09
Jul
Accordingly how do Surge brakes work on boat trailer. Surge brakes are still good for applications up to and including say 7000- or 8000-pound boat trailers.
The difference between the two designs lies in the Master Cylinder.
Surge brakes on boat trailer. A boat trailer uses surge brakes which a. This quick segment explains how a boats trailer brakes work and why they are completely separate from the vehicle. Youll find surge brakes in most boat trailers today.
Surge brakes are not dependent on a driver. Instead they activate automatically. As a result there are also some cases where surge brakes activate when they are not supposed to.
However to better understand this you need first to understand what exactly surge brakes are and how they and their emergency breakaway systems work. Boat trailers are typically fitted with overrun or surge brakes because most vehicles towing this type of trailer lack the air braking systems found on larger vehicles. An overrun brake simply applies the trailers brakes if the distance between the towing vehicle and trailer is reduced using an actuator in the towing assembly.
The Washington State Patrol Inspection and Trailer Requirements specify that all trailers exceeding 3000 pounds or 40 of the tow vehicle weight must have brakes so ours qualified on both points. Our typical load is more than 200 pounds above the maximum allowable weight and it is also 80 of the tow vehicle weight double the allowance. 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.
All the Surge Brake Actuators below are designed for Straight 3 inch wide trailer tongues. They are Bolt on assemblies. Surge Brake actuators are manufactured specifically for either Hydraulic Disc or Hydraulic Drum Brakes.
The difference between the two designs lies in the Master Cylinder. Hydraulic surge brakes- this is the most common form of boat trailer brakes. The technology behind this kind of brakes is straightforward and works excellent.
Basically they use the trailers momentum to apply hydraulic pressure to the brakes and slow down the trailer. 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. Accordingly how do Surge brakes work on boat trailer. 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. Trailers with Surge Brakes. A trailer with surge brakes cannot be backed up without inserting a pin in the neck of the trailer.
When the tow vehicle is in reverse pushes in on the trailer neck which would activate the surge brakes. Inserting a pin in the neck of the trailer prevents this from happening while the driver is backing up. Surge Brakes on a trailer are also hydraulic brakes and work very much the same-with one difference.
In a trailer surge brake system the pump is located on the trailer-as part of the hitch assembly. This special sliding hitch assembly is called a surge brake actuator. Many boat trailers have brake systems.
Boat brake systems are either electric brakes actuated by a switch in the tow vehicle brake pedal or hydraulic surge brakes. Surge brakes work when a hydraulic pushrod senses deceleration from the tow vehicle and sends hydraulic fluid that applies the brakes. These brakes are fairly simple and can be repaired by the boat owner using tools available in most.
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. Yes the surge brakes stopped the trailer well enough but when you lifted off the brake pedal to accelerate the release could almost be described as violent.
The return spring in the master cylinder slammed the piston back out and it really jarred the truck and its passengers. So maybe thats the difference. Surge brakes are still good for applications up to and including say 7000- or 8000-pound boat trailers.
After this the first thing I would do is bleed the brakes using the trailers surge coupler to force the fluid from the brake lines and make sure there is no air in the system. If there is air in the system you will not have brakes and this sounds like the problem. Complete Disc Brake Kit with Demco Actuator and Kodiak Disc Brakes.
For Single and Tandem Axle Trailers with 3500lb axles. Best Quality All in One Disc Brake Assembly Available. Complete Boat Trailer Disc Brake Kit with Demco Model DA66B Surge Actuator and Disc Brake Hoses.