New Brake Shoe Problem

[HowieE]

Disc brakes have many advantages. They are great for high speed frequent stopping where heat is a problem. Neither of these conditions are present while towing a trailer. Drum brakes have the capicity to lock the trailer wheels, An indication of more braking than can be used.

Given this I can't see any reason to run the risk associated with failing actuators associated with disc brakes.

As for the problems having been fixed just do a search for those members that are still looking for an answer as how to get their systems to work for more that a day or so.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, after just taking a walk in the neighborhood, [looking at parked cars] I was re-aqainted with another reason that I don't like disk brakes; Extremely dirty, stained, and pitted wheels. You never got that with drum brakes.

My Lincoln has four disk brakes, stops well, clean rear wheels, and slightly dirty front wheels.

My wife's BMW has four huge disk brakes and it can put your head through the windshield just by looking at the brake pedal. [slight exageration] But it makes those nice silver wheels look like junk yard crap in about a week. [black dust]

[DreamStreamr]

Originally Posted by HowieE

Drum brakes have the capicity to lock the trailer wheels, An indication of more braking than can be used.

I really don't want to lock them up, but my four 12" brakes have never locked my wheels on dry pavement. Gravel or wet pavement, yes.

Maybe I could, if I turned the gain up all the way on the controller? But I can't drive with it that way and it doesn't seem to matter anyway.

We have really great braking between the trailer's four drums and the big red truck's four discs. Besides, you're not supposed to use the brakes, it slows the roll and cuts your gas mileage.

Jim

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by DreamStreamr

I really don't want to lock them up, but my four 12" brakes have never locked my wheels on dry pavement. Gravel or wet pavement, yes.

The statement about drum brakes having the capacity to lock the wheel was not a suggestion that one should set up their system to do that. It is just that a statement of capacity. The selling point for disc brakes is often their higher ability reduce brake fade do to heat build up from frequent or extreme use. These conditions do not exist during towing there for there is little reason to use disc brakes on a trailer especially when they have not yet designed a control system that has any level of dependability.

Yes if the control system is ever accepted as having a level of dependability then there might be a reason to install disc brakes in trailers. Currently I see no gain.

[RickDavis]

I have the impression that brake lock up is more difficult to obtain with the electronic controllers because many of them pulse the brakes. With the old hydraulic controllers lock up seemed easier to achieve, not that you would want to.

The only disc brake setup I ever pulled was on a 36 ft 13000 lb cedar creek 5th wheel.

Apparently the hydraulic pump in these systems is powered from the trailer battery, while the info on "how hard to pump" comes from the TV brake controller.
When delivering new trailers we normally do not have the charge line on since a lot of unit will have lights on inside and we may not have keys to get in and turn them off.
Any way the trailer quickly drained the small battery I was using for the breakaway battery and I suddenly had no brakes.
No disaster as a result but it did take some head scratching to figure out the problem and turn the charge line on.
Just something to keep in mind. Dead trailer battery , possibly no brakes with disks

[Ahzmyrah]

Drum brakes are reliable and do not have a lot of ancillary parts to fail. They do have to be adjusted properly unless you have the new self adjusting brakes Dexter released recently. I like discs because they work better in extreme braking situations and do not need adjustment but you have to pay attention to the pad wear condition because worn out pads will do in a disc brake rotor very quickly. If you have been boondocking and have run down your trailer battery you could also have a problem with brakes until the battery is recharged. There are pluses and minuses on both sides of this question but I lean towards reliabilty and simplicity.