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I have a 6 month old aluminum trailer with stainless disc brakes and noticed today that the rotors were starting to rust.
Whats the best way to keep your trailer brakes functional?
BTW, I know replacing brakes on a trailer is just part of the deal, but how can one slow down the destruction?
I know I'm going to get bashed for this... When I bought the boat I currently own I asked the owner about the brakes and what he used to keep them working so well. He used WD40. He used it religeously and never had a problem in the 4yrs he owned the boat. The brakes looked good... I figured the real secret was keeping them rinsed off w/ fresh water. I was wrong and now I am replacing the brakes! When I get them out back together I will be using WD40.
Just because they have rust on them doesn't mean they won't work. Look at your automotive brakes, the rotors rust, the drums rust, and so does the hardware. To some extent you will get rust on them just from moisture in the air which condenses on metal surfaces when they cool at night, and if you don't use it every day like a vehicle then you will see rust. If you don't drive your car for a month for sure there will be rust on the rotors (here more like a week because it's so damp!) I would not put WD 40 on brakes, or on any friction surface. I have not tried Salt Away on brakes but some have done so with good results. I have the flush system on my drum brakes and the Tie Down zinc coated drums have an adjustment hole in them and I also flush them thru the hole. So far so good.
__________________ 1988 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
4.0/NV 242 Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
5.7 HEMI/Quadradrive II
Lubricant on brake rotors sounds like a is a bad idea. I have Kodiaks and they get surface rust but still work fine.
The rotors on my car get bad surface rust after sitting a week or 2 (I dont drive it much). My truck rotors dont seem to rust though..and they are both Ford products.
Tie downs SS do rust more than Kodiak. I have both. I wash the entire wheel/brake, with "salt away" in a two gallon garden sprayer, after each dunk in salt water. The little rust does not cause any mal function.
I know I'm going to get bashed for this... When I bought the boat I currently own I asked the owner about the brakes and what he used to keep them working so well. He used WD40. He used it religeously and never had a problem in the 4yrs he owned the boat. The brakes looked good... I figured the real secret was keeping them rinsed off w/ fresh water. I was wrong and now I am replacing the brakes! When I get them out back together I will be using WD40.
Let me understand - You are going to prevent your brakes from rusting by lubricating them?
Brakes work by friction - the friction of the pads against the rotors or the shoes against the drums. If you lubricate them, they won't work very well. And, the lubricant will contaminate the friction surface, ruining it.
The rotors or drums do not have to be rust free. The action of the pads or drums will rub the surface rust off where they make contact. The rest doesn't matter.
I know I'm going to get bashed for this... When I bought the boat I currently own I asked the owner about the brakes and what he used to keep them working so well. He used WD40. He used it religeously and never had a problem in the 4yrs he owned the boat. The brakes looked good... I figured the real secret was keeping them rinsed off w/ fresh water. I was wrong and now I am replacing the brakes! When I get them out back together I will be using WD40.
Let me understand - You are going to prevent your brakes from rusting by lubricating them?
Brakes work by friction - the friction of the pads against the rotors or the shoes against the drums. If you lubricate them, they won't work very well. And, the lubricant will contaminate the friction surface, ruining it.
The rotors or drums do not have to be rust free. The action of the pads or drums will rub the surface rust off where they make contact. The rest doesn't matter.
The light rusting on stainless I doubt will ever be an issue, comes right off first time you use them...
This thread is like 14 hours old and only 2 or 3 people bashing Tie-Downs, where the hell is Cracker? I hope he's okay!
No problem using WD-40 on the brakes. It is basically a poor grade of kerosene (oily) with a low flash point and will disappear the first time you use the brakes. It will help to keep them from rusting between trips. Also can be used to free up a stuck caliper but you need to grease it properly afterward. WD-40 is a very poor lubricant and really shouldn't be used as one. It is a decent solvent, protective coating and penetrating oil.
If you can, back your trailer in and out of freshwater a couple of times on the way home. I do it at a local lake after my trips to the coast and it really helps to get the salt out.
Edit: And keeps my Tie Down brakes working like new!
Location: Los Angeles, FL.or Georgia, depends. In Fl now.
Posts: 5,979
Re: New trailer brakes rusting
How about flushing after each use and running trailer around city once every 2 months minimum? It's what my trailer mfgr recommends to keep disk brakes usable. He says if you dont disk brakes will lock trailer in place due to rust buildup. I do it every 3 mos.
All brake rotors rust. The ones on your car do too - after a rainy weekend you can hear the pads grinding off the surface rust the first 2 times you stop.
The problem with putting WD-40 on brakes (I wish I had the cajones to do that) is that you have to worry about the WD-40 soaking into the pads. I don't know what the actual risk or danger of that is, but don't want to find out, either.
I know I'm going to get bashed for this... When I bought the boat I currently own I asked the owner about the brakes and what he used to keep them working so well. He used WD40. He used it religeously and never had a problem in the 4yrs he owned the boat. The brakes looked good... I figured the real secret was keeping them rinsed off w/ fresh water. I was wrong and now I am replacing the brakes! When I get them out back together I will be using WD40.
Let me understand - You are going to prevent your brakes from rusting by lubricating them?
Brakes work by friction - the friction of the pads against the rotors or the shoes against the drums. If you lubricate them, they won't work very well. And, the lubricant will contaminate the friction surface, ruining it.
The rotors or drums do not have to be rust free. The action of the pads or drums will rub the surface rust off where they make contact. The rest doesn't matter.
Tried and true! My trailer being the example. The previous owner never had a problem and the rotors, pads and calipers looked like new when I bought it after he owned for 4 yrs. Original equipment with many miles on them.
If you use the trailer on weekly basis then I don't see the need to spray with any thing other than fresh water. If they sit for an extended amount of time then it beco mes a problem and the rust won't come off with contact as you have suggested...the pads do! I know I'm going through it now. I agree a light rusting is not a problem but left untreated then it is.
BTW, I'm not "lubricating" the brakes...I'll be applying a thin coat of Water Displacement (WD) on the rotor. If I were going to "lubricate" them I would apply a grease...(High temperature due to the friction )
The best thing for cleaning your trailer after use is pressurized fresh water. The flim flam garden hose nozzle just does not cut it. I use a pressure washer w/ 15 degree tip and I also use a premix of laundry detergent that gets sucked in by the pressure washer. Laundry detergent is great for getting rid of salt deposits on metals just like it is good for getting rid of soils on clothing. Don't waste money on the Salt Away gimmick. Get some cheap laundry detergent and a good water pressure system and be done with it.
The light rusting on stainless I doubt will ever be an issue, comes right off first time you use them...
This thread is like 14 hours old and only 2 or 3 people bashing Tie-Downs, where the hell is Cracker? I hope he's okay!
Appreciate your concern, I am good.
All I will say is welcome to Tie Down Brake ownership and good Luck...
__________________ "I'm suing the THT and the guy that made it."
Whoever installed those brakes didn't read the installation instructions. The caliper assembly is supposed to be near the top on the trailing side, not near the bottom.
New trailer brakes rusting 
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