What's new
By:
Filters

Hydraulic brake conversion.

granitestatedestroyer

granitestatedestroyer

.
Joined
May 20, 2020
Member Number
457
Messages
284
Loc
Sunny Sequim, WA
My trailer has 2 Dexter 7k torsion axles. Regular electric brakes.

The inner seals leaked and got the grease all over everything and now my brakes suck ass.

Is it worth the dollars to convert to EOH disc's? There's a kit on etrailer for like 1800 dollars.

Additionally. There's a handful of boat trailers on auction near me. Some of them appear to have 8k axles with discs and a surge actuator. If I bought one of those can I use the plates and calipers off an 8k axle on my 7ks? Just refresh with new pads and or rotors and add an EOH actuator?
 
They use surge brakes on 10-15k boat trailer without issue. If you can get the stuff cheap I see no reason not to run it. You can always convert to electric over hydraulic later for basically just the cost of the actuator.

That said, boat trailers tend to go for stupid $$ relative to what they are so buying a POS for the axles and brakes might not be economical.

Any random pickup truck caliper you have lying around will be as good or better than the same size trailer calipers so don't be afraid to just make your own mounting bracket to save $$
 
you tried cleaning the shoes off with gasoline yet? Zero dollar solution to get them back where they were.
BTW, I'd bet the inner seals failing has something to do with the grease zerk on the end of the spindle and an electric grease gun :flipoff2:

I don't like discs on trailers for the same reason I don't like rear discs, they rust up a lot faster than drums
 
I'd love to have a trailer with electric over hydraulic discs, but if I had a trailer with greasy shoes, I'd go the 486 route and forget about it
 
I haven't tried using gasoline on the brakes. But I did use several cans of brake cleaner. Made them a little better. A few thousand miles later they just suck again.

I wasn't thinking about going out of my way to swap to discs just for shits and giggles. Was just wondering if they are a worthwhile upgrade if I've got to replace brakes anyway. Especially if I can get parts for cheap.
 
Surge breaks on a heavy trailer suck.

I tow 10k boats on the regular. I've sold all my surge trailers and replaced them with EOH. 100x better. I'd say about the same as electric. It's a "smoother" application but also slower to react IMO.
 
I have EOH disk brakes on a 20' trailer. They work great and are trouble free. If you can get them cheap it would be worth the trouble to swap IMO. I use a P3 brake controller that will do EOH and electric.
 
This was just yesterday. Not a big load by any means but even my small trailer is EOH

20220505_150505.jpg
 
In the rust belt you just are accustomed to replacing the whole electric brake assembly every 3-4 years. Take the whole shit off toss it and put a new one on. The truck shops stock them up here.

A disk brake setup would be sweet, but never had one to see if it was worth the cost.
 
[486] said:
I don't like discs on trailers for the same reason I don't like rear discs, they rust up a lot faster than drums
Click to expand...
On boat trailer shit we loved them because we can hose them off rarely as opposed to never. You don't notice shitty uneven rusty rotor noises when they're 20ft behind you and you're not sitting on the same chassis. You don't have salt water around so that might tip the scales in favor of drums.
 
arse_sidewards said:
On boat trailer shit we loved them because we can hose them off rarely as opposed to never. You don't notice shitty uneven rusty rotor noises when they're 20ft behind you and you're not sitting on the same chassis. You don't have salt water around so that might tip the scales in favor of drums.
Click to expand...
I suppose being submerged in the shit does defeat the natural shielding of the drums
My problem with discs isn't them being noisy and pulsating once they rust up, it is that they burn up the pads immediately once they get a little rust-drag going in any one of the many slidey bits
 
RSWORDS said:
slower to react IMO.
Click to expand...
I have prodigy brake controller and towed a gooseneck with EOH disc brakes. I know what you mean about the delay/slow react on normal setting. I set the brake controller to ‘Boost 3’ and the delay is gone. You may just need a different brake controller to get rid of the slow response. FWIW.
 
TrailTamer said:
I have prodigy brake controller and towed a gooseneck with EOH disc brakes. I know what you mean about the delay/slow react on normal setting. I set the brake controller to ‘Boost 3’ and the delay is gone. You may just need a different brake controller to get rid of the slow response. FWIW.
Click to expand...

Very possible. My new truck has the built I. Controller. It sucks comared to my P3 in my old truck.
 
RSWORDS said:
Very possible. My new truck has the built I. Controller. It sucks comared to my P3 in my old truck.
Click to expand...
Check your settings....the new dodges have a light electric and a heavy electric setting...


Op, 2 of my buddies went to disk brake kits on there 44ft heavy toyhaulers and they said it's a night a day difference towing with a dually...

One friend then bought a freightliner hauler and the brakes are a mute point now:laughing:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh