Losing it- need trailer help
Hi All,
Apologies for the size of the post. Would be stoked with some advice if any one has any ideas. Start 5 weeks leave tomorrow and I'm demoralised, down coin and struggling to get my boat in the water.
Jan last year I snapped a spring on the trailer so took it in to a guy in Rockingham got all new 4t springs, hubs, brakes and bearings and was down 3g, it looked like there was still a clog in the brake lines so spent another 1 on lines and replaced acuator (elec over hydraulic) with second hand one by a Mandurah trailer joint. Used it for probably 20 on road hrs then mid cray season while washing it down saw steam from the front right.
Called local mechanic he replaced all bearings as they had been washed out for just shy of a g, not sure why they been washed out, drove down the ramp twice from then and they kept getting hot. To compound stuff then did a fuel pump on the outboard so had to take it up towards Freo. Stopped to check the hubs halfway to Freo and could smell the front right as soon as I opened the car door, called mechanic and he came out front right was super hot but looked ok but rear right was washed out so repacked the rear right and loosened both right ones off. Drove to the boat yard and they were fairly hot.
Got fuel pump replaced and boat dealer had a look at trailer for me, spaced the washers on the brakes but said apart from that all good. Went and picked the boat up, stopped after 10 mins to check and all four were hot, front right worst and basically could touch and count to one but then had to pull hand away. Got home all four were hot but now front right and rear left would sizzle with a flick of water.
So now four people have looked at it said all good, I've run it without the brakes dialled up , in a controlled enviro ( front right, back left can't touch hot and other two can hold to count of one), and still having the same dramas. Lost all confidence in the trailer and it's hurt the wallet bad and now can't even get my stress reliever in the water. She never had these issues prior to the work so not sure what's going on.
Last thing I want to do is hurt some one because the trailer fails, if anyone knows how to get it Sussed, more than happy to throw you a carton or come for a fish. Would appreciate any ideas.
Ben
holth
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 09/10/06
Quick test to confirm you
Quick test to confirm you havent got sticky calipers causing the excess heat. Jack up one side. Spin the wheels. pull the breakaway. Wheels should lock up. Put breakaway back in. Spin wheels again to make sure calipers are releasing. If the wheels are tight to spin you need to look at your calipers.
Whats spaced the washers on brakes?
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Theres some info there that
Theres some info there that doesnt make sense
"looked like a clog in the brake lines"-how so and what symptoms?
Also give us some more detail of the system, EOH etc you have
Have to say, that any trailer owner should learn about their trailer by doing simple jobs first and so on.
To diagnose the problem, go right back to basics
-check that the correct pads have been fitted correctly
-check the calipers have been fitted properly.
-listen to the EOH unit, if the pump is running all the time theres your problem
Jack each axle up and spin wheel by hand with car connected, should be rfeasonably free.
If not disconnect car and try
If still not, and you are sure pads, calipers etc are ok, undo hydraulic line at EOH and try to spin it.
If you still cant, then there is something wrong with calipers or pads/discs, remove wheels and then calipers and try
Note, when I say spin, it will be slightly stiff but hand turnable with calipers in place
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
bellony
Posts: 94
Date Joined: 27/01/10
My guess is sticky pistons in
My guess is sticky pistons in the calipers. Happened a few times to me when we first got the trailer with electic over hydraulic discs. Now every 12 months the bearings get checked and regreased, and while you have the calipers off pop the pistons out and clean them. My pistons are stainless but still get a gummy build up just outside the seal that stops them retracting easily, hence the heat build up.
If it was a faulty controller or actuator I would guess that all wheels would have the same issue, not just one or 2.
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
I suspect your right there,
I suspect your right there, but when diagnosing these sort of problems it's best to follow a process that narrows it down before stripping as once it's pulled apart you introduce a heap more variables into the equation.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
Sticky piston is on the
Sticky piston is on the money i think.
They may be releasing by the time you check it so when you jack it up make sure test the brakes and the wheel should spin freely within a revolution or 2!
I test mine every 6 months now!
z00m
Posts: 1086
Date Joined: 10/05/14
Worked then stopped
Assuing you would have noticed if things were hot in that first 20 hours since you had the rebuild then you would have to be looking at the brake controller. If the brakes were heating the hubs up to sizzle levels and then you would dunk it in the water, this rapid cooling would most likely explain why there was water in the grease so often as it is sucked in as the trailer is put in the water.
Use Rob's checklist to deterine if the controller is at fault and the brakes are staying on.
Shacked81
Posts: 57
Date Joined: 03/12/12
Thanks Guys
Thought about pulling the brakes apart and having a look but I'm not great mechanically so thought I might do more harm than good, that's why got mechanic in. He has said, and boat dealer with trailer section as well, that the brakes are fine mechanically. Holth, they said that they" spaced the right hand brakes with some washers"?
Rob, thanks for the checklist mate, the clog in the lines wasn't letting hydraulic fluid through, pressure at the actuator but nothing at the brakes, they've been replaced. Had jacked up and spun wheels fairly free and almost zero play when tried to rock.
Electrically I've got some know how and everything is operating as it should.
Thanks for the time to reply guys, it's got two mechanics knocked why it's happening and I'm desperate to find the cause
Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
Throw some pics up might
Throw some pics up might make stuff easier!
I have had the very frustrating trailer porblems before. Normal comes down to the brakespistons
markj
Posts: 163
Date Joined: 23/12/08
Sticky pistons
Agree, most likely it's the pistons sticking.
I regularly used to have a similar sounding issue with sticky pistons and ended up replacing all the calipers with AL-KO stainless steel ones that solved the problem for me.
karlos 22
Posts: 52
Date Joined: 10/11/11
I had a similar problem with
I had a similar problem with mine and eventually found out the guy that fitted my electric brake system (red arc) had constant power going to one of the pins which was locking the bakes up on my camper trailer.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Hows the trailer now
Have you had any luck at getting the brake system working as it should.