I hate trailer maintenance

Bigtalljv · 31 July 2014, 03:50

I spent the day replacing bearings all around, double axle, what a messy time consuming job. It's a new to me used trailer and the first big trip of the new boat is next week. Seemed like a good idea to know what condition everything was in. I think one axle had been done and looked just about brand new. Two wheels might have had some water intrusion but nothing bad I replaced everything anyway. Two rolls of paper towels and a tub of grease later we are in good shape.

Then i decided to check on the brakes, master cylinder is totally dry........grrrr. I added fluid and then rounded over the rusted shut bleeder valve.......$:&;"//@-!!!!!!

Remove the drum, backing plate, and replace wheel cylinder x 2. (wheel cylinders were frozen after all)

Oh and I discovered two of the tires had major cracks in the sidewall, two new tires later good to go

This weekend I will attempt to bleed the brakes but I think my master cylinder is shot. I have a cheap pneumatic brake line bleeder that sucked a master cylinder worth of fluid through the lines but I still don't get any pressure when I push on the trailer tongue. Sigh.

Just complaining, no advise needed.

I would love to go electric over hydraulic but the controller are at least $600US. Too rich for me right now.

Jason

Ribochet · 31 July 2014, 09:18

Holy crap

Over here our boat trailer braking systems are mechanically operated - Bowden cables - which up until now I thought were a real PITA.

You have my sympathy having to deal with hyballics

jyasaki · 31 July 2014, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigtalljv

I would love to go electric over hydraulic but the controller are at least $600US. Too rich for me right now.

Hmmm. E/H has a whole other bunch of problems, primarily keeping the battery in good condition while the boat sits on the side of the house. All the electric stuff is, well, electric, and doesn't play nice with water.

If I ever rebuild my trailer, it will be to scrap the leaf springs and drum brakes, install a torsion axle, and go with a surge activated disk system. Of course all that is probably around $2K, so I'm not really in any rush.

jky

wavelength · 31 July 2014, 20:44

I hate the idea of trailer maintenance more than actually doing it! Once I get sorta motivated and start then its ok, messy but better than finding yourself at the roadside with a problem. And its good to be practised in the black art in case it all goes wrong during the trip. Just got back from towing a few hundred miles and its nice to know that I've been in there and looked at/greased the susceptible bits again before setting off. Only problem we had was it was *^*"% hot when we passed a burning van on the hard shoulder. Rushing to get past it before the tyres on it exploded or it burnt m'toobs!

Bigtalljv · 31 July 2014, 21:24

You got it. I had to know what was what before a long trip.

Bigtalljv · 01 August 2014, 17:06

the master cylinder shows up today. New tires, new bearings, new brake cylinders, new master cylinder.....I guess it's still cheaper than a new trailer.

jyasaki · 01 August 2014, 18:13

Which coupler/actuator are you using?

jky

Bigtalljv · 01 August 2014, 18:37

Titan model 6 with 2 5/16" ball. Came with the trailer. Took it off last night, killed the black widow living in it, and disassembled.

jyasaki · 02 August 2014, 03:43

LOL. I bug bombed my underdeck storage for that very reason. Didn't really want to go for the spare anchor and end up in the hospital.

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the Model 6, though they're all pretty similar in operation. I'm running a Titan Model 60.

jky

Bigtalljv · 02 August 2014, 23:26

Looks like the 6 is the heavier duty similar to the 60. Master cylinder took 10 minutes to replace and reassemble. What a difference working brakes makes. I'm very glad I did it.

Jason

jyasaki · 03 August 2014, 05:21

I always see the 6 in things like horse trailer parts catalogs. The numbers support that they are built much heavier.

jky