Can you buy just the shock absorber in the actuator, or do you have to buy the whole thing? And if you can, how do I find out what manufacturer built my actuator, because I can't find anything on the outside. thanks
Thanks JB. From the photos in the link it looks like and Atwood coupler.
The reason I think it is bad is my handy dandy mechanic told me so. He tried to adjust them a little bit so I could back the trailer into the driveway without leaving rubber on the pavement. He knows boats, so I'll go with him that that's the problem. $38 sounds better than $160 for a new assembly.
thanks again
Your mechanic is wrong. The shock absorber is for damping purposes. It won't prevent your brakes from being actuated when going in reverse. I wonder what he ws trying to adjust!
If you want to prevent your brakes from actuating going in reverse, just put in a reverse solenoid. Usually, these are only needed for disc brakes but some drum brakes have similar problems.
You can also disable the surge unit for your problem by drilling into the coupler and inserting a bolt or pin to prevent the master cylinder from being applied.
Your mechanic is wrong. The shock absorber is for damping purposes. It won't prevent your brakes from being actuated when going in reverse. I wonder what he ws trying to adjust!
If you want to prevent your brakes from actuating going in reverse, just put in a reverse solenoid. Usually, these are only needed for disc brakes but some drum brakes have similar problems.
You can also disable the surge unit for your problem by drilling into the coupler and inserting a bolt or pin to prevent the master cylinder from being applied.
Good advice! The reverse solenoid will do the trick without worry and almost every surge brake coupler should already be drilled to slip a pin into for reversing, The hole will be just behind the coupler itself and will go through the housing. I think it takes a 1/4" or 5/16" pin.
I have the "Tie-Down" stainless steel disc set up and it uses a heavy spring instead of the shock absorber, it also has the solenoid and the pin for reversing.
