Surge Brake Trouble

[blchandler1981]

I'm having trouble backing my trailer (01 Nitro) in the drive way, because everytime I start to go up hill the brakes lock up. After reading a few threads I noticed that some have a release pin (Where is it located?). On my tongue I have a cap that has a reverse position on it, and I turn it to reverse and still locks up. I removed the cap and all I see is the brake fluid reservoir. Any suggestions? I need help quick, its a 800$ fine just to park your boat in the driveway for long periods of time.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

I am not familiar with your brakes, but I am familiar with the problem. The easiest solution may be to place a piece of 2x4 between the coupler latch and the actuator housing to restrict the rearward movement of the actuator.

This is only temporary, but it has been known to work.

Bob

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

I am not familiar with your brakes, but I am familiar with the problem. The easiest solution may be to place a piece of 2x4 between the coupler latch and the actuator housing to restrict the rearward movement of the actuator.

This is only temporary, but it has been known to work.

Bob

 

[fishingman220]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

on mine, there is about a 1/2" slot on the front of the cylinder on the trailer, if you put a hitch pin in it its works great, i have seen somewhere on here that said with a 5 wire plug and some type of valve when you turn your reverse lights on(the fifth wire) its turns the valve witch stops the flow of brake fluid, if any one knows about this , i would like some info on that.

 

[SNye45]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

I have surge brakes on my trailer and have the same problem. On my trailer the "lockout" pin goes in a hole behind the coupler on the side of the trailer frame just before the "outer sleeve" of the trailer frame. When you stop normally this hole is not exposed. To expose this hole fully I need to push the whole trailer back a bit while still attached to the truck. I've found the easiest way to do this is to straddle the trailer hitch and push with my back/legs against the trailer winch post. Pictures could explain this "lockout hole" a lot better than me explaining . I tried

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

You are referring to a "back-up solenoid". A lot depends on your tow vehicle as to how involved you are going to have to get in wiring it up for the 5-pin connector. Google "surge brakes" and you will have a 100 choices for locations to buy what you want. Just make sure you know what your current brake actuator brand is so you can get the right parts.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

You are merely turning the brake fluid resevoir cap which has nothing to do with reverse lockout. Look for a lever or pin that prevents the coupler from sliding rearward, or a small lever that you move to lock the coupler. If you still have trouble, post a picture of your coupler or give us the model number.

 

[fishingman220]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

here is mine, i dont know what yours looks like, but i have no idea how to stop the brakes

 

[45Auto]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

My surge brake coupler has a hole just in front of the master cylinder that the safety pin will drop into to lock out the brakes. The master cylinder can't move when the pin is in the lock out hole. Same setup that SNye45 was trying to explain. I just pull the truck forward a little to make sure the hitch is fully extended so I can drop the pin in the lock out hole before trying to back uphill. Kind of hard to see in the pic, the white arrow is pointing to it. I can't back it up the slight hill into my back yard unless I lock out the brakes.

Fishingman220, you have a Titan 60 coupler. It is not designed to be locked out, it is supposed to be used with free-backing or servo brakes. See Item #11 on page 7 of the owners manual:

http://www.titan-intl.com/content/media/MODEL60_ii.pdf

 

[fishingman220]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

is there a reason i couldnt just drill two holes in it and get a pin???? thank you for finding my manual 45auto.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

If you look carefully at the second picture you will see two "hooks" between the coupler and the actuator. It would appear this hook arrangement would allow insertion of a jack handle to prevent actuator movement. The manual indicates that this coupler is intended for use with free backing brakes. But it still appears that the diameter of a jack handle would be right for insertion into those two hooks.

 

[DABS]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

It sounds like you have a model A-60 UFP actuator with manual locking cap. The actuator must be fully extended forward before depessing the button and moving the cap to the Reverse position. If for some reason it is simply worn out and you don't have a reverse solenoid on the actuator, simply use a c-clamp across the actuator, just behind the front pin, to enable backing. The object is to keep the inner member from sliding backwards. The good news is your brakes are working. Replacement lockout caps are available for around $15. If this trailer is new to you and your tow vehicle does not have the 5 pin flat plug that is needed to energize the solenoid, simply invert the 4 wire plug and turn your lights on. This will energize the 5th pin through pin # 2 which is your lights. Pin #1 of course is the large ground pin.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Surge Brake Trouble

I've seen three types of reverse lockout devices, the most common is a manually inserted lockout pin, the second is special break shoes which won't lock in reverse, and then the solenoid activated lockout.

Usually if there's no lockout solenoid or pin, then the brake shoes are of the non reversing type.

If you have disk brakes, or converted from drum to disc and you don't have a solenoid or pin, then fabricating some type of lockout pin or block may be your only option.