TOPIC: Whew! Got the boat out...

After chopping through a whole bunch of ice, everywhere you can see it under the front of the trailer/boat. Pulling hubs today, gonna get the old backing plates off (maybe) and start saving my pennies for a hydraulic actuator/coupler, and brakes.

Frank

wow frank you still have snow on the ground,all we had here was a couple of tornados a couple of days ago about 30 miles away from here.
post pics as you go along im interested in the brake thread,john

Hi John, I got the drum/hubs off, that wasn't too difficult. Got one backing plate off, broke three of the 4 bolts just trying to turn them off.

This is a 3500# trailer axle, set up for brakes. When I got the trailer, it didn't have a coupler on it, so I got a regular one to haul it home. When I was putting the trailer together for the Power Cat I tore all the brake stuff out to insure shoes wouldn't suddenly pop out and put the brakes on while on route somewhere. What I need (at least) is a hydraulic brake actuator/coupler ($150), new backing plates with all the "stuff" ($150 for a pair), and a longer tongue for the extra length needed for the new coupler. I wanted a longer tongue anyways, but 10' of 3" X 1/8" wall is $62, so that may wait a while. I have the original tongue for this trailer, but it's real heavy - 3 X 4 heavy wall. It's more than long enough though, and just to save $, I may start out with that. Hopefully I won't need new drums/hubs, as that would be a additional expense of 100 bucks. I'm going to run these drums into NAPA today to see if they can be turned and re-used, get some new seals and some emery cloth to polish the spindles.

I'll keep y'all posted on this venture.

Frank

Hey Frank is your boat and trailer realy that heavey that you need brakes on it. Plus didn't know you has mountians that high and steep out that way to call for brakes on that small of a trailer. Or is your tow car that small?
If its just that you want something to do. Hell come out my way got to boats to restore.
Mike aka pathfinderz1

my thoughts also. why the need for brakes on a single axle trailer with a light boat. i guess it would minimize the wear on the pick-up's brakes. i think your looking for somethin to do Frank. lol

Well folks the trailer weighs at least as much as the boat. I figure I'm towing at least 1500#s. The trailer is so heavy because the back end where the axle is came off a heavy duty boat trailer that came with brakes.

NYS is one of two states that require brakes on gross trailer weights over 1000#s. It's not that I worry about being stopped and checked, it's that I want to reduce brake wear on my small pickup, and I want to assure I'm traveling as safe as I can. So really it's just me being an old man.

My brake drum hubs are a mess, need a complete rebuild at least, if not replacement if I'm going to have brakes. I'll know later this week.

Frank

I'm moving this thread over to the trailer forum:

www.fiberglassics.com/glassic-forums/13-trailer-talk/28315-trailer-brakes.html#28315