause the lockups as agreed by the dealer also. I am diligent about hosing this trailer down with fresh water after each trips.
Hopefully it works out I be on the SR528 this weekend hopefully no lockups on the rear !
 
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