Trailer Brake Flush Kit.

Mollers · 10 May 2009, 10:20

Anyone have one? If so, which is the one to buy? I've just shelled out £221 on brake parts, I'd rather not have to do it again next May.

Chris · 10 May 2009, 11:01

I had one of these on my last trailer

hubflush.com

I cant really say if it worked or not as I never really had enought time to see. I have one on my Dixon Bate however I normally forget to use it.

The thing I would say its not much use flusing your hubs at home as you then just leave them wet. Ideally you need to flush out the sea water before driving back so that they dry out.

If there is no way to flush before you drive home I think it is preferable to not flush at home and leave the brakes dry albeit unflushed.

Geddit

Mollers · 10 May 2009, 11:05

Yeah, I've seen the Hubflush site. It's a bunch of Hep2o fittings, I'll get some ordered tomorrow, I can buy Hep as easily as Hubflush.

IBWET · 10 May 2009, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Anyone have one? If so, which is the one to buy? I've just shelled out £221 on brake parts, I'd rather not have to do it again next May.

A lot of Money.

I have no experieice of using a trailer in the sea without this system, however as a comparison to your own experience.

The pipework was already installed on the trailer (new Sep 2006), I've always flushed it both after launch as well as recovery.

I took the hub apart last week expecting the nightmare, but it wasn't, the rust was there, however because I pump grease in on probably too regular basis, a little had got by the inner seal,coated the brake bits and stopped a lot of the corrosion..so I was quite surprised firstly that the corrosion wasn't worse than it was, but also that my brakes still (and they do)work?.(first check on the original bearings and they were fine too).

I'm thinking about altering the existing system as I find running from wheel to wheel and holding the hose in the pipe a little inefficent, I saw a system where the connection for the main hose was at the front of the trailer,ran back to the split then t - pieced then ran to each wheel. The main advantage is being to connecting it, then getting on with the rest of the stuff re the prop bag etc, while it's doing the job unassisted.

The other things is I like to move the trailer forward a foot or so while flushing is taking place to make sure it's done right, this will make it easy.

All the bit's are B&Q sourced, so cheap.

Apologies for the wander, hightower fitted his own system also worth a look there..

Mollers · 10 May 2009, 11:44

The plan will be to link all four to one hose fitting.

JSP · 10 May 2009, 11:46

Do you have somewhere to flush where you launch Mollers? Wish the ones round here did.

Downhilldai · 10 May 2009, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

.. I've just shelled out £221 on brake parts..

Did you need new Bowden cables? I just changed the ones on mine - they were practically seized solid.

Nasher · 10 May 2009, 20:26

I've been going to build a kit up myself for ages now, connected to a hose connector at the back of the trailer, but its the spray heads I've not sussed yet. I'll end up turning/drilling some up if I can't find garden ones that work.

It's on my list of must do items, however it's true that they are best used at the slip so the brakes can dry our again afterwards which is something else I've not sussed yet. Like JSP I don't use a slip with a hose.

Must also look again at the drawings I did auto reverse Disk brakes.

Nasher

IBWET · 10 May 2009, 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasher

I've been going to build a kit up myself for ages now, connected to a hose connector at the back of the trailer, but its the spray heads I've not sussed yet. I'll end up turning/drilling some up if I can't find garden ones that work.

It's on my list of must do items, however it's true that they are best used at the slip so the brakes can dry our again afterwards which is something else I've not sussed yet. Like JSP I don't use a slip with a hose.

Must also look again at the drawings I did auto reverse Disk brakes.

Nasher

There was a fair bit of discussion a wee while ago about the legalties of discs,I didn't pay attention as I'd just bought drums, but no doubt you've looked into it,from memory it was linked to the auto reverse, have they softened the rules or have you worked out how to get round them.

Mollers · 10 May 2009, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Did you need new Bowden cables? I just changed the ones on mine - they were practically seized solid.

Things inside the hubs were not too bad. Two cables were broken, Groomie decided to re-new all four plus four sets of shoes, the bearings will go again. He's gonna knock-up a flush kit out of Hep tomorrow. I'm off to meet two halfwits from Herefordshire at Michealwood Services to swap £600 for a Kubota V1200 engine.

Nasher · 10 May 2009, 20:43

I figured out a mechanism to auto reverse them, but it was quite complicated so I need to build a prototype.

Dixon Bate do supply a UK legal version, but I've not managed to get a good gander at the mechanism, the imnages on their website are not good enough.

Nasher.

Hightower · 10 May 2009, 21:16

I like the system on my De Graaff trailer. It's a 30mm dia hole that's drilled through the wheel and into the hub.

I stuff my little nozzel though each side and flush away. The added advantage is that I can spray WD40 though it after to keep things working smoothly.

And before anyone says....The WD40 seems to have little effect on the braking of the trailer.

Downhilldai · 10 May 2009, 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

...I'm off to meet two halfwits from Herefordshire ..

What's their names? Chrissy Moon used to live with a tractor trader from Herefordshire.....

jyasaki · 11 May 2009, 02:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBWET

I'm thinking about altering the existing system as I find running from wheel to wheel and holding the hose in the pipe a little inefficent, I saw a system where the connection for the main hose was at the front of the trailer,ran back to the split then t - pieced then ran to each wheel. The main advantage is being to connecting it, then getting on with the rest of the stuff re the prop bag etc, while it's doing the job unassisted.

The hose connection on my trailer is just behind the left wheel fender. The hose screws into a brass female fitting on a little bracket. On the rear of the fitting, vinyl tubing runs to a Tee, where it runs to each brake backing plate and connects to the nozzles mounted there (no idea what kind of nozzles they are; whenever I have the brakes open, it's to look at the brakes, and I forget about the nozzles. I suspect they're nothing all that fancy, though.)

When I get home, I connect the hose to the outboard, let that run for a few minutes, then connect it to the brakes. Let that go for a couple of minutes, then hose down the rest of the boat and trailer.

One handy thing I've found is a little in-line shutoff valve for the hose (at the free end.) Allows you to move the hose between motor and brakes and spray nozzle without tramping back to the spigot every time.

jky

Mollers · 11 May 2009, 19:36

All done in Hep2o.

Groomie reckons he could do a single axle trailer for £60 and a double axle for £80 supply and fix if anyone is interested. That's roughly the cost of a kit, so effectively free fit which invloves drilling a tapping the brake backplates etc.

Chris · 11 May 2009, 19:38

How did you make the nozel bit in the drum?

Mollers · 11 May 2009, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

How did you make the nozel bit in the drum?

Get yer £60 out and I'll tell ya.

Chris · 11 May 2009, 19:47

Perhaps you should set up a website

flushhub.com

Mollers · 11 May 2009, 22:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Perhaps you should set up a website

flushhub.com

I was thinking flush-it.com. Say it quickly.

Downhilldai · 11 May 2009, 22:33

Mols,
Got any pics of your, sorry, Groomy's handywork?