Surge Brake Issue on Trailer

[SwampSurvivor]

This is on my Jeep hauler. 10'' drum brakes, 13'' wheels.

Over the weekend I was in PA. Had to go down a VERY steep hill. Put the old rusty trusty F350 in 2nd gear and just let it walk down the hill. Never had to touch the brakes on the truck once. It made lots of cool noises ... there's not a single exhaust manifold left on it so it pops loudly. Once I got to the bottom the left side brakes were smoking, right side ones were completely cool.

The right side brakes don't seem to be working. I though I had them adjusted the same as the left side. They are bled and no air bubbles as far as I can tell. And I have verified that the backing plates are on the correct side.

The main line runs down the right side, then tees off to both axles, then both lines are split left/right. Seems that if it were an air bubble in the main line I'd end up with a single axle not working, not an entire side.

I had to make a panic stop on 81 because some people forgot how to merge and ran into each other and it stopped straight and quickly. It didn't feel like one side was working better or worse than the other.

 

[Donald]

I always thought surge brakes were a "best effort" but were not that great of an invention. So rolling down the hill without applying brakes on your truck was the truck still pulling the trailer (no surge brakes) or was the trailer trying to push the truck (brakes applied)?

I would bleed everything again and jack up the side with an issue and have someone activate the safety run-a-way lever while you try and spin each wheel.

 

[supton]

any chance left side is dragging? and getting warm all the time?

With the axle so far back I wonder if mismatched brakes would present as a pull. I mean, it's on the end of a lever. One rear dead brake on the truck isn't likely to be felt, front brakes though I think have an issue where it can pull the steering wheel, thus making the effect feel worse--a positive feedback sort of thing.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

On the highway, all 4 hubs run nice and cool. I had just completed a 250 mile highway run. All done at speeds as fast as a 230K mile triton v8 can pull a 6000 pound trailer!

I always thought surge brakes were a "best effort" but were not that great of an invention. So rolling down the hill without applying brakes on your truck was the truck still pulling the trailer (no surge brakes) or was the trailer trying to push the truck (brakes applied)?

I would bleed everything again and jack up the side with an issue and have someone activate the safety run-a-way lever while you try and spin each wheel.

Trailer was pushing the truck , so the surge brake tongue was applying the brakes. Truck was holding itself back.

 

[supton]

I wonder... shoes not at the same adjustment per side? Left side is coming on first.

Coasting down hills might not get enough pressure on the coupler to push hard enough on the right side?

 

[meep]

Frozen cylinder?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

They're brand new loaded backing plates, suppose I could have a bad one.

I'll pull apart and try to see if they are adjusted right - I should clarify that means take the Jeep off and disconnect from the truck and check adjustment. I made that mistake the first time I tried to adjust them, I did it with the Jeep on the trailer attached to the truck. Ended up backing both sides off too far.

 

[Donald]

Did you find anything? I converted my trailer to disc brakes. Prior brakes were non working drum. Or parts of what had been drum brakes.

But as I have said before, with a 3/4 ton pickup you can get away without working brakes up to maybe 5000 lbs. Not that you should not have working brakes.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I've towed my Jeep on a trailer without working brakes before with the F350 and it didn't seem to care; it's got enough brakes that if I plan ahead it would be fine. But, never know when there may be a panic stop. Or I will end up loaning it to someone with a lighter truck that doesn't have as serious of brakes.

I found two things, but haven't had a chance to test. They were backed off really far - which made sense, I remember doing this and there was a huge air bubble which I got out with a vacuum bleeder. I think between those two, it should be good now! This weekend I'm doing another tow, so we will find out!

 

[Donald]

I've towed my Jeep on a trailer without working brakes before with the F350 and it didn't seem to care; it's got enough brakes that if I plan ahead it would be fine. But, never know when there may be a panic stop. Or I will end up loaning it to someone with a lighter truck that doesn't have as serious of brakes.

I found two things, but haven't had a chance to test. They were backed off really far - which made sense, I remember doing this and there was a huge air bubble which I got out with a vacuum bleeder. I think between those two, it should be good now! This weekend I'm doing another tow, so we will find out!

I misread your post. I thought the tow vehicle was a Jeep. I thought the only place surge brakes were used were boat trailers. Anything that did not get dunked was electric brakes.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

It was a 1981 boat trailer until it was converted to a narrow Jeep hauler. I'm very limited on driveway space and a regular car trailer ends up in the neighbor's yard. Plus the 1981 boat trailer was free.

It cost me more to go with surge brakes than electric, but I figured it would be better in case someone without a brake controller ended up towing the trailer. Or if my next truck doesn't have a brake controller, no urgent rush to get one.

 

[ragtoplvr]

surge brakes are fine, and work well. You have to have some kind of lock out for reverse, a 4 wire system like most of us have does not backup light wire for the electric lockout. If you loan it they will need to know how to manually lock it out.

Rod

 

[Jetronic]

recent surge brakes release when going backwards. Recent being the last 30 years or so.