Drums to Discs on single axle 97 Maxum

gica

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Have a 97 Maxum boat and trailer with drum brakes. I recently started fixing up the rust spots on it and discovered that the master cyl for the old setup is full of crud and empty of any brake fluid. So I bought a new Demco 8605001 Brake Actuator on Amazon. I am now contemplating changing the setup to disc brakes.
I found this actuator UFP A-60 1-Axle Hydraulic Disc Brake Actuator Inner Slide, 7,500 lb at around $190, or this one a little cheaper Tow Zone 86852 Model 800 Disc Brake Actuator, plus the disc brakes setup which the cheapest I found is the Kodiak Disc Brake Kit - 10" Rotor - 5 on 4-1/2 - E-Coat - 3,500 lbs at $188. My boat is a 20' Maxum 2050NL. I think it's 3500LBS. Wanted to know f I need the solenoid valve for lockouts. My old setup had none(didn't really have any brakes from the crud inside). Want to know what I need to do this right and hopefully not too expensive. Thanks in advance.
 

Scott Danforth

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the UFP requires the trailer to be set up for the UFP actuator. if you have the Demco, it wont work.

and yes, if you switch to disc, you will need the solenoid valve and need to re-wire for a 5-pin plug.

why not simply fix what you have? assuming your drums are still good, a pair of new fully loaded backing plates are $100 and you already have a new brake actuator
 

dingbat

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A Tiedown Model 66E actuator will run you $129.

That's a good price on the kodiaks if that's a caliper and rotor set. Go with dacromet if the budget allows.

You will need a backing solenoid. No way around it. Learned it the hard way.
 

NHGuy

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You will not regret the Kodiak brakes. I just changed my single axle uneven wearing 2012 Tie downs to 4 wheel Kodiak dacromet. They are terrific. No more truck brakes working too hard.
And yes, set it up with the backing solenoid. Not too much trouble, follow the directions.
 

gica

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the UFP requires the trailer to be set up for the UFP actuator. if you have the Demco, it wont work.

and yes, if you switch to disc, you will need the solenoid valve and need to re-wire for a 5-pin plug.

why not simply fix what you have? assuming your drums are still good, a pair of new fully loaded backing plates are $100 and you already have a new brake actuator

I was told and also read that drum brakes are not optimum for salt water usage.
 

gica

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You will not regret the Kodiak brakes. I just changed my single axle uneven wearing 2012 Tie downs to 4 wheel Kodiak dacromet. They are terrific. No more truck brakes working too hard.
And yes, set it up with the backing solenoid. Not too much trouble, follow the directions.

Mine is actually a 2 wheel axle and I think any brakes will make a difference for me, cannot believe how bad the master cyl was I never took it on the ocean but plan to. Do you boat in salt water with the setup? It is a little bit of a complex deal and want to make sure I do everything right. So I need the 5 wire set up also as another poster mentioned?
 

gica

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A Tiedown Model 66E actuator will run you $129.

That's a good price on the kodiaks if that's a caliper and rotor set. Go with dacromet if the budget allows.

You will need a backing solenoid. No way around it. Learned it the hard way.

And the 5 wire set up, at the moment I only have 4.
 

dingbat

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If your boating in saltwater, spring for stainless steel brake lines as well.

Ive used rubber and stainless lines. Rubber is easy to install but you loose some braking power. Went back to stainless at my last hardware change out.

Get ceramic pads. Unless you go with stainless rotors, the discs rust badly between trips. The ceramic pads out last the stock by a factor of two or three.
 

bruceb58

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Rubber lines have the exact same stopping power as hard lines. If there is 100 PSI coming out of the actuator, there is 100 PSI at the brakes themselves.

If you are going to get a new actuator, get a TitanDico. WAY better quality that TieDown junk and easier to get parts for than UFP.
 
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bruceb58

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No brake system is really optimal for dunking in salt water.
Disc brakes are 100 times better than drums for use in salt water because you can actually get at them with a hose and rinse them down. It is one of the main reasons I switched to disc after fighting with drums for so many years.
 

gica

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If your boating in saltwater, spring for stainless steel brake lines as well.

Ive used rubber and stainless lines. Rubber is easy to install but you loose some braking power. Went back to stainless at my last hardware change out.

Get ceramic pads. Unless you go with stainless rotors, the discs rust badly between trips. The ceramic pads out last the stock by a factor of two or three.

Would dacromet suffice if they are cleaned diligently? Any deals anybody knows of?
 

Scott Danforth

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I was told and also read that drum brakes are not optimum for salt water usage.

it comes down to maintenance

if you get the galvanized backing plates, they work fine. I ran drums for about 8 years until I got a used trailer with discs. I still had to replace the disc setup because the prior owner never maintained them. needed a torch to cut the calipers off the brackets

while disc brakes make it somewhat easier to hit them with the garden hose, if you dont maintain the brake system, it goes to he## no mater what water you boat in.
 

dingbat

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Would dacromet suffice if they are cleaned diligently?
Dacromet is fine for calipers, but any coating you put on a rotor is worn off the first time you hit the brakes. The only way to stop the rust is to go with stainless rotors.

Don't buy into the flushing will save your brakes in saltwater use. Unless you rinse your brakes immediately after launch and retrieve. Waiting to get home to removed the baked on salt deposits is futile. Been there, done that.

If you really want to try, a bug sprayer full of salt-way mixture and 5 minutes at launch and load but it buys you little. My brakes are lucky to get hosed down every 2-3 trips. The calipers went 5 years before a caliper hung (guide pin) from lack of lubrication. Quick and easy fix. Back on the road for another 5 years...

The rotors are no more corroded now than 3 weeks after installation. I figure two more years on the rotors before replacement
 
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bruceb58

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Its not the rotors you need to worry about with the rinsing, they will corrode no matter what you do. but the corrosion gets worn off when you use it the next time. Have been rinsing my calipers and guide pins immediately since I put the Kodiac brakes on 11 years ago and they are still perfect. Try that with a drum system!
 

jimmbo

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Disc brakes are 100 times better than drums for use in salt water because you can actually get at them with a hose and rinse them down. It is one of the main reasons I switched to disc after fighting with drums for so many years.

I agree that the discs/calipers can be rinsed off easily as compared to all the internals on a backing plate covered by a drum
 

bruceb58

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I would never put drum brakes on a trailer again. I am buying a new travel trailer and considering ripping off the brand new drum brakes and putting on Kodiaks with an electric/hydraulic controller on it like I have with my Wellcraft's trailer.
 

gica

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Dacromet is fine for calipers, but any coating you put on a rotor is worn off the first time you hit the brakes. The only way to stop the rust is to go with stainless rotors.

Don't buy into the flushing will save your brakes in saltwater use. Unless you rinse your brakes immediately after launch and retrieve. Waiting to get home to removed the baked on salt deposits is futile. Been there, done that.

If you really want to try, a bug sprayer full of salt-way mixture and 5 minutes at launch and load but it buys you little. My brakes are lucky to get hosed down every 2-3 trips. The calipers went 5 years before a caliper hung (guide pin) from lack of lubrication. Quick and easy fix. Back on the road for another 5 years...

The rotors are no more corroded now than 3 weeks after installation. I figure two more years on the rotors before replacement
Would this work to rinse the brakes?: https://flow-rite.com/products/battery-watering/millennium-evo/water-supplies/ba-ms-110
It's a flow-rite ba-ms-105 20 gal tank 12v battery and a strong pump to get the water through the hose and use it for whatever you need.
 

gica

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OK I bought this set up for disc brakes
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Bolt-Kodi...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
And this actuator because I got it for $125 from $250. My SUV has a 7 pin setup that I have to by the wiring to 5flat. This trailer has pre-installed metal brake line and will use it for now. I read that the disc brakes require flexible brake line where it meets the caliper because it moves a lot? Is that true? Thanks
 

jimmbo

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I read that the disc brakes require flexible brake line where it meets the caliper because it moves a lot? Is that true? Thanks

Depends on the caliper. A fixed caliper isn't going to move, but a floating caliper will move and therefore would need a hose all the way to the caliper. You still need a hose(s) to allow for suspension movement in any case
 
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