I'm seeking recommended maintenance for the brakes on our sailboat =
trailer.
We've had this trailer with Tie Down disc surge brakes and Dico actuator
for almost 7 years and even though the brake system seems to be working =
ok,
I'm thinking it's due for some extreme maintenance. We trailer every =
week
about 10 miles round-trip to fresh water and every year an additional 500
miles to salt water. The trailer is tandem axle with brakes on the =
rear.
The boat weighs about 2500#. My inclination is to replace hubs, rotors,
calipers, actuator, back-up solenoid, and even hydraulic lines and hoses.
(I believe in preventive maintenance.) Is this too extreme and should I
expect a much longer life from disc brakes?

I've tried to obtain some actuator info from Tie Down about their Model =
66
Actuator but 2 queries to them ) have been ignored. I =
was
wondering=20
1. How is the breakaway function reset?
2. Can the surge brake function easily be disabled?
3. When installed, is the back-up solenoid covered (protected)?
4. Is the Model 66 disc brake actuator the same as the Model 66 drum =
brake
actuator but with the check valve disabled?
5. Are all components rustproof?

Are there more cost effective brake components than Tie Down?

TIA for inputs to any of the above.

LB

On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 23:24:56 -0500, wrote:

I'm seeking recommended maintenance for the brakes on our sailboat trailer.
We've had this trailer with Tie Down disc surge brakes and Dico actuator
for almost 7 years and even though the brake system seems to be working ok,
I'm thinking it's due for some extreme maintenance.
///

LB

Why?

Brian W

LB,

First - I would like to hear your answer to Brian's question, but I post
answers to you questions in-line (I hate this, but it will be easiest
in this case).

wrote:
I'm seeking recommended maintenance for the brakes on our sailboat trailer.
We've had this trailer with Tie Down disc surge brakes and Dico actuator
for almost 7 years and even though the brake system seems to be working ok,
I'm thinking it's due for some extreme maintenance. We trailer every week
about 10 miles round-trip to fresh water and every year an additional 500
miles to salt water. The trailer is tandem axle with brakes on the rear.
The boat weighs about 2500#. My inclination is to replace hubs, rotors,
calipers, actuator, back-up solenoid, and even hydraulic lines and hoses.
(I believe in preventive maintenance.) Is this too extreme and should I
expect a much longer life from disc brakes?

I've tried to obtain some actuator info from Tie Down about their Model 66
Actuator but 2 queries to them ) have been ignored. I was
wondering
1. How is the breakaway function reset?
Whent he chain gets jerked the spring on top will fall into a notch in
the lever. Pry the spring up and lever the coupler bck into place.
2. Can the surge brake function easily be disabled?
Yes - that is what the back-up solenoid does. Why??
3. When installed, is the back-up solenoid covered (protected)?
Most are not, they just hang out in the air, but if left unsupported,
they can vibrate and break a steel line.
4. Is the Model 66 disc brake actuator the same as the Model 66 drum brake
actuator but with the check valve disabled?
I don't know those model numbers - too new.
5. Are all components rustproof?
No, they rust just like your car brakes do.
Someone outthere makes SS disk brakes, but I have been know to
knock-down and repaint a Dico coupler or several.

Are there more cost effective brake components than Tie Down?
I never bough Tie Down. I do a commercial trailer shop.

TIA for inputs to any of the above.

Any time

LB


Matt Colie

Thanks for the replies. Please see followup below...

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 14:01:59 -0400, Matt Colie =

wrote:

First - I would like to hear your answer to Brian's question, but I post=
=20
answers to you questions in-line (I hate this, but it will be easiest=20
in this case).


As stated "I believe in preventive maintenance." Also, I'm an old =
retired
guy that needs a worthwhile project. ;-) Being older probably also =
makes
me more conservative about safety issues.

wrote:
I'm seeking recommended maintenance for the brakes on our sailboat =
trailer.
We've had this trailer with Tie Down disc surge brakes and Dico =
actuator
for almost 7 years and even though the brake system seems to be =
working ok,
I'm thinking it's due for some extreme maintenance. We trailer every =
week
about 10 miles round-trip to fresh water and every year an additional =
500
miles to salt water. The trailer is tandem axle with brakes on the =
rear.
The boat weighs about 2500#. My inclination is to replace hubs, =
rotors,
calipers, actuator, back-up solenoid, and even hydraulic lines and =
hoses.
(I believe in preventive maintenance.) Is this too extreme and =
should I
expect a much longer life from disc brakes?
=20
I've tried to obtain some actuator info from Tie Down about their =
Model 66
Actuator but 2 queries to them ) have been ignored. I=
was
wondering=20
1. How is the breakaway function reset?
Whent he chain gets jerked the spring on top will fall into a notch in=20
the lever. Pry the spring up and lever the coupler bck into place.

The reason for this question is that with my current actuator (Dico) I =
must
remove 2 screws and a cover plate from around the breakaway lever to =
reset
it. I've inadvertently triggered the breakaway several times when =
hooking
up the trailer to the tow vehicle.

2. Can the surge brake function easily be disabled?=20
Yes - that is what the back-up solenoid does. Why??

In case the solenoid or wiring fails, I'd like to still be able to easily
back the trailer. =20

3. When installed, is the back-up solenoid covered (protected)?
Most are not, they just hang out in the air, but if left unsupported,=20
they can vibrate and break a steel line.

I have installed a protective aluminum plate over the solenoid and
hydraulic lines so that someone standing on the tongue will not step on
those components.

4. Is the Model 66 disc brake actuator the same as the Model 66 drum =
brake
actuator but with the check valve disabled?
I don't know those model numbers - too new.
5. Are all components rustproof?
No, they rust just like your car brakes do.

This question was intended for the actuator and solenoid only. I have a
fair amount of rust on the solenoid and fittings and in the fluid =
reservoir
at present.

Someone outthere makes SS disk brakes, but I have been know to=20
knock-down and repaint a Dico coupler or several.
=20

Our disc brakes have SS rotors although I'm thinking of replacing them
vented steel rotors. Yes, the rotors would rust then but I understand =
this
is not a problem as the rotors are cleaned during use. I would welcome
input on this assumption also. 90+ per cent of our launchings are in =
fresh
water.

I believe the calipers are a fairly corroded aluminum and I'm expecting
that these would be tough to service.

Are there more cost effective brake components than Tie Down?
I never bough Tie Down. I do a commercial trailer shop.
=20

What would a commercial solution look like for a 4000# loaded boat =
trailer?

Thanks again.

LB

wrote in message
...
Thanks for the replies. Please see followup below...


have you visited this site?
http://www.championtrailers.com/tech...hnical_support

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 20:09:56 GMT, "Don White" =

wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
Thanks for the replies. Please see followup below...


have you visited this site?
http://www.championtrailers.com/tech...hnical_support


Yes. Did I miss something that pertained to my query?

Thanks,

LB

LB,
Replies in line again with lost of snip.

snip
Thanks for the replies. Please see followup below...
As stated "I believe in preventive maintenance." Also, I'm an old retired
guy that needs a worthwhile project. ;-) Being older probably also makes
me more conservative about safety issues.

This is not stupid, you may have actually lived long enough to pass on
some good information

I'm seeking recommended maintenance for the brakes on our sailboat trailer.
We've had this trailer with Tie Down disc surge brakes and Dico actuator
for almost 7 years and even though the brake system seems to be working ok,
I'm thinking it's due for some extreme maintenance. We trailer every week
about 10 miles round-trip to fresh water and every year an additional 500
miles to salt water. The trailer is tandem axle with brakes on the rear.
The boat weighs about 2500#. My inclination is to replace hubs, rotors,
calipers, actuator, back-up solenoid, and even hydraulic lines and hoses.
(I believe in preventive maintenance.) Is this too extreme and should I
expect a much longer life from disc brakes?
snip
1. How is the breakaway function reset?
snip
The reason for this question is that with my current actuator (Dico) I must
remove 2 screws and a cover plate from around the breakaway lever to reset
it. I've inadvertently triggered the breakaway several times when hooking
up the trailer to the tow vehicle.
My Dico coupler is the 10k pound version and may be different.

2. Can the surge brake function easily be disabled?

Yes - that is what the back-up solenoid does. Why??
In case the solenoid or wiring fails, I'd like to still be able to easily
back the trailer.
My trailers drum brakes have always been sooo bad in reverse - I never
bothered. With my Dico coupler, I did have to plug between the coupler
and the end of the tongue to back it into the barn. I do not know if
there is someplace that you could "plug" the tie-down unit.

3. When installed, is the back-up solenoid covered (protected)?

Most are not, they just hang out in the air, but if left unsupported,
they can vibrate and break a steel line.

I have installed a protective aluminum plate over the solenoid and
hydraulic lines so that someone standing on the tongue will not step on
those components.
Good Move

4. Is the Model 66 disc brake actuator the same as the Model 66 drum brake
actuator but with the check valve disabled?
I don't know those model numbers - too new.

5. Are all components rustproof?

No, they rust just like your car brakes do.

This question was intended for the actuator and solenoid only. I have a
fair amount of rust on the solenoid and fittings and

==in the fluid reservoir == at present.

If you have rust in the reservoir, that is bad. DOT3 brake fluid is
hydroscopic (it soaks up water). If there is corrosion there, there is
probably also corrosion in the master cylinder. The cylinder is
available as a replacement part, but you may not be able to unscrew the
steel tubing (a common problem) be forced into a system rebuild.

The solenoids that I have seen used for this purpose and connecting
fittings packaed with them are nothing special and definitely not
corrosion protected more than a little cad plate (not long in sea
water). They come in two kinds, close with power to prevent pressure
from getting to the brakes and open with power that dump the fluid back
in the reservoir and I do not know which you have.

snip
Our disc brakes have SS rotors although I'm thinking of replacing them
vented steel rotors. Yes, the rotors would rust then but I understand this
is not a problem as the rotors are cleaned during use. I would welcome
input on this assumption also. 90+ per cent of our launchings are in fresh
water.
Well, talk to anyone that stored a car wrong, rusting disks is a
problem. I would stay with the SS rotors until they give you a problem.
They will be more prone to warp, but that should only be at high loads.

I believe the calipers are a fairly corroded aluminum and I'm expecting
that these would be tough to service.
If they are like most of the trailers that I have worked on, this may be
your major headache.

Are there more cost effective brake components than Tie Down?
I only worked on one TieDown equiped trailer, and I did not like it as
much as the Dico coulplers.

I never bough Tie Down. I do a commercial trailer shop.

What would a commercial solution look like for a 4000# loaded boat trailer?
Probably a whole lot like what you have, but the commerial shops have
lots of neat parts that they don't seem to know about in boat stores.

I tow a 4800# sloop on an 1100# trailer. The trailer came to me with
disfunctional brakes on 4 wheels (10 or 11x2.25). I thought about going
with the SS disk brakes, but crossed it off because (even though I only
got to save the drums and back plates) the probable difficulty with
removing the calipers to inspect the bearings was a stopper. I did
replace the master cylinder, everything inside the drums and all the
lines. I did use DOT5 fluid which is not hydroscopic, but costs about 5
times more - still cheap if I don't have to mess with it again.

Thanks again.

LB

Good Luck Guy
Matt Colie

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 14:24:00 -0500, wrote:

2. Can the surge brake function easily be disabled?
Yes - that is what the back-up solenoid does. Why??

In case the solenoid or wiring fails, I'd like to still be able to easily
back the trailer.

============================

My trailer has a pin that you can insert into the side of the coupler.
That keeps it from sliding when you backup.

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 14:24:00 -0500, wrote:

What would a commercial solution look like for a 4000# loaded boat trailer?

===========================

I have 4 wheel stainless disk brakes. They were a $500 option on a
7,000# trailer.

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 10:03:26 -0400, "Gene Kearns"
wrote:

On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 23:24:56 -0500, wrote:

I'm seeking recommended maintenance for the brakes on our sailboat =
trailer.
We've had this trailer with Tie Down disc surge brakes and Dico =
actuator
for almost 7 years and even though the brake system seems to be working=
ok,
I'm thinking it's due for some extreme maintenance. We trailer every =
week
about 10 miles round-trip to fresh water and every year an additional =
500
miles to salt water. The trailer is tandem axle with brakes on the =
rear.
The boat weighs about 2500#. My inclination is to replace hubs, =
rotors,
calipers, actuator, back-up solenoid, and even hydraulic lines and =
hoses.
(I believe in preventive maintenance.) Is this too extreme and should=
I
expect a much longer life from disc brakes?

I've tried to obtain some actuator info from Tie Down about their Model=
66
Actuator but 2 queries to them ) have been ignored. I =
was
wondering=20
1. How is the breakaway function reset?
2. Can the surge brake function easily be disabled?
3. When installed, is the back-up solenoid covered (protected)?
4. Is the Model 66 disc brake actuator the same as the Model 66 drum =
brake
actuator but with the check valve disabled?
5. Are all components rustproof?

Are there more cost effective brake components than Tie Down?

TIA for inputs to any of the above.

LB



I don't know why you had any trouble..... I've found them very quick
to respond.... anyway....

Here is a lot of web-based information:

http://www.tiedown.com/amarinedls.html

This was helpful, I'd missed it. Thanks.=20


and the phone numbers:

http://www.tiedown.com/gcontacts.html