Conversion to hydraulic disc brakes - add power cord rewind

[jimgram]

I did another test run last Friday and all went well. Several stops and some quick stops. One stop inadvertently squeeled some or all trailer tires. It's nice to know I can lock them up if required. We leave this Sunday (5/28) for a trip from NW Florida to the Finger Lakes in upstate NY, then west to Wisconsin (Lake Geneva and Door County) then across Nebraska to Estes Park CO - I'm estimating about 2500 miles. I will be doing some tweaking on the RAM factory controller to balance the braking between the truck and the trailer. I have pulled this trailer with virtually no brakes (very well greased drum brakes) in SW Colorado (Ouray, Mesa Verde) and luckily never encountered wet or frozen steep grades. I'm not sure we would have survived. No brake worries now!

[Bookemdanno]

That sounds like a great trip Jim! Enjoy the finger lake region (great breweries and wineries)...I have family up near Keuka Lake. If close, check out the Curtis Museum. I helped put together a bunch of those planes as a kid when they moved to their current location. There's some good hills up there, so it'll be a good test for your new brakes.

Enjoy!

[Magnolia Tom]

Jim

How's the lag time on the trailer brakes? Do you know what size brake line was used to go from the actuator to the "t" that splits to each disc? I've read that going up in size can help minimize the lag.


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[jimgram]

The line from the HBA is 1/4 to a 'T' and 1/4 off to both sides of the trailer to a 3/16 'T' and then 3/16 to each of the 4 rotors. There is a lag which is disappointing since my runs are very short (about 18" to the first 1/4 inch 'T', then 32" to each side (1/4) then 14" to the front 2 rotors and 36" to the rear two. I have an easy reach to the manual actuator on my in-cab controller. I also get the sense that when I ride the brake a little as I'm slowing, the pressure builds and then there is pretty much no lag when I finally apply stopping force (in fact that's why I squeeled the tire once)

[jimgram]

Bookemdano - Thanks for the advise. We'll try to find the Curtis Museum. We're staying at Cheerful RV park near Phelps on highway 14 near 90.

[JFlightRisk]

Originally Posted by jimgram

Bookemdano - Thanks for the advise. We'll try to find the Curtis Museum. We're staying at Cheerful RV park near Phelps on highway 14 near 90.

The Curtis Museum is in Hammondsport NY. A fun place to visit. When you get to Cheerful Valley, if you're getting FHU's, ask for a site with the hookups on the drivers side. They share hookups between adjacent sites, which may put 'em a ways away. We've been there a few times.

[klassic]

Jim...don't forget to re torque those lugs after 100 miles or so.
All mine were off torque around 150 miles after changing all my tires.

[Fingerlakes]

Jimgram- from Cheerful take 14 south into Geneva then 5&20 west (very short distance) to 14A south to Penn Yan then 54 south to Hammondsport and you'll find the Curtis museum and some wineries etc., very pretty ride along Keuka Lake. Lots of wineries in Finger Lakes region and lots of pretty things to see and do. Watkins Glen State Park, Corning Museum of Glass, and lots of pretty scenery everywhere you go. More to see and do then you'll have time for!! Enjoy!

[jimgram]

I'm back in our home in Estes Park, CO - 8 weeks and 3000+ miles. My last post (May ?) I was just getting ready to leave Freeport, FL. We stopped in Sweetwater, TN; Luray, VA; Gettysburg, PA; Archbold, OH; Lake Geneva, WI; Kellog, IA; Bonner Springs, KS (Kansas City); Oakley, KS; Estes Park, CO.

Klassic: Thanks for the reminder - I did re-torque twice. It took a little each time so it's definitely not something to overlook. Gettysburg was enlightening - only stayed two days but sure glad we didn't miss it. We spent 10 days in the Finger Lakes of NY. Did see the Curtiss Museum - fascinating guy! A long week at Lake Geneva visiting family, then KC visiting family. Thanks to everyone for suggestions in the Finger lake region.

The brakes got a workout! They aren't seemless - that is it takes some getting used to. I think I need to work with the controller gain - I have it set to max and did not want to fiddle with it on the trip. I did squeak the trailer tires more than once and at least twice I feel like they may have saved me from tapping a car in front of me, once I came up to an unmarked very sharp entrance ramp. I'm sorry that my original equipment electric brakes were so heavily greased so that I can't really make a comparison, but the hydraulic brakes make sense and definitely give serious stopping force.

I think it's important now to get all of the vehicle/trailer brakes working together. I haven't yet encountered a slick, down grade and I fear that I could find the trailer skidding around the truck.

[klassic]

Great write up Jim.

I have torqued mine 3 times now. This last time there were about 12 that didn't need tightening. And I don't really put very many miles on mine.