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Old 02-28-2006, 08:02 AM   #21
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I don't know if this system is the same or not, but we hauled Brooke's car back from Boise on a U-Haul flatbed with hydraulic brakes, and it was the worst brake system I have ever seen. They didn't kick in right away, and I felt like the truck was still doing most of the stopping. I'll take electric drums anyday over that setup.

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Old 02-28-2006, 08:24 AM   #22
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U-Hauls are commercial trailers for the masses, they operate on a simple "surge" principal, you cannot compair the disc/hydrallics used on private vehicles and trailers.

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Old 02-28-2006, 11:26 AM   #23
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Fredric,

Based on your description those brakes were not set up correctly either. If they were surge the shoe(s) was not adjusted correctly. Self adjuster not working. If a disc set up and surge, the system had major issues like air in the lines or contamination.

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Old 02-28-2006, 05:40 PM   #24
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Wow!

Quote:
Originally Posted by overlander63
Henry, one of our unit members was attending the rally last week, and they had a 1976 Excella that was originally equipped with hydraulic brakes, IIRC they were discs. It is a rare feature, but they are out there. They converted to electric drum brakes, and were happy with the result, as the hydraulic system always gave them problems. Personally, I also would want to keep the discs, because they will stop better, and are easier to replace pads on when they wear out.
Terry,

Thanks - that's good info. The thread started with hydraulic brakes - not defined as disc or drum. I have seen older Airstreams with hydraulic drums, GT6921 has/had one. I have not seen older units with discs though. Thus, I appreciate your knowledge on the topic.

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Old 02-28-2006, 09:15 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wacnstac
Link please.....
http://www.airforums.com/forum...ht=disc+brakes
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Old 02-28-2006, 09:27 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wacnstac
Link please.....
Here are a few shots from the back area of the engine manifold as the air rake hose snakes its way back towards the rear of the vehicle. The blue covering is wire loom over the hose to protect it from any abrasion.
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Old 02-28-2006, 09:41 PM   #27
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My haurralic actuator can go from 0 to full pressure(1600 psi) in half a second. I can tell you from experience that full pressure is more than enough to lock the wheels. So if I only really need to go to - say, half pressure - It takes less time to get there.

Hydraulic is fast. Maybe not as fast as electric. But fast enough and certainly strong enough. That's why I didn't swap over to electric when I replaced my axles.
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Old 03-01-2006, 06:02 AM   #28
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If you have the money, buy one of the brake actuators (do a forum search on that also because there has been much discussion), remove the brake booster equipment mounted on the tongue, bolt the new actuator up to the hydraulic lines and then wire it up. This way you do not have to run the vacuum line from the front of the vehicle. I didn't have the money to buy one so I did it the old fashion way. It will cost you over $1,000 to switch from your current brake system to electric and you will be going backwards in performance.
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Old 03-25-2006, 07:15 PM   #29
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I have the hydra-vac on my coach, in the 2 plus years of ownership I have never used them ( I will change that in the near future). I have pulled over 3000 miles this way and although brakes are nice, I belive that it would be ok to go without brakes if you drive accordingly. I would not go on the backroads, there will be more trafficlights and other conditions that would force one to stop. Stay on the freeway in the right lane, leave plenty of space between you and the next vehicle and use your transmission to help slow you down. Since this coach is going to a permanent resting spot it would be hard to justify the expense of upgrading the braking system.

Don't flame me too hard, brakes are a vital part of save towing and the size of the tow vehicle also plays into this. In my case I'm using a 4x4 1 Ton Dually Diesel, my truck weight is more than the coach and the brakes are large and well maintained.
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Old 03-26-2006, 02:42 AM   #30
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If this is a 70's type unit, it has hydrallic disk brakes. All that is needed is a vacuum line from the manifold. If you are never going to tow the thing again I would not bother if it is smaller than 28 foot. A big one may be snakey without brakes and an inexperienced tower. If you can, maybe you should hire an experienced person with a big truck to tow it for you. In the long run you should follow the lead of most other owners (including me) and replace the antique hydrallics with conventional electrics for a total cost of $350 for parts and one afternoon's labor.
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Old 03-26-2006, 10:30 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dwightdi
In the long run you should follow the lead of most other owners (including me) and replace the antique hydrallics with conventional electrics for a total cost of $350 for parts and one afternoon's labor.

After having towed my Overlander with the new disc brakes, I would never go back to electric drums. My advice would be to simply add a electro-hydraulic actuator in the location of the hydravac. Disc brakes are definitely far superior in braking performance than drum brakes, especially electric drum brakes.
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Old 03-26-2006, 04:39 PM   #32
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It might be over kill as we're towing a 25 Safari, but just the same we're set to have the brakes upgraded the middle of April at the mother ship. I've heard nothing but good results from those who have already had the upgrade.
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Old 03-26-2006, 06:36 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WayWard Wind
It might be over kill as we're towing a 25 Safari, but just the same we're set to have the brakes upgraded the middle of April at the mother ship. I've heard nothing but good results from those who have already had the upgrade.
Best,
I don't think that it's overkill at all. A 25 Safari is not a very light trailer, and the disc brake upgrade will more than likely make a huge difference in trailering safety.
My Overlander is a 63 vintage, lighter than the 25 Safari, and it is a joy to tow with the disc brakes. Especially since I tow with a 97 Suburban 1500, which is not kown to have the best brakes in the industry. It might not be a big improvement with a larger truck that has upgraded brakes. Still, though, I like the idea that I can descent very long and steep grades, tapping the trailer's disc brakes to slow down the entire rig without noticeable fade, which was not the case with my previous trailer's brand new electric brakes. Crossing the Rockies had me scared a few times. Which is why I went with teh discs on my 63 during the rebuild.
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