Well, the trailer manufacturers probably prefer the drum brakes because they are about a $100 difference in cost and they do not require any electrical connection to deactivate them for backing up. However, it fascinates me that, in all likelihood, there are all sorts of people driving around out there who think they have trailer brakes when in fact they probably have a mass of rusted metal inside of a rusty drum. If the drum brakes are not adjusted, then they stop working. When they stop working, they rust, corrode, and freeze up. It also seems like a trailer, which often sits outside not moving, is a poor candidate for drum brakes, which have many moving parts and which tend to freeze up from non-use. It seems like if you are stuck doing a total rebuild - including the actuater, disk brakes might be a good way to go. If you could salvage some of your old drum brake system, or if your old actuator was still sound, then it might make sense to stick with the drum brakes (because you need a more expensive actuator with the solenoid for the disk setup). Consider this, albeit I recognize it is advertising copied from a trailer parts website: What are the major advantages of Disc Brakes as compared to Drum Brakes? 1. Fewer moving parts. Compare the caliper with one moving part, to a drum brake, with between 9 and 12 moving parts. 2. Longer life due to fewer moving parts and more effective heat dissipation. 3. Friction pads are easily accessible for replacement or inspection. 4. Easy access to caliper for cleaning and maintenance. 5. Entire caliper can be removed for maintenance without removing rotor and hub. (Kodiak's caliper components can be replaced at any automotive parts store stocking GM replacement parts.) 6. Entire rotor can be removed for maintenance* without removing hub. PERFORMANCE: 1. Calipers are self-adjusting to eliminate unequal braking from one side to the other, resulting in smoother braking. Brake adjustment headaches are eliminated. 2. Braking performance is less likely to be affected by dirt, water, or rust contamination. 3. Much less sensitive to premature lock-up or wheel skid than corresponding uni-servo or duo-servo hydraulically operated drum brakes, or electrically operated drum brakes. 4. Fade resistant. VALUE: Disc brakes represent a better value to the consumer in that they have a lower owning cost over the expected life of the trailer. Food for thought. I will document my project. A couple bad pictures of the trailer (from the listing) are attached. We'll see how it goes....
Oh man a flat bed that has surge brakes. Electric is actually the cheapest way to go since the owner is forced to buy the actuator. I have been running around for years with my travel trailer (Toybox) that is around 8500-9000lbs fully loaded. It has 4 wheel drum brakes on them and works great. As long as you don't submerge them in salt water constantly you should have no longevity problems. On the plus side Ford, Toyota, GM and Dodge all pre-wire their prospective vehicles (I made an adapter plug when I was going between a Ford and Chevy) Basically a 4 wire trailer pigtail wired to the vehicle pigtail so I could move the controller between the two. If you need any shots I can probably get some of the inside of my trailers drums next week. I have to pack the bearings before I head out to the desert. Daniel
Never thought about that. Good point. Out west you probably would have no problem. It is the constant salt and snow here that destroys everything. I bet you don't see too many snowmobiles out your way...
I am glad to see the site energized. Let's see, what can I do to stir the pot some more? Electric brakes have the advantage of being able to reduce the braking when hauling empty or lightly loaded. I don't think it is a huge issue unless you get on the brakes hard. I'm glad you are happy Mark, you are paying the bills. I still have the 96 Impala SS and it looks like new on the bottom. If it were in the midwest, it would be pretty rusty by now. jim
I do not think it is possible to make self adjusting drum brakes on a "surge" braked trailer. Here is why. On a car, the self adjusting mechanism is activated when there is enough free play, from the shoes being out of adjustment, to move the adjusting mechanism. If the adjustment is good, there is not enough movement to make the adjuster adjust. In order for this to occur, the brakes cannot be applied before the reverse movement starts. If the brakes are applied, all the free play is taken up, and the adjuster can't adjust. That is what happens with cars, that can move themselves. On a trailer, with surge brakes, whenever you try to back up, the brakes are applied before the trainer starts to move. When the trailer brakes are applied, again the free play is taken up, and if there was a self adjuster, it would not be able to adjust, because there is no free play, because the brakes are applied. I have an inboard boat, on a surge brake equipped trailer. When I first got the boat, it had drum brakes, and I had it switched over to disk brakes. The disk brakes are a lot nicer, and it did seem the brakes on the tow vehicle were not working as hard, and I got more life, before I had to to brake service on the tow vehicle.
Daniel Everything you say makes sense to me. I confirmed last evening that one of the pins on my 7 pin connector is tied in with the back-up lights, so the hookup for the reverse release solenoid should be no problem. Jim. Ok. I'll bite. Electic brakes are nice. If I had a pickup truck and was pulling a work trailer every day that is probably what I'd use. If I was pulling a big, enclosed trailer and was pulling very differential weights, it would be useful, because the braking could be adjusted to the load. In my case, the load will mostly remain constant. I don't want a controller in my wife's SUV, which is what I use to pull my trailers (although I sometimes use the trusty old Chevy Suburban, which still occupies a garage stall). Also - the law requires that any trailer which has brakes must have an automatic activation device which will activate the brakes if the trailer is separated from the tow vehicle. With surge brakes, this is easy. A lever and a cable is all you need - and it is built into the actuator. With electric brakes, you need a battery backup on the trailer. You need to have a constant 12V power source active through the wire harness to re-charge it. And you need a trickle charge or battery buddy during all the time the trailer sits. Or, if you don't, you have no brakes if the trailer should come free from the vehicle. Interesting factoid: According to the owners manual for my wife's SUV (a full size GM SUV), when you select trailer towing mode (button on the end of the shifter), the vehicle increases voltage output in order to charge the trailer battery on electric trailers through the constant 12V power source available in the 7 pin harness. Interesting stuff that we probably do not need to know....
I forgot about that law. My electric brake trailer has no battery. It is about a 1985 vintage. I don't know when they changed that. jim
Mark, When you engage the "trailer towing mode", it probably changes the shift points in transmission, increases the fluid pressure in the transmission, to firm up the shifts, and may also change the fuel delivery to the engine, for more power.
Right. It is amazing what is involved in the modern trailer towing mode. The vehicle downshifts early when it senses braking while in trailer mode. It also shifts later during acceleration. It shifts down more readily on hills. It also, obviously, runs at higher RPM while cruising.
