Tie down brakes (GRRRRRRR) long post sorry - Page 3 - The Hull Truth

Bigger Hammer · 09-21-2009, 05:57 PM

Tom, got to admit I've wondered about that after reading about you "Spraying CRC on all the hardware". I think of brakes as hardware.
For those who think that lubricants applied to brake system friction surfaces will "burn off" after the brakes heat up, my experience is that greases or oils will soak into the pads and can't be removed. When I rebuilt my hubs earlier this year I had several blown seals. I tried removing the grease from the pads with degreaser, and the pads dissolved before the grease came out.
Bill

jethro1 · 09-25-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afishinado

I think I'm gonna go piss away a grand and buy new Kodiaks so I too have the perceived best brakes on THT on my trailer. .. I'm tired of defending these stupid Tie Down brakes just because they work perfectly for me (and a couple thousand others of us here)... BUT, hey there's 4 or 5 guys here that had trouble like nobody else, and we hear about it over and over and over again

Make it six guys that have had trouble like nobody else. Oh, I had trouble three separate times (guess that I am a slow learner) until I ditched the Tiedowns and went with the Kodiaks. Not another single problem.

Three times in a row with TD's must have meant it was something that I was doing and not the brakes themselves. I must have stopped doing it when the Kodiaks were installed. I wonder what it was that I was doing?

Afishinado · 09-25-2009, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jethro1

Make it six guys that have had trouble like nobody else...................... I wonder what it was that I was doing?

Most common I think is not rinsing them.

hatterasman · 09-25-2009, 06:10 PM

90 percent of tie down failures are on new trailers equipped with them. production workers dont have time to shim the mounts so the calipers can flop freely. if your pads are worn out prematurely its not enough pad surface for the weight class, its mounting issues or seized calipers wether its tie downs on a trailer or the discs on your truck. if the calipers were seized you would know it. champion trailer parts told me if you have drums on 1 axle and change to discs you need discs on both axles. didnt believe them but its true. the tie down actuator lets you know when your brakes arent right. 90 percent of us who took time to install them properly have had great value for the costof the system. i got 6 years without any issues. never flushed never relubed. just pump some grease in wheel before each trip. 6 yrs later buy 4 loaded calipersand rehang the stainless rotors just needed buffing with scotchbrite wheel less than $400 for 6yrs of use. before it was hang drum system every other year. blame the trailer manufacturers. as to opening post here. trailer manufacturer used cheap seals if grease blew them out, didnt take time to hang brakes right or install enough braking surface for weight carried.