Winter: Trailer overhaul

[Dan Gurney]

The art world's loss is the trailer fettling world's gain.

Sir, I thank you.

[Dan Gurney]

Been up and had the hubs off finally... looks like the brakes haven't been doing anything all through last year, the inside of the hub is untouched by anything but rust. So the brakes definitely need adjusting up once I get the bits from Indespension Leeds. There is also a fair amount of grease on the backplate.

As you can see the inside edge of the hub doesn't look like in TG's sticky about changing trailer bearings, and the inner bearing seems to move around by about 5 mm. Looking at the stub axle

it looks like the raised part round the base pushes in on the seal. Is the grease escaping cos I'm not doing the hub nut up tight enough? It was pretty much finger tight when i took it off.

[Chris Caton]

that's gonna taking a good dose of cleaning before them brakes will do much good, think maybe there was a touch too much free play if the nut was only finger tight but there's always a fine line between just right n over tight

[A1an]

I would say that the grease on the backplate is from enthusiastic use of a grease gun.

[Dan Gurney]

Originally Posted by A1an

I would say that the grease on the backplate is from enthusiastic use of a grease gun.

How so? I just fill the bearing savers up and they apply the pressure.

[A1an]

Originally Posted by Clamchowder

How so? I just fill the bearing savers up and they apply the pressure.

Ah right.

I thought it might be the pressure that a gun can apply pushing grease past the seal.

[Dan Gurney]

I've taken it all apart this weekend. Should i be able to compress the energy store by hand or is it just all rusted up?

[Festinghouse]

if you can squash it by hand then remind me never to shake your hand!

[Festinghouse]

ive just put all new brakes on mine, including new drums and backplates which i have made removable as i remove the brakes in march when i get it to the caravan site and put them back on at the end of october, and im fed up of having to clean rust off and free up the adjusters etc. took it for a test run and the brakes were jamming on, was getting really pissed off until i decided to look at the hitch itself and found that part of the linkage was rusted solid! next job is to remove that and fit a grease nipple to it, then it 'should' be like new. it will be the first time its actually had working brakes in the time ive owned it!

[Trailer Guy]

Originally Posted by Clamchowder

I've taken it all apart this weekend. Should i be able to compress the energy store by hand or is it just all rusted up?

Yup, you can compress by hand (that's how I test on a service and how you have to line the damper up, when changing them), but how hard it is to compress and how quickly it returns is dependent on condition and weight rating. i.e. a 3500kg coupling damper will be a lot harder to compress than 1200kg rated one.

If it pushes in very easily and either doesn't return under it's own steam, or returns veeeeerrrrry slowly, then in all liklihood your damper is blown. This wouldn't be surprising if your brakes haven't been working for some time - the trailer inertia has just been slowing on the damper.

Ref the question over the bearings:
"As you can see the inside edge of the hub doesn't look like in TG's sticky about changing trailer bearings, and the inner bearing seems to move around by about 5 mm. Looking at the stub axle"

They are the same thing (taper roller bearings), but you have an additional 'super hub' seal on the back. This is particular to Indespension trailers and is meant to be an additional fail-safe to stop grease penetrating the braking mechanism. Something, ironically, you've suffered with judging by the next pic! Sod's Law... You need to take this off, before being able to access the rear bearing. Although you may have found this out already.

As intimated by A1an, It's worth checking your bearing saver mechanism is free and moving easily. They have a tendency to seize, meaning the spring doesn't compress as it should, when you pump the grease in. This means that it may blow the rear seal and push grease in to the drum...

All the best, Ben

[Festinghouse]

ben, you are referring to the hitch damper i guess, he said energy store, which i take to mean the big spring that powers the handbrake?

[Trailer Guy]

You're right! Good spot. I was jibbering about the damper.

You're right again (damn you!) - I've got a fairly lumpy set of forearms, but I think I'd be hard pressed to push an energy store in too!

[Dan Gurney]

So, got bearings repacked, everything looked ok so i thought i'd pinch 'em in a bit tighter and be a bit less trigger happy with the grease gun. Put the brakes back together with new stainless cables and the M10 bar instead of coupling to compensation cable. Took it all out for a test run and for the first 10 miles: awesome. Totally transformed, then it all went back to clonking and no brakes, so i guess something cam loose. Will have to check tomorrow. but I am convinced that functioning brakes are the way forward!

On a separate note: I fitted the lightboard arms and put my new 6ft lightboard in 'em. now I have a separate problem.

With the new board in place I have to have the outboard up on the tilt stop while towing. I have read and participated in threads on here before about engine positions while towing but it seems to me that while up on the tilt stop the only difference really is that the transom braces are being compressed rather than stretched. Opinions?

[Festinghouse]

ive fitted brand new brakes including backplates etc, took it for a test run and the brakes worked perfectly when i anchored up. problem was that they didnt release! (handbrake worked perfectly and didnt jam) kept playing with them, and kept getting them jamming on. was about to give up when i decided to look at the hitch itself, and found that the little arm that moves when the hitch is compressed was rusted solid. once i had cut it off (various sizes of hammer wouldnt free it) and put a new 2nd hand one on it works as it should. before fitting the new arm i fitted a grease nipple to the tube part so as to avoid any future problems with it.

[Dan Gurney]

Actually, now that I've put he number plate on I find that it's a bit offset. So I should be able to drop the engine a bit without obscuring the number.

[Dan Gurney]

ok, so it looks like the damper's goosed; it doesn't return at all under it's own steam. More concerning still is that when fully compressed the bit underneath that actuates the brakes doesn't move an inch. I suspect that what's happened is that being asked to actually do braking after all these years has bust something inside the coupling.

Do I replace the coupling entirely given that it is what Trailer Guy called "old school". Or try and strip it down to see what's bust?

[Trailer Guy]

Not uncommon at all. Think your diagnosis is likely correct - the pivot has been seized for some time, so the entire braking inertia has been accommodated by the coupling damper.

Had this very recently with another ribnetter's trailer. Damper was about £55, plus an hours labour, to strip the coupling off the trailer (damper came out backwards, ergo coupling had to come off), replace damper and reinstall coupling.

I've put a 'how to' on damper changing up. Should find it in the stickies, which may be of assistance. I'm sure you'll be able to source a damper.

[Dan Gurney]

Thanks TG. If compressing the drawbar doesn't cause the pivot thingy (techincal terminology, try to keep up ) to move then there must be something bust as well as the damper being shot surely? The damper's just there to take the sting out of the draw bar compression isn't it?

When I first hooked it all up after putting the new cables on and the brake bar in , the brakes were definitely working; I could feel it. Then suddenly they stopped working and the clonking came back. As if a connection somewhere in the coupling had failed. If guess if I take the coupling off maybe I'll be able to see what's going on. I'll try it tomorrow.

[hadd]

Originally Posted by Clamchowder

ok, so it looks like the damper's goosed; it doesn't return at all under it's own steam. More concerning still is that when fully compressed the bit underneath that actuates the brakes doesn't move an inch. I suspect that what's happened is that being asked to actually do braking after all these years has bust something inside the coupling. Do I replace the coupling entirely given that it is what Trailer Guy called "old school". Or try and strip it down to see what's bust?

Here's a Tip!! Before you put new brake cable on your trailer soak them in oil first before you fit them it helps against Corrosion I did this last year when I fitted new ones on my trailer I've just fitted new bearing a few weeks ago & took the brake cables off to make sure they are working fine after 12 months , & they are still working ok I've soaked them in oil again before refitting them this time it pays to make sure all the moving parts on the trailer are well oiled or greased after every trip i do it after washing down after a trip & had no problems now for over 12 months & did over 1000 mile of boating last season so it pays to keep the trailer well greased & oiled

[Festinghouse]

the wobbly pivoty bit under the hitch was rusted solid on mine, could that be the case on yours?