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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:16 am
by Mac from NS
You don't want to fine yourself down the road saying
if i had just but brakes on it .Piece of mind is worse a lot .

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:05 am
by cowboy
WK wrote

Surge brakes actually work well but few are set up properly for the weight on the trailer. Their mostly on boat trailers so water isn't a factor and the load is always the same. If the master cylinder spring is right they will do a great job, problem is on a utility application the load may never be right for the master cylinder spring tension. My boat trailer has some of the smoothest brakes I've ever driven.



All my experance with surge brakes are with utilty trailers. I have never seen or herd of anyone adjusting the master spring before. I belive the main problem with surge brakes are they are not used enough. Condensation gets int the system wheel cylinderes freeze up the slide on the tongue dosen't get greased and rusts up. The horse trailer I bout had been sitting four years before I bought it and I didn't get a brake controler for at least a year. I had to run it up 40 mph and bring it to a stop three or four times and after that they have worked fine for the last five years. I turn up the controller up and I can get smoke off the back tires. I admit most of the problems with surge brakes is lack of maitance. But why use a system like that when a lower maitance systom is avabile. Not to mension being able to instantally set the brakes to trailer weight and driving conditions while driving.

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 11:05 am
by johnbron
I dont think they even make Surge Brake systems anymore. I hated them on a small equipment trailer I had in the 70s. Just try and back-up that surge brake equiped loaded trailer uphill. :lol: :o :twisted:

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 5:25 pm
by WKPoor
Surge brakes are still widely used. Backing up no longer a problem as they now install an electric line locker that comes on with reverse lights. As for adjustments, my brother got a brandy new boat last year and the master cylinder spring was wrong for the weight. The brake manufacture send him a couple of springs to try till he got the right one. They also have an advantage in that any tow vehicle can pull safely without being equipped with the proper controller.

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:39 pm
by Jim Becker
If you gotta' run a wire anyway, it might as well be hooked to a decent controller.

Electric control also lets you add a break-away that will put the brakes on (required for many trailers).

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:49 pm
by THOM
Thanks to everyone , :D Iwill be ordering brakes . Again thanks for all your input

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:26 pm
by WKPoor
Jim- Surge brakes also have the built in safety brake-away that manually pulls the master full on. I'm not advocating surge, I just think people don't understand them and therefore they get a bad rap. They are actually a very good, smooth effective brake system and are the best for boat trailers that for obvious reasons are submerged in water. One other thing, they are now using all stainless steel disc hydraulic brakes that makes it even better. I have both electric on my flatbed and surge on the boat and I'll say the surge beats the electric hands down. Also the boat brakes have been trouble free for 23yrs. I wonder how long the flatbed electrics will last? I've been on missions with trailers having electric brakes many times and something goes wrong with the plug and whoops, no brakes.