boat trailer brakes need modification

[Freebee]

I have an old 4 wheel boat trailer, some bright previous owner stripped the brakes off presumably because of corrosion, they just left the drums on the axles and the old drums/backplates are corroded beyond use. I would like to replace the brakes/drums . The wheels and tyres are sound so it seems logical therefore to find some drums with backplates that can be retrofitted. the wheel studs are Ford PCD.

I have no idea of the trailer manufacturer or the original drum brake make. A Sierra set up would fit

My question is if I fit car brake drums with hydraulic cylinders in place but not connected.... can I just connect my trailer brake actuator to the handbrake side of the drum brakes or wont that work as a sensible efficient trailer brake??

Legally Do I have to fit up all 4 wheels or can I just fit two??

 

[VicS]

I have an old 4 wheel boat trailer, some bright previous owner stripped the brakes off presumably because of corrosion, they just left the drums on the axles and the old drums/backplates are corroded beyond use. I would like to replace the brakes/drums . The wheels and tyres are sound so it seems logical therefore to find some drums with backplates that can be retrofitted. the wheel studs are Ford PCD.

I have no idea of the trailer manufacturer or the original drum brake make. A Sierra set up would fit

My question is if I fit car brake drums with hydraulic cylinders in place but not connected.... can I just connect my trailer brake actuator to the handbrake side of the drum brakes or wont that work as a sensible efficient trailer brake??

Legally Do I have to fit up all 4 wheels or can I just fit two??

Normal when using old car hubs/ brake assemblies to use the handbrake mechanism. You have to leave the hydraulic cylinder in place obviously (or fabricate a dummy to fill the space)

You only have to fit brakes on one pair of a close coupled four wheel trailer, at least that was all that was required when I built mine although I have fitted them on all four wheels. Thats I understand because the law regards close coupled 4 wheels to be only 1 axle.
Other wise if brakes required must be on all wheels if built from 1968 onwards.

Mine has 4 old mini rear hubs and brake assemblies


Lakesailor will be along shortly to confirm or correct the above!

 

[Avocet]

As far as I'm aware, you DO now have to fit brakes on all the wheels of any braked trailer (close-coupled or otherwise), but I'm not certain. The trouble is that the regulations probably won't say that, they'll say something like "...shall satisfy the requirements of Directive 71/320/EC or ECE Regulation 13..." and then when you trawl through those monster tomes, you find that they prescribe a minimum braking efficiency or some other kind of test which can only be passed if all the wheels are braked.

That leads to the second problem. I'm sure you could get your Sierra brakes to work effectively on the handbrake linkage and you might well fool "plod", but strictly speaking, you still wouldn't be able to prove them met the requirements of the braking regs. That's quite expensive testing!

This page (Item C) seems to suggest that you need brakes on all wheels if the trailer was first used after 1968.

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/trailers/brakes.aspx

 

[PCUK]

Definitely all wheels must be braked. That is why American trailers are not road legal in the UK.

 

[ffiill]

I have just done mine and whilst shoes had been removed I had good back plates all be it I was missing a wheel cylinder.
I copied dimensions of one using a piece of easily workable aluminium bar.
To this day I dont know where the brakes and drums came from but by measuring up internal diameter of drum and width of bearing surface Iwas able to match it up with of all things the Morgan!
Worth taking the adjusters off an if the expanding girling type carefully heat to free plungers(I learned this living with old bangers back in the early 70s)If need be you can find new old stock on e bay.
I now have good brakes including a very effective parking brake.
Important if you are playing with 3 tons or so.

 

[2Tizwoz]

Brakes can be made to work efficiently using the handbrake. It would be pretty poor if handbrakes didn't work well.

Sometimes adjustment is automatic, but requires the hydraulic system to be used.

That may apply to Mondeo brakes, I don't know.

 

[VicS]

Brakes can be made to work efficiently using the handbrake. It would be pretty poor if handbrakes didn't work well.

Sometimes adjustment is automatic, but requires the hydraulic system to be used.

That may apply to Mondeo brakes, I don't know.

I think something I've just read says the handbrake should hold on a 1 in 12 gradient.

Some slipways are steeper than that though!

 

[Mrnotming]

I have an old 4 wheel boat trailer, some bright previous owner stripped the brakes off presumably because of corrosion, they just left the drums on the axles and the old drums/backplates are corroded beyond use. I would like to replace the brakes/drums . The wheels and tyres are sound so it seems logical therefore to find some drums with backplates that can be retrofitted. the wheel studs are Ford PCD.

I have no idea of the trailer manufacturer or the original drum brake make. A Sierra set up would fit

My question is if I fit car brake drums with hydraulic cylinders in place but not connected.... can I just connect my trailer brake actuator to the handbrake side of the drum brakes or wont that work as a sensible efficient trailer brake??

Legally Do I have to fit up all 4 wheels or can I just fit two??

Hi Freebee,
What axle load is required? Perhaps written off Caravans have the gear you are looking for?Just a thought, as I owned an Esterel Folder that stopped us like a giant hand on the overrun!
Do bash the main trailer tubes with a lump hammer to see if corrosion has eaten away metal from within?
Tyres you say might be serviceable, but if old and good looking, much like some people, these might fail to perform!
There are some caravan scrappers on the web, have a google!
Don't want to get up your nose or any other orifice, so forgive me if what I written is so obvious as not to be worth mentioning?
Now that I know what Black Friday commemorates, I'm glad I ignored all the guff!(Slaves sold at a discount approaching Christmas overstocked)

 

[TQA]

Many moons ago I built a couple of 4 wheel trailers for my race cars. I found it better to use hydraulic brakes as this solved the equalization problem and they were less hassle in the long run. Morris Minor mastercylinder and Mini rear wheels from memory.

 

[charles_reed]

Many moons ago I built a couple of 4 wheel trailers for my race cars. I found it better to use hydraulic brakes as this solved the equalization problem and they were less hassle in the long run. Morris Minor mastercylinder and Mini rear wheels from memory.

Totally agree - mechanical actuation is bad enough on a 2-wheel trailer - it can be lethal on any multi-wheel trailer which moves at more than a walking pace

 

[Avocet]

Maybe so, but likely to be illegal. The problem is, unless you can show he trailer braking system meets the appropriate legal requirements, you're stuffed before it even turns a wheel.