It's those damn disc brake calipers again

[Schuster]

Yes, my trailer has surge brakes. I like the idea of the electric over hydraulic as it gives one the ability to control the braking of the trailer in adverse conditions which may come up unexpectedly when traveling thru mountainous regions or winter conditions. Just curious, if you contacted the mfr and if they got back to you. Also I will say that you mentioned that your greased hubs ran at about 135 F, to me that seems high as with my trailer (greased hubs) the highest I've ever seen it was at 125 and that is when i bought it in NM and pulling it home. It has sat in a lot for a couple years before I drove off with it so there may have been light corrosion in there. As I drove a 100 miles or so the temp went down to 85-90 and stayed there. One thing to note is that I have a diesel and used the exhaust brake quite a bit so the trailer brakes don't really get engaged unless I have to really slow down quicker than what the exhaust brakes require.

[colbysmith]

Hi Dave,
That last post/question was from somebody else. But to answer your question, I still have not heard anything back from Dexter. The 135 I'm just going from memory and was way back on a much earlier trailer. Could have been 125. But I do know the oil bath run much cooler. I've been running oil bath now for some time. Those that have problems with Oil Bath, is usually due to the wrong size seal or corrosion on the spindle. I did pull the wheels to put metal valve stems on them (I had one rubber valve stem start leaking due to wear around where it sits in the wheel, likely from the TPMS transmitters. They are suppose to be fine with the rubber valve stems, but that didn't appear to work out so well....) and while the wheels were off I checked the anti-rattle springs. Actually, only one was missing. So they are pretty much staying put. I think I'm just going to stick with the caliper slider pin rubber boot issue is due to heat over time. In which case, I don't think it matters much if the pin is greased frequently or not. However, silicone spray isn't too expensive, and easy to spray on the slider pins without removing them, so will try that before and after any long trips. Colby

[Schuster]

Thanks for pointing that out Colby. Kevin, I hope that answered your question.

[KevinMc]

More thoughts on the brake issue ,from reading the prior comments I have this to offer.
My concern with hot brakes would be the drake fluid boiling and blowing out the caliper piston 'O' ring resulting in brake failure; so solving this problem would be imperative.
Using a brake controller in the tow vehicle rather than relying on engine braking might relieve the constant braking and give the discs time to cool.I am surprised to read that the brake pad return springs are failing and have gone missing,probably due to annealing and subsequent corrosion.
I don't know what brand of electric over hydraulic system you have but I suspect this might be your problem.

Or, completely replace the braking system in its entirety."just throw money at it" That always seems to work.
Just say -in.

[Peter & Judy]

Interesting thread. I just had some problems with my brake calipers on the right side of my trailer. I do a six tire rotation annually incorporating my 2 spare tires, as well as a check of the grease in the hubs and a brake check before each trip. I take my boat across the Rockies from Alberta to the west coast annually. Just before I left on my recent trip to Kitimat, BC, I discovered that one of my right brake pads was really worn, also the slide pins on both calipers on the right side were missing. On inspection both right side calipers were frozen and all four slide pins were missing. I am very careful with rinsing and keeping the brakes flushed and cleaning after launching the boat. I also like to do a fresh flush of the boat and the trailer in a freshwater lake when possible. I did order a new set of calipers for the right wheels and new brake pads all around and installed these before I left. I'm home now having pulled the trailer about 3500 kms, but have not checked the brakes or wheels yet and will report once I pull the wheels off to check the brakes. I carry a thermometer to check my wheels at least twice most towing days. Normally my hubs run between 25C and 35C while towing. I had noted that the wheel where the brakes were badly worn was always running a few degrees hotter. A sign that I will check closer in the future. I have a theory about the right side of the trailer brakes having more problems. I often travel on secondary highways with no shoulders on them. I have noted riding my bicycle that the right side of the road is rougher than it is on the centre and this may cause more vibrations and wear on the wheels and brakes. I also had my second flat tire, thankfully I have a dual axle trailer, again on the right side. I noted on my bicycle that there is more debris on the outside of the road, nails and such, that drifts off to the ditch, thus more flats on the right side.

[colbysmith]

Just to reiterate a couple of points. First, regarding the rattle springs. I did have a situation in the past where all four had disappeared over time. However, after making the statement with the more recent issue, checking the brakes in the past week with the wheels pulled, I found only one spring missing. The other three brakes still had theirs. Regarding the heat issue. I'm not talking about an overheat situation. But brakes do get hot when used. I've never seen my brakes smoking or smelled them after stopping. Nor have I taken a temperature reading right after descending the Rockies or other steep mountain range. I don't believe I have any brakes dragging either. I suspect Peter may have experienced the same situation that I am. A few years back, I had two brake calipers, both on the passenger side I believe, that had come free from the backing frame, and were only held on by the wheel rim that they were rubbing on. Three of the four pins were broken off, and one pin was completely missing. I suspect that the rubber boot had disintegrated, and then with the calipers vibrating or having much more free play with out the rubber boot surrounding the slider pin, broke the pins off. I suspect anyone with the Dexter calipers that use rubber boots around the slider pins, will eventually have the same issue if you tow far and long enough, especially over mountain passes where you are using the brakes more frequently. Those that have the calipers that have the steel or brass boots the slider pins go through don't seem to have any problem. But they are more expensive. Colby P.s. to help folks out with Peter's numbers, in case you weren't sure. 3500 kms = 2174 miles. 25c-35c = 77F-95F.

[Peter & Judy]