Brake upgrades

[Blix]

OK, finally I have a place to ask these questions. I have a 2001 Ram 2500 Turbo Desiel (augh augh augh) that tows a 24' enclosed trailer with two axles and a SM inside and the usual spares etc. I have drum brakes on the trailer.

What can I do to improve the braking characteristics of my rig? I don't want to unbalance it,m because it is pretty good now, but I wonder if I could improve somehow.
What are my options as far as new pads, new shoes, or brake controllers (how does that work?)

Thanks

Eric

[racer_tim]

Eric, last year when I had the brakes re-done on my dual axle open trailer, I had them convert from surge brakes to electric. I also had them install / wire the controller on my 1998.5 Dodge 2500 Turbo Diesel truck.

I have also seen disk brakes on trailers (Boat trailers), so that might also be an option.

I just replaced the front pads on my truck at about 65k miles. Had to use the 8800 GVW units and they work better than the stock OEM worn out pads, but they "dust" much more than the stock units.

Your right, the brakes on the 2500 are not the greatest, so just give yourselve a little more room to the cars in front of you.


------------------
Tim Linerud
San Francisco Region SCCA
#95 GP Wabbit (Bent)
http://linerud.myvnc.com/racing/index.html

[This message has been edited by racer_tim (edited May 14, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by racer_tim (edited May 14, 2004).]

[mgyip]

My F350 routinely warped rotors pulling my super-light 28' enclosed (super-light as in ~5000 lbs EMPTY) with the miserable factory Ford pads. After 2 sets of pads and rotors at Ford's expense, I upgraded pads to Porterfields (can't remember the compound). The difference in feel was negligible but the difference in rotor/pad life was a vast improvement.

After 80K miles, I'm finally in need of pads and have opted for PFC's Z-rated pad - we'll see how that goes...

[joeg]

Eric--Keeping everything in tip top shape is the only real suggestion. For example, last year I had to bite the bullet and install complete new brake assemblies (rather than new shoes and magnets).

Electric brakes are about the best way to brake a trailer, but they require a lot of maintenance when stored outside year round in the NE.

I would shy away from surge brakes (hydraulics).

Good luck.

[Edwin Robinson]

We stock Hawk and Performance Friction SuperDuty and Z-Rated pads for almost any kind of tow vehicle. You can get the same level of performance from your brakes on your tow rig as you do on your race car.

When you purchase any combination of street pads (eg. tow vehicle) and race pads (eg. race car) you get free shipping. ~hint-hint~

~ER
http://www.raeshopper.com

[This message has been edited by Edwin Robinson (edited May 17, 2004).]

[lobster]

They now have a disc brake conversion for dexter axles saw it in a Northern catalog. Glenn

[joeg]

Glen--They look neat but they are hydraulic surge.

[mgyip]

Dang - I thought those trailer discs were electric but after reading your post, they're certainly surge. Oh well, back to the old uber-heavy drums for me...

[racer_tim]

Edwin, typo in your url. You forgot the "C" in raeshopper

Tim

[lobster]

Thanks joeg did not know that Glenn

[bill f]

After years of hauling a home built trailer with surge brakes, I feel qualified to offer the following information:
Surge brakes are best used with a large tow vehicle and a smallish trailer, relatively speaking. Towing a large trailer with a small tow vehicle is just waiting for disaster.

Using a surge set-up, the trailer brakes depend on the resistance of the tow vehicle in front of it to perform the braking (reaction causes a pressure on the trailer's hydraulic master cylinder). If something happens to the stopping ability of the tow vehicle, the trailer has NO ability to retard its own mass, much less the mass of the tow vehicle.

An example is wet pavement, gravel, sand, or any thing that will reduce the coefficient of adhesion of the tires, usually the lightened front tires (weight jacking caused by the inherent hitch weight).

Ice on bridges is not unheard of in the middle of the country, also.

My epiphany occurred in Washington D.C., when the fronts locked in a panic stop, and the trailer drove the tow vehicle into a lawyer's (who else) Cherokee.

Electric brakes will do much the same thing, but can be modulated manually from the cab of the vehicle.

Just my two cents worth from a multi-dollar experience.

Good racing.

Bill