[1lowcaddy]

hey what do you think is better electric or hydraulic brakes on your trailer?

 

[Foompla]

i didnt even know they made hydraulic brakes for trailers.... bleeding them everytime you use them must be fun eh?

 

[REin4ST]

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

 

[1lowcaddy]

so it sounds like the electric brakes are safer?

 

[REin4ST]

Originally posted by 1lowcaddy@Sep 7 2005, 12:52 PM~3770030
so it sounds like the electric brakes are safer?

I must say so....

John

 

[sixtyfourchevy]

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?

It's not a line that you hook up to the truck, that would be retarded. there's a master cylinder in the toungue of the trailer, that applies the brakes when the truck hits the brakes and the ball on the hitch moves back. I never knew how it worked before either, but my job I'm at now i have to deal with trailer brakes all the time, not too fun to do the brakes on boat trailers after they go in salt water.

 

[Foompla]

i can imagine :biggrin: thanks for the info

 

[REin4ST]

Originally posted by sixtyfourchevy@Sep 8 2005, 07:02 PM~3779173
It's not a line that you hook up to the truck, that would be retarded.  there's a master cylinder in the toungue of the trailer, that applies the brakes when the truck hits the brakes and the ball on the hitch moves back.  I never knew how it worked before either, but my job I'm at now i have to deal with trailer brakes all the time, not too fun to do the brakes on boat trailers after they go in salt water.

Actually years years ago, there was a line that you would tee off to the rear brake lines of the vehicle for the trailer. Pain in the ass to bleed the shit all the time. Years ago my buddy had an old Buick, and I was looking thru the owners manual, and it had listed the hook up for the trailer lines...pretty interesting...but ghetto.

John