Trailer brake repairs

[Christian McArdle]

I've just collected an old trailer for my mother. I thought it was a 8'x4' unbraked 750kg job. However, it appears to be rated at 1000kg and has a disabled brake system that I'd like to get running again. The trailer is marked as being built by "CS Trailers/Carspring" in Enfield. I haven't found anything about them at all.

The system has been disabled by disconnecting the brake cables at the drum and tying them up to the electrical cables. Obviously, I'd replace these cables.

1. Given that the internals of the brake drums are likely to be pretty shot (I haven't removed them yet), am I likely to get spare parts? (i.e. shoes, springs, expanders). Is there an easy way to determine the manufacturer?

1. I suspect the coupling to be seized. It doesn't rotate like the only one I've ever used and I couldn't get the piston to compress, although this might have been lack of force. It does have a handbrake which operates the push rod and feels "right". It has a bellows type gaiter. It looks similar in appearance to one on a modern 3500kg trailer I towed last month (the only braked trailer I've ever used).

a) Is this definitely a modern overrun coupling, or could it be an old spring coupling? How can I tell? Would it be auto-reverse? Again, how could I tell?

b) Is this coupling really broken?

c) Can it be freed, perhaps by disassembly and greasing? What is their operating principle?

d) Is it easily replaced? i.e. do replacements all have mountings in the same place?

That's probably enough questions for now!

Christian.

[Mary Fisher]

Haynes Caravan maintenance book is very good for this sort of thing if no-one here can help you.

Mary

[Set Square]

No unless it says on it, when you get it apart. If it was made by a proper trailer manufacturer, it will probably have proper trailer brakes. I guess not too many companies made them - Indespension perhaps, or a caravan chassis manufacturer like B&B (now Alko) or Peake (now defunct!). If it was a DIY job, it may just have used car parts - in which case it definitely

*won't* auto-reverse, and will probably have redundant hydraulic bits - just using the handbrake mechanism for the trailer brakes.

If the coupling is designed to operate the brakes, it should plunge, and the back end of it should operate the same lever as the handbrake rod - but without the ratchet! There should be a couple of grease nipples on the plunging bit.

If it auto-reverses, you should be able to tell by looking at the brake shoes. These will be a cunning design which permits them to rotate a little way in the reverse direction which - in turn - puts them in a position where the brake rods have to move a lot further before the brakes operate. [The brakes should not operate in reverse when the hitch is fully compressed, but should still operate when the handbrake is fully applied.] If the brakes are

*not* auto-reverse, there is probably a mechanical device (pin or collar) which can applied to stop the hitch from compressing when reversing. [You have to remember to take this off again - else you have no brakes when going forwards!]

Haven't seen it, but I doubt it!

It can probably be freed. See above regarding operating principle.

You should be able to get one which fits from any company which sells trailer parts - or even a caravan dealer. I think there are only a few mounting variations.

Good luck!

[David]

Towsure will likely have all the bits you need, or if you can get to one of their branches you may find someone with the knowledge to help

[Christian McArdle]

It is a professional build, so hopefully the parts will be standard trailer ones.

I'm pretty sure it is supposed to operate the brakes. The brake rod goes into it, it has a rubber gaiter and the thing is plated for 1000kg, which requires brakes. However, the coupling seems jammed solid and doesn't seem to rotate or compress.

Christian.

[Tournifreak]

I totally messed up the brakes on my old trailer tent after attempting a DIY fix. Managed to tow the thing to Indispension in Ipswich and gave them the trailer and a handful of assorted brake bits. They fixed it all up as part of their £50 standard service charge. I was amazed, and wished I'd never attemped to DIY in the first place! Mind you, I take no pleasure in mechanical engineering - if you enjoy that sort of thing perhaps you'll have more success than me!

[Christian McArdle]

The limit of my mechanical experience has been changing both discs and drums of an old Cavalier and reconditioning a cylinder head of an old Ford 1.3CVH. Hopefully, trailer brakes won't be too much of a challenge.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to take the drums off next weekend and see what I'm dealing with.

Christian.

[John Manders]

I would suggest that you at least consult someone who is competent. Imagine the prospect of 1 ton without brakes behind your car. Be careful.

John

[Christian McArdle]

I've replaced drums, hydraulic brake cylinders and shoes on car drum brakes before and not found it particularly challenging. And that was with about 50 little springs for the auto adjusters as well (which I would guess to be absent on a trailer). I'm probably mostly interested in the specifics of it being a trailer rather than a car, than general advice on drum brakes themselves.

Well, at 1000kg MAM, it is only 250kg over the unbraked limit. It isn't like a 3500kg car transporter or anything!

I will certainly take great care in the rigging to ensure it all works well. I might even take it down a tame MOT station afterwards and get the effectiveness tested on the rolling road.

Christian.

[Richard Savage]

I beg to differ, their understanding of trailers, as opposed to towing equipment, is rather limited. You certainly, if my experience is anything to go by, won't be able to say to them 'I've got a trailer that might have brakes made by x, have you any parts for them?'

Indespension are both helpful and knowledgeable as is Trident Trailers in Tunbridge Wells.

Buy a copy of the Indespension catalogue and beg, borrow or steal a copy of The Complete Trailer Manual by Lindsay Porter and C Leavey (Amazon show it as limited availability and best ordered as second-hand). I found it really useful when resurrecting my trailer.

I don't know how true this is, but when I seriously considered removing the braking system from my 8 x 4 x 1 ton trailer but was told by Indespension that if I wanted to convert a braked trailer into an unbraked version I had to remove every last trace of any braking components. This, they said, includes the hubs, drums and backplates. Basically I would have had to replace the entire axle. It was easier to persevere with making the brakes work.

BOL Richard

[Tony Maris]

Hi Christian,

What a lot of questions! Take a digital pic of the brake back plate assembly and the coupling and I will try and advise. Send an email first though cos I dump unexpected attachments!

Regards

[WD]

Hi Christian

(is that right?)

Don't worry too much, Tony Maris will be along shortly to sort you out, you may know the 'trickery stuff - he the towbar God, I'm surprised Mary hasn't mentioned him yet.

(which side/end does that slash go anyway?)

WD

[Lurch]

On 7 Jun 2004 16:09:23 -0700, wirral [e-mail] (WD) strung together this:

I can never remember either, just make it up, everyone gets the general idea!

[T i m]

They (finally) went about 3-4 years ago Christian.

The trailer making section probably went 5-7 years before that .. I used them when I built a very lightweight trailer to tow behind my Messerschmitt KR200 bubble car ;-)

The Car Springs bit carried on running within the Caravan and Camping parts store.

I believe someone said the remains of the Car Springs bit continues in Euston?

You will often find trailer braking components the same as used on a car and a local (good) Car Spares place might be able to match them up for you? (The 6 pound carb diaphragm on my BMW R100RT motorbike can be replaced with a 1 pound fifty car one etc )

It could be if the trailer is very old it was using a std car / van brake system anyway (they used to be built up from car parts. The cable braked 6'6" x 4', 1/2 ton 'goods' trailer I built over 25 years ago uses Morris Minor backplate / drums / shoes / wheels etc (and is still in use) ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[Christian McArdle]

OK, it is still at my mum's, so I probably can't get the pictures until Saturday. I'll put them up on the web somewhere.

Christian.

[Lurch]

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004 10:06:48 +0100, "Paul" strung together this:

Yep, just installed Dreamweaver so I'll have to start learning a bit more. Knew it seemed familiar!

[Paul]

Its a copy of html code used for web pages eg Something or other there is an opening instruction ie then a closing one

When on a web page click view/source and you will see loads of erm.

Paul

[Paul]

What you can't do with Dreamweaver is not worth talking about but watch for the vertical leaning curve!!

Paul

[Roy]

XHTML will confuse you -

Roy

[Dave Liquorice]

B-) Anybody starting out with web page coding really ought to learn XHTML, if only so as not to get into "bad" habits.