Converting Drum to Disk

[Black Snow Slide]

Hi everyone, Every year I do a major upgrade when it comes to boating. Last year it was going from a 18 foot Well Craft Sportsman 180 (I loved that boat) to a Monterey 250CR. My total weight I tow fully loaded is 8K pounds. The max towing of my Avalanche is 8300 lbs.

The Avalanche is awsome at towing but as you all have had the person that races to get in front of you just to slam on the breaks to let Nanna cross the street. Stopping needed to be addressed.

I stripped off my old (1 year old) drum brakes and have bolted on a set of Kodiak disk breaks. One break line has been changed out due to the head of the line being stripped. Tuesday I am going to tear into the master cylinder of my surge breaks to remove a valve that is the only difference between the two cuplers. Just getting excited about seeing how well they will work and be able to brake with new disks.

Will let you all know how she goes at the end of the week.

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

Are you doing both axles?

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

Yes both axles are getting the new set up.

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

Interesting project. I'm interested to hear how it turns out.

Good info here; http://www.championtrailers.com/DrumVsDiscBrakeArtcl.htm

and here; http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html.

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

Ok... UNCLE..

Tomorrow I am bringing it to a machanic. I cant get the brakes bled to save my life. The friend of mine that has done a few of these has bailed out on the project leaving me stuck.

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

Bleeding all done and one flange fitting needed to be redone. Its all good and works well. Now if I can get the cooling thing figured out

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

Hope you changed the brake lines so that a short line of rubber flexible line is the last piece that connects to the caliper. From what you wrote, it sounds like you didn't do that.

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

The brake lines are solid across the axle. Going from the axle to the trailer frame is rubber break hose. It is the same brake line and set up the came with the drum brakes on the trailer. I was kinda thinking.. its the same size line and proved solid when used with drum and handled bumps and axle tweeks as we roll. Why change what is proven to be working. To cut, flair splice in two little peaces of rubber hoses would create more joints to fail in a system that already works. Am i missing something? Breaks are important Please dont be shy.

As to how they work? Awsome my stopping distances are 30% shorter over drum breaks. Very good set up.

FYI.. those suction things for one man bleeding of brakes.. they suck bad. Gota do the conventional way.

 

[CatTwentyTwo]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

A short piece of rubber brake hose allows the caliper to float on the pins and center itself on the rotor. The steel line can force one of the pads up against the rotor and cause excess wear and heat.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

Never want a solid metal brake line on a floating disk caliper. Not only can it do what the previous poster said, it will also eventually break the line. Drum brake backing plates don't move...disk brake calipers do.

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

I just took another look under there. The disk brake caliper is bolted to the backing plate and cant move. The only thing in the entire assembly that moves is the piston inside the assembly. The caliper cant move indipendantly

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

Take a look again. The caliper slides on the two pins.

 

[bhammer]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

Take a look again. The caliper slides on the two pins.

I don't think they are all the same. When I got to digging on my setup, I thought it was strange to have steel all the way to the caliper. Until I realized that the calipers are bolted right the the backing plate. Not like the auto style that had the ability to slide on the bolts.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Converting Drum to Disk

http://www.kodiaktrailer.com/index.php?option=com_productbook&func=detail&Itemid=51&id=9

All of the Kodiaks are like the picture. Part 6 is the bolt that the caliper slides on. Impossible not to have a floating caliper when it only has one piston. There is no other way they would work.

Let's just say for argument's sake that the caliper was directly bolted to the plate. Please explain how the brake pad on the outside of the rotor woud get pressed against the disk