How to repair surge brakes on boat trailer

If fluid doesnt come out check for obstructions. If fluid doesnt come out check for obstructions.

Once you have the first brake bled go the the other brake on that axle and then work forward always starting with the brake closest to the T in the brake line.

How to repair surge brakes on boat trailer. How to Reset Surge Brakes on a Boat Trailer. In cases where you see the chain left intact it is relatively easy to reset the surge brakes. All you have to do is push the chain back into its place or reset the handle.

That is all in most cases. In cases where you do not see the chain you must install a newer chain before resetting the surge brakes. Remove the cap on top of the actuator and fill the master cylinder with DOT 3 heavy-duty brake fluid.

Insert a flat screwdriver in the hole on top at the front of the actuator cover so the blade of the screwdriver is in front of the e-stop bracket inside the actuator. The steel push rod that pushes the master cylinder piston is adjusted too long or is bent will not allow the master cylinder piston to return to its relaxed position-thus allowing the fluid to return to the reservoir and releasing the brakes. Boat trailers in particular work in a very harsh environment.

Is there enough fluid inside the brakes master cylinder. Is there air in the lines. Bleed the lines and adjust the brakes.

If that doesnt work remove the brake line from the back of the master cylinder and press the surge coupler. If fluid doesnt come out check for obstructions. If you dont find any replace the master cylinder.

If your actuator does not have another option you will need to manually move the coupler where the ball attaches to activate the brakes for bleeding. Once you have the first brake bled go the the other brake on that axle and then work forward always starting with the brake closest to the T in the brake line. There is a spring and a little shock absorber in the surge unit in the tongue that pushes back against your hitch to release the brakes and damp the braking action.

Over time the spring weakens and the shock absorber can weaken or fail. You might want to take a look at that to see if it jammed or broke. If you have the bypass type lockout solenoid you should see a short piece of hose from the solenoid back to the master cylinder.

If the hose is cracked broken or missing it can leak from there when you are in reverse. Sidestepping the Surge. Last year a local yard converted my trailers surge drum brakes to TieDown disc brakes.

I had to make two return visits to sort out the brakes not releasing fully and overheating when cruising down the highway. That seems to be sorted out but I still have trouble backing up the trailer due to the surge brakes. You can change out the springs in most of the actuators to match what point the trailer brakes come on and how agressive they are.

Most hydraulic trailer brakes do not have automatic adjustors as cars do. Even if they did no one would back up the trailers enough to use the automatic feature. This means that you must manually adjust the trailer brakes.

Most boat trailers are equipped with hydraulic surge brakes. When a truck is towing a boat trailer both vehicles are travelling in equilibrium at the same speed. However when you apply the brakes in the truck to slow down the trailer wants to push against the truck causing a surge.

Thats where the name surge brakes comes. All you have to do is lock out the surge coupler so it cannot move in and out or disconnect the brake lines. By removing the old coupler you would have to remove the brake lines any way.

A surge coupler can still be used in this manner. If you do a lot of towing though I would still use brakes. The biggest drawback is the much higher cost typically more than the cost of most entire boat trailers as this BoatUS article states.

The downside to EOH is cost. While the price has dropped over recent years its still in the 2000-3000 neighborhood to make the change depending on truck trailer and brake manufacturer. Use a screwdriver to open the bleed screw fitting.

Direct a helper to slide in the surge pushrod at the front of the trailer. Observe air bubbles coming from the bleeder hose into the cup of brake fluid. Use the screwdriver to close the bleed screw fitting and have the helper relieve pressure on the surge pushrod.

The perfect solution to removing all the play is new pads and bleed the system to ensure no air bubbles are trapped in the lines. If you have a leak in the brake line system you might find that one of your trailer wheels- on the inside of the wheel will show you where the leak might be. A trailer with surge brakes needs a special pin to be backed up.

The pin is placed in the neck so putting the trailer in reverse does not activate the surge brakes while a driver is backing up or a trailer dolly is guiding the trailer with surge brakes. The pin can be. The difference between the two designs lies in the Master Cylinder.

You are able to covert Surge Actuators from Drum to Disc or Disc to Drum by replacing the Master Cylinder with the appropriate Master Cylinder for your desired brakes Disc or Drum. Disc brakes in addition require a Boat Trailer Disc Brake Free Backing Reverse Lock Out Solenoid. Follow along as I replace the master cylinder on a boat trailer.

This one happens to be a Atwood brand and a little more complicated than most but the proc. Drive your trailer a short distance to check brake responsiveness. Jack the trailer up on one side and spin each wheel individually by hand.

If a wheel drags or is hard to spin the cylinder is frozen or corroded from being dipped repeatedly in water or there is a clog in a brake line. If the wheel wobbles or squeals as it moves you. How to disable surge brakes on trailer.

Replacing the shock will likely solve your problem. Disconnecting the brake lines will only make a mess and the MC will be banging in and out as the lunette moves if you dont have a pin installed. I would replace the shock or insert a pin.

Short term fix. There is a hole on the side of the actuator where you can insert a long bolt screw driver or rod that will keep the actuator from engaging the brakes while you back up. Remember to remove this before driving for real as it completely disengages the surge brakes.

Hydraulic surge drum brakes have been the boat trailer standard for decades. These trailer brakes are dependable and quick to react are independent of the tow vehicle and come on automatically when you press the brake pedal in the tow vehi-cle. As the tow vehicle slows down the trail-.

How Hydraulic Surge Brakes Work. In contrast Surge Brakes are hydraulic and use the trailers natural momentum to actuate the brakes. When you step on the brake in your tow vehicle and slow down the trailer pushes against the hitch and presses a hydraulic cylinder.

The more you slow down the vehicle the more pressure on the trailer brakes.