No More Brakes

[RioRat]

Well,  I decided to try and figure out why my brakes on the trailer for my X-22 weren't working at all.  After putting the boat on jack stands and taking the wheels off I noticed that the backside of the right two disks were completely coated in bearing grease.  Either the bearings are failing and the grease leaked out onto the disks or I have been overfilling them.  That's not all.  All except one of the calipers were frozen solid.  So, with a trip to Possum Kingdom Lake coming up this next weekend, my only choice was to leave the calipers and pads off, tape the brake lines to the trailer frame and use it until my calipers come in.  I am hoping that I will find time between now and Friday to put them on, shouldn't take too long.  After all, even if they don't make it on there by Friday it's not like they have been working anyway.  The funny thing is, the pads are almost brand new, two of them still have that "fuzzy" surface texture to them.  I will need to bleed the brakes after the new calipers go on and I will let you all know if that solved the braking problems.

Are these types of problems common with these trailers?  I always thought that with surge systems, changing the pads and bleeding the fluid as needed was all it really took.  Oh, well...I guess the tower lights are going to have to wait.

Todd

[cyclone]

The parts and problems with Ameritrail trailers are not unique. Both of my trailers needed the brakes rebuilt, both of them had a broken right rear brake line at the caliper fitting.

[RioRat]

Cyclone, that's wierd...I noticed while taking the calipers off of mine that the right rear brake line had been replaced before.  All of the lines running to the brakes are stainless, except for the right rear.  It has the rubber brake line.  The right rear caliper was barely hanging onto the disk.  I could grab the caliper with my hand and move it 1/2" inch each way.  The right rear bearing sounds like it is about to kick the bucket as well.  It funny, I will have spent more money on repairs for the trailer than the boat.  I guess if I had a choice, that is the prefered of the two.

I have looked everywhere in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and it appears the only place to find the calipers for the Ameritrailer is online at the link given with the instructions for bleeding the trailer brakes.

Todd

[RioRat]

Well the new calipers are on.  I bought a "one-man" bleeder kit so that I could bleed the brakes, however I don't think it worked.  I followed the instructions that are posted on epicmarine to a "T", but when I spin the wheels and actuate the solenoid the wheels still spin.  The only thing I can think of is that not tightening the bleeder screw after each time I actuated, but before I released the solenoid, allowed air to travel back into the lines.  Has everyone who has bled their systems used a buddy to close the bleeder valve after each solenoid compression?  I am going to try it again this weekend with my brother there to close the bleeder before I allow the solenoid to return to the extended position, then reopen it before I actuate it again.

Something else I noticed, after the system was bled and I spun the tires and then compressed the solenoid it traveled all the way to the back of the tounge.  I could hear the fluid traveling through the solenoid as I did it.  Could it be possible that the braking solenoid is bad?  I would think that there could be a seal of some sort inside that when failed would allow fluid to slush back and forth opposed to being pushing through the brake lines and to the calipers.

Well any pointers would be greatly appreciated.  I will let you know how it goes this weekend.  Thanks.

Todd

[cyclone]

You need to test it with the solenoid NOT activated, that's what turns the brakes off so you can back up:)

[wakejunky]

Double check your actuator. mine went dry over the winter, didn't know why? so I bleed the system and thought everything was ok. Until Sunday when I was towing I stopped at the entry gate and noticed the rear axles were smoking. It got so hot is spit grease everywhere. I was looking online and found www.dhmtrailers.com they have everything for our trailers at very good prices. You can even rebuild the actuator assembly piece by piece if you want.

[RioRat]

Thanks for the info Wakejunky.  I have installed new calipers and fixed a broken brake line, so I will try and bleed it again this weekend with another person.  The next step though would probably be taring down the actuator and looking for a problem there.

Todd

[RioRat]

Cyclone,

I apoligize...I used the wrong terminology.  When I said solenoid I meant actuator.  My solenoid was never used in the process because my trailor was unplugged.  In order to engage the brakes to test and see if the bleeding was effective I lifted the lever under the tongue and compressed the actuator, not the solenoid.  I'm sorry for the confusion.  Am I still doing something wrong?  I was under the impression that the brake lock-out solenoid was only activated when the blue wire on the 5-pin was being used, plugged in and the truck in reverse.

Todd

[curtis]

Rio & All Epic owners,
Please make sure your brakes work well. I was waiting for a storm to clear off on the 4th with our truck and boat on the trailer
in the parking lot. And all of a sudden boom!! Like the ground was shaking. Went to the rear of the boat and there was a Dodge truck with a Tige jack knifed into the back of my E-22. Thank God for the teak deck. Knicked up the back of the deck alittle and splintered one of the spacers on the support. Just a kid that spent $700.00 the week before getting his brakes redone.
No glass damage to our boat & they have us covered on the replacement deck.  He didn't fair too well, needs a whole new bed for his truck, got both sides of it. He was driving too fast............It is exciting going to the lake......We all need to be safe. Offered the kid wet wipes afterward, he needed them.
Curtis

[Capt Rick]

MHH0011376   SwimPlatform,Teak,E22,X22,NoBrackets
$680. plus $125 frt

[curtis]

Rick,
Does that include the teak spacers between the support and the deck proper?

[Capt Rick]

It should be complete minus the metal supports on bottom.

[lesman01]

Does anyone know for sure that the calipers are the same on a dual axle as a single axle? I wondering because the bearings and seals are MUCH larger for single axle trailers, plus it is a 6 lug hub. I have a single axle and t's time to replace my calipers.

http://www.dhmtrailers.com/online/product.php?productid=1075&cat=105&page=1

[toyotafreak]

Sorry Les, don't have the info in front of me, but know it's here in the archives.

I flushed and bled my brakes FINALLY now the the boat's 10 years old. Lots of ugly fluid, but truthfully don't see a big difference. My neighbor (ex service writer for Toyota, Nissan) always gives me shit for flushing the Sequoia and did it again on the Ameritrail. All I can say is that old fluid collects water which is supposed to do two things: eat the innards of your calipers (not much in there to eat, though) and potentially cause a vaporlock type situaiton. I fhte fluid gets super heated with a high water content, the steam could blow off, relaxing rpessure on the pads. Not sure if that's real, but the end result is I feel better with all that nice new fluid even though i can't really say it's helping things out much :-)

[cyclone]

I just went through my trailer, replaced the ditch side (passenger side) seals and repacked. I would have replaced the bearings but they look like new. I used a cross referenced seal instead of the one that came off, it popped grease everywhere out the back the first time I tried fill the bearing buddies. I bought some of the original  type, they have a double seal. I will have to go in and replace them soon.