surge vs electric brakes

[rhody98]

I plan to install brakes on my single axle trailer this winter. I can hear the frozen snow crunching under my feet now.

What is the consenses on electric vs surge brakes?? Recently came across info on the feds making surge brakes illegal - is this just garbage??? The kids want to go to Moosehead Lake this summer, up yonder in Maine, so I am making the rig as roadworthy as it is seaworthy.

[Fr. Frank]

Electric brakes just don't last more than a season or so when dunked in saltwater.
New thing is electro/hydraulic brakes. Electronic brake controller activates some kind of electrically operated hydraulic pump on the tongue to activate brakes on variable pressure basis. Stainless costs about $900 for a single axle setup with 10" discs. I've only seen the ads for them.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

My trailer came with surge drum brakes and didn’t last, the drum part rusted out. I then replaced the drum part with Stainless disk brakes and they just keep on going. I like the surge principal and tow my boat approx 40 times a year since 2001 with no problems in that part of the system. I also like the stainless disk because the only thing you probably will have to replace is the pads. Now if I could only keep my light bulbs working.

As for a single axel trailer with breaks I would probably pass on having them on a lighter rig like yours unless you were required to have them or you were trailring with a small tow vehicle.



FellowShip

Just for the Grins

[rhody98]

I like that idea, ss discs and surge brakes. I'm ok w/o the brakes locally and legal as the ramp is 5 miles from the house.... but for any kind of trip the jeep cherokee just does not have the brakes to stop quickly. I will be adding some form of trailer brakes.

[Fr. Frank]

Do the SS discs. It's worth the extra $$. Make sure you've got an axle with the brake mounting flange.

[rhody98]

I agree with you Fr., tired of dealing with rust. And yes the mounting flange is there.

[paragod]

U wont to see high dollar look at the elec/hydro that control is 500.00 Tie Down has the whole kit for about 500.00 Kodiak are the best and the most expensive I use the Kodiak silver cad on the trailers I build good price and hold up very well not SS but a good mid range brake that will last.

[kerneltugboat]

I agree Kodiaks are the best. I would go all Stainless, all the way. The cads are better than the average brakes, but the stainless calipers, rotors, etc are the way to go if you only want to do this once. I have the identical trailer to my dads (Only bigger), we could not get the all stainless Kodiaks when we ordered his trailer (2 years newer than mine because they were back ordered). We have already had to take his apart and clean them (they locked up), mine are still perfect, also the coated rotors are all de-laminated, and the All stainless ones are like new. You pay a lot more up front, but money well spent.

[rhody98]

It looks like the stainless Kodiaks would be a $260 premium over the cadmium, not unreasonable for heavy trailering in salt water environment. I'm spending time this winter getting all the roller frames off, grinding off the rust and recoating with galvinized paint and installing new rollers, changing out all fasteners to ss..... it simply doesn't make make sense to put on anything other than ss disks....appears we've convinced ourselves of that. Its an old Calkins in good shape with only light rust on the frame.

This site is great for getting nudged in the right direction.

[kerneltugboat]

Do yourself a favor and order one of these while you are at it. Its a ball valve you put in series with the actuator and electric reverse solenoid. When you are hooked to the truck, the reverse solenoid works most of the time to disable the brakes while backing up, but at marina's, etc if they try to move your boat with a fork truck, there is no way you are moving the boat. The Kodiak brakes work too well. Just don't forget to set it back when you trailer it normal.
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