surge brakes

player123

Recruit
Joined
Apr 12, 2016
Messages
3
I recently bought boat trailer and 1 brake locks up randomly and not familiar with surge brakes, any advice?
 

thumpar

Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
6,138
It is time to inspect. Pull the wheels off and look at the brakes. Is it disk or drum?
 

player123

Recruit
Joined
Apr 12, 2016
Messages
3
it is drum and everything looks ok no rust or corrosion , I towed about 200 hundred miles and it locked up twice on way home, as soon as I pulled over it seamed to release
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Or the inner grease seal on the wheel is dropping grease on the hub. Used to be a common problem on cars when they still had rear drum brakes.
 

skydiveD30571

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Feb 13, 2012
Messages
1,042
Or the inner grease seal on the wheel is dropping grease on the hub. Used to be a common problem on cars when they still had rear drum brakes.

Can I ask what causes this? I replaced/repacked bearings last spring and this bring I see gease building up inside the brake drum on the components. The rear seal looks perfectly fine.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Do you usn Bearing Buddies and pump grease into them even after they are full? Get a lot of people that think pumping grease into these everytime they go out is a good thing.
 

skydiveD30571

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Feb 13, 2012
Messages
1,042
Do you usn Bearing Buddies and pump grease into them even after they are full? Get a lot of people that think pumping grease into these everytime they go out is a good thing.

I've tried to take note of seeing everyone else incorrectly do that. I might add a couple pumps once or twice throughout the year.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
I might add a couple pumps once or twice throughout the year.
That's likely the reason you have blown your seals. Once they are full, never a need to add more grease. You can push on the piston and see if it can rock. If it can rock, no need to add more grease.
 
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