Originally posted by Foompla@Sep 6 2005, 08:21 PM~3765929
i didnt even know they made hydraulic brakes for trailers.... bleeding them everytime you use them must be fun eh?
Well I'm assuming were talking a car trailer, right ?? Well I prefer electric brakes over hydraulc surge. But there are ups and down of both. With electric brakes, you have manual controll over the trailer brakes via the manual switch on your "brake controller" mounted under your dash. For example say your cruising down the highway, and the trailer starts to sway (due to improper loading), well using the trailer brakes only, you can straighten up the trailer. Although you need a brake controller in the vehicle that will be using it. Althought this might be a good way to keep people from asking to borrow your shit....
The good thing about hydraulic surge, is the brakes are activated by forward trailer movement on the sliding tongue. In other words the brakes are self contained in the trailer....so anyone with a truck can use the trailer. No need for a controller wired into the system. One bad thing is when your backing up a steep incline, some older hyd. brake set-ups apply the brakes, the newer set-ups have a reverse lock-out designed for backing.
So either way, your ok. If you want a trailer anybody can use, go for the hyd. surge.
If you want better controll, go for the electric brakes.
Hope this helps....
John's Customs