Showing my Tri-axle Trailer some TLC . . .

[tpenfield]

Now that my boat is pretty well squared away, I turned my focus to the trailer. It has disc brakes on all 6 wheels, but they have not really worked in a long time. I figured the calipers may be seized, but they are actually OK . . . they retract easily. It looks to be that the pads were so rusty, the brakes were not really working.
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I have the Hydrastar #225 brake calipers and standard pads. I just ordered 3 sets (axles) of the stainless steel pads to see if I can get the brakes working again.

The rotors . . . well perhaps they will look better once the brakes are working. Some day, if I get a raise in my weekly allowance, I can get stainless steel rotors.
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I'll probably clean them up and hope for the best.

 

[froggy1150]

Take a 4" grinder with a flapper disk... 40 grit and if you hold the grinder just right,kinda flat it will spin the rotor, but not so fast and clean up the whole surface just like a brake mill does. With rust like that probably need a new flapper each side

 

[tpenfield]

Take a 4" grinder with a flapper disk... 40 grit and if you hold the grinder just right,kinda flat it will spin the rotor, but not so fast and clean up the whole surface just like a brake mill does. With rust like that probably need a new flapper each side

Yes, I was thinking the same . . . got to get some more 40 grit discs though . . . I only got 60 grit and higher in my supplies.

 

[Scott Danforth]

or soak a rag with vinegar and keep the surfaces wet overnight

 

[tphoyt]

I miss the days when you could take the drums and rotors to just about any auto parts store and have them turned for a few dollars.

 

[Lou C]

Same, I tried to get that ridge of rust cleaned up on a couple of rotors and no one does it anymore!
I actually have had very good luck with the zinc coated brake drums and backing plates I have on my old Load Rite. I'll post up a pic of them, currently have 5 seasons of use pretty much the same way Ted uses his trailer just for launching and retrieving maybe one more time during the season if there's an issue that needs it to come out. For some reason they just seem to rust a lot less than brake discs, maybe because the friction surfaces are not exposed to air as much as a disc rotor is. The last set on my original axle went 17 seasons I never had to replace them, just had to replace the backing plates 2x in that time. Then when I upgraded the axle from a 3500 to a 6000 I just kept using that style since I got good life out of them.
Most of the trailers I see parked in marinas around here have rotors that look the same, unless they have stainless rotors.

 

[Lou C]

more of my Luddite tendencies
drum brakes and bias ply tires
but they work!
Loadstar K550 tires used for over 20 years (changed every 6-8 years when starting to crack)
no failures not even a flat!
I don't tow at high speeds so the heat build up issue of bias tires is a non issue for me and I like the stronger sidewalls for not so great boat ramps and gravel parking lots.

 

[tpenfield]

I've got my repair process line going . . .

Remove/inspect/Clean-up (left)
Rust Reformer (right)
Silver topcoat (center)


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Here are the disc rotors . . .

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6 on 5.5"

The angle grinder is not putting enough friction/torque on the rotor to spin the wheel with any certainty. I've got some belts on order for the belt sander and will try those.

These rotor are $76 new, so I can see why folks don't get the old ones machined. Probably be $30-40 per to have them re-finished.

 

[Lou C]

I have been using coated rotors on my vehicles now for a while and they do last longer, you don't get that rust around the inner and outer edges that tears up brake pads like with the uncoated ones.
I seem to remember they sold a rotary attachment that was made just for sanding rotors free of rust, just about the right size....I have to see if I still have it...

 

[tpenfield]

The paint and the brake pads arrived . . . Just waiting on a few more things.
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I got the rust reformer on the remaining 4 calipers and will give them a top-coat (silver) in the AM.

but . . . The Admiral wants to go out on the boat, so who am I to argue . . .

 

[alldodge]

Spent all the time and money on it I hope you can get at least 100 hours this season

 

[Lou C]

Being that you have OBs you can extend your season, don't have to worry about freeze ups like with inboards even with closed cooling it's still a concern. Should be able to stay in at least until early Nov, most of my friends who fish and have OB powered boats are in until December.

 

[redneck joe]

$76 is about as much booze as i spill in a week... Get new

 

[froggy1150]

If you spill that much booze in a week you need a bigger cup!

 

[tpenfield]

We are going to be traveling quite a bit (more than a wee bit) this Fall, so the boat will probably come out in Late-September - Early-October. . . who knows. That is why I have been trying to squeeze this work on the trailer in.

The fact that the calipers were not seized, makes things a whole lot easier. My plan is to test the surge brake actuator and bleed the lines.

 

[tpenfield]

2 wheels done . . . 4 more to go. I am also checking the bearings and adjusting as needed. They look OK . . . So far, one wheel was a little tight and the other was a little loose.

 

[nola mike]

I've got my repair process line going . . .

Remove/inspect/Clean-up (left)
Rust Reformer (right)
Silver topcoat (center)

View attachment 418772
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Here are the disc rotors . . .
View attachment 418773
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6 on 5.5"

The angle grinder is not putting enough friction/torque on the rotor to spin the wheel with any certainty. I've got some belts on order for the belt sander and will try those.

These rotor are $76 new, so I can see why folks don't get the old ones machined. Probably be $30-40 per to have them re-finished.

Yeah, I just spent $40 on a pair for the VW...not even worth calling around. That's why they stopped doing it. Also not the easiest thing in the world to do correctly, AND you still have a used rotor at the end of the day. (BTW, speaking of Luddite tendencies: the next year after mine VW started using an electric parking brake, now you need a scanner to disengage the brake and retract the pistons).

 

[Lou C]

Yep haven’t had to do one of those yet but I’m ready (Autel MX 808 bi directional scanner).

 

[tpenfield]

My BMW has those electric parking brakes. There is a trick to retracting them, so you don't have to hook up the computer to the car.

 

[tpenfield]

I'm almost done with the brake installation . . . I found one bearing that had seized up from the boat launch last month. I was able to save it . . . it is OK, not great.

I'll probably pull the trailer out of its resting place to bleed the calipers and do some testing.