Testing Surge Brakes

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nigels

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I am new to surge brakes, when hitched how do you test to see if they are working properly or at all? I am used to electric brakes and a brake controller on an RV or have had smaller boats and trailers with no brakes.

There is a mechanism on the side which says something about reverse, I asume this is to be engaged when reversing to counter the surge, but not sure how to work this? I have reversed okay without engaging it which makes me think the brakes might not be working at all!
 
tpenfield

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

OK . . .

If you have surge Disc brakes, then you can 'test' them by unplugging the wiring harness and backing up the trailer. Discs have a reverse lock-out mechanism that allows the trailer to be backed up without activating the brakes. By unplugging the electrical harness, that lockout does not activate and the backing force applies the brakes.

If you have surge Drum brakes, they are typically known as 'free backing' and do not have the lockout mechanism. To test those you have to actually apply the surge brake. You can do this by pulling the safety lever until it locks, The brakes should then be locked up.

I hope this helps.
 
lncoop

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

It's possible that you backed up gently enough not to engage the brakes, so your assumption may or may not be valid. The simplest way to test them IMO is to jack up the trailer, spin a wheel (or wheels if you have two stands), and actuate the coupler by hand. There should be a place to put the end of a large screwdriver or something to provide enough leverage to allow you to depress the plunger. You can Google your model actuator to determine exactly where it is, but it should be easy to find. Also, there are lots of tutorials and videos on line for testing, repairing, and maintaining your brakes. Good luck.
 
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H20Rat

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

Do this under safe conditions! Find yourself a big open parking lot, and then figure out how to lock your actuator out. Many have a pin you can insert that keeps the coupler from moving. Try a medium stop from 15-20 mph without the brakes, and then try it again with them engaged...

Nothing beats a real world test.
 
N

nigels

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

Its an Escort twin axle trailer with drums, I don't know the make of the mechanism/actuator and am 8000miles away at the moment.
 
Thalasso

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

nigels said:
Its an Escort twin axle trailer with drums, I don't know the make of the mechanism/actuator and am 8000miles away at the moment.
Click to expand...

tpenfield- post#2 is correct. Any other way for drum or disc brakes is wrong. If you are checked by a D.O.T inspector, he will pull the safty lever and tell you to try and move forward. If you can turn the wheels the brakes are out of adjustment. Jacking the trailer up and checking them doesn't let you know if they are applying all the way
 
Thalasso

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

smokingcrater said:
Do this under safe conditions! Find yourself a big open parking lot, and then figure out how to lock your actuator out. Many have a pin you can insert that keeps the coupler from moving. Try a medium stop from 15-20 mph without the brakes, and then try it again with them engaged...

Nothing beats a real world test.
Click to expand...

Don't know of an actuator you can lock out in forward motion.
 
H

H20Rat

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

Thalasso said:
Don't know of an actuator you can lock out in forward motion.
Click to expand...

Almost any actuator that can lock in reverse will also lock out in forward, via the same action. The coupler doesn't have any sense of forwards/backwards, it just sees pressure. It knows no difference between you hitting the brakes, and you putting it into reverse.
 
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UncleWillie

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

smokingcrater said:
Almost any actuator that can lock in reverse will also lock out in forward, via the same action. The coupler doesn't have any sense of forwards/backwards, it just sees pressure. It knows no difference between you hitting the brakes, and you putting it into reverse.
Click to expand...

Agree!
Decelerating in Forward, is the same thing as Accelerating in Reverse. :)
It's one of those Einstein things. :facepalm:
 
lncoop

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

UncleWillie said:
Agree!
Decelerating in Forward, is the same thing as Accelerating in Reverse. :)
It's one of those Einstein things. :facepalm:
Click to expand...

Pretty sure Einstein preferred electric brakes. It's been a while since I've seen IQ, but that's how I remember it.;)
 
lncoop

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

Thalasso said:
tpenfield- post#2 is correct. Any other way for drum or disc brakes is wrong. If you are checked by a D.O.T inspector, he will pull the safty lever and tell you to try and move forward. If you can turn the wheels the brakes are out of adjustment. Jacking the trailer up and checking them doesn't let you know if they are applying all the way
Click to expand...

Yes, you definitely need to verify that the emergency breakaway mechanism is functioning properly, but if the wheels are spinning off the ground and depressing the plunger causes them to come to a complete stop the brakes are applying completely. This method is recommended by several trailer brake component manufacturers and will provide you with an idea of where you are so to speak so you can begin to diagnose further.
 
Scott Danforth

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

lncoop said:
Pretty sure Einstein preferred electric brakes. It's been a while since I've seen IQ, but that's how I remember it.;)
Click to expand...

It was Tesla that preferred electric brakes.

seriously though, pull the e-brake lever (the lever with the little cable connected to it) and try to drive forward/backward. should be difficult.

Drum trailer brakes need to be backed up repeatedly to self adjust, or you need to use a brake adjustment spoon.

here is a trailer brake manual that covers the adjustment (process same for many manufacturers)
 
H

H20Rat

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

Thalasso said:
tpenfield- post#2 is correct. Any other way for drum or disc brakes is wrong. If you are checked by a D.O.T inspector, he will pull the safty lever and tell you to try and move forward.
Click to expand...

I question the sanity of any 'safety' inspector that would do that! Its incredibly dangerous, the inspector hanging on to the lever and then telling you to move. If you step on the gas a little too hard, good bye inspector!

Between a trailer and its vehicle is a dangerous place to be, and is absolutely off limits if there is a chance the vehicle could move. I personally get nervous if I'm helping someone unload a boat, and the friend/wife is still in the vehicle as I'm helping load/unload. I've asked them to come back and either just watch or give me a hand, I want them ANY place but in the cab of the truck at that point.

Even take similar precautions when the wife is backing up the vehicle for me to hook up the trailer when we go out. She knows I'm not stepping in the vehicles path until it is in park and the brake lights go out. If those lights come back on, I'm removing myself from behind the vehicle asap!
 
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Home Cookin'

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

tpenfield said:
OK . . .

If you have surge Disc brakes, then you can 'test' them by unplugging the wiring harness and backing up the trailer. Discs have a reverse lock-out mechanism that allows the trailer to be backed up without activating the brakes. By unplugging the electrical harness, that lockout does not activate and the backing force applies the brakes.

.
Click to expand...

I have disc brakes with an electric actuator. When I reverse up even a slight incline the brakes engage, not so on flat land and moving slowly. I have to manually put a pin in the hole when the trailer is pulled forward, to keep the actuator/plunger from moving toward the car and engaging the brakes when I back up an incline. Maybe I just don't have the reverse lock-out feature you describe; maybe they are out of whack. Frankly, I don't know what I have.
 
bruceb58

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

Home Cookin' said:
I have disc brakes with an electric actuator. When I reverse up even a slight incline the brakes engage, not so on flat land and moving slowly. I have to manually put a pin in the hole when the trailer is pulled forward, to keep the actuator/plunger from moving toward the car and engaging the brakes when I back up an incline. Maybe I just don't have the reverse lock-out feature you describe; maybe they are out of whack. Frankly, I don't know what I have.
Click to expand...
What do you mean you have an electric actuator? Sounds like you have a reverse lock out solenoid that isn't operating.
 
Thalasso

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

smokingcrater said:
I question the sanity of any 'safety' inspector that would do that! Its incredibly dangerous, the inspector hanging on to the lever and then telling you to move. If you step on the gas a little too hard, good bye inspector!

Between a trailer and its vehicle is a dangerous place to be, and is absolutely off limits if there is a chance the vehicle could move. I personally get nervous if I'm helping someone unload a boat, and the friend/wife is still in the vehicle as I'm helping load/unload. I've asked them to come back and either just watch or give me a hand, I want them ANY place but in the cab of the truck at that point.

Even take similar precautions when the wife is backing up the vehicle for me to hook up the trailer when we go out. She knows I'm not stepping in the vehicles path until it is in park and the brake lights go out. If those lights come back on, I'm removing myself from behind the vehicle asap!
Click to expand...

Why would he have to be between the vehichels? All he would do is trip the safety lever to engage the brakes and back away. Then flip the lever back to origanal position to disengage.This is how it is done on a road inspection.
 
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UncleWillie

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

lncoop said:
... if the wheels are spinning off the ground and depressing the plunger causes them to come to a complete stop the brakes are applying completely...
Click to expand...

With the wheels in the air, and spinning by hand, the slightest amout of braking is going to bring them to a complete stop almost instantly.
This does NOT verify that you have full braking power! ;)

Pulling the emergency lever is what happens if the trailer comes off the ball and the safety chains do not hold.:eek:
You do not have to keep holding the lever, once it is pulled the brakes should lock up at full strength until reset.
If you try to roll, you should have great difficulty, ideally, you should be dragging the tires in a skid.
 
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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

bruceb58 said:
What do you mean you have an electric actuator? Sounds like you have a reverse lock out solenoid that isn't operating.
Click to expand...


all I know is I replaced a gravity/momentum system and standard trailer lights with one with a big old plug on it. First time I had brakes on a trailer and I seldom use it, so I just did what a reputable shop recommended. I should look into it but I have a long list of things ahead of it.
 
Thalasso

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Re: Testing Surge Brakes

UncleWillie said:
With the wheels in the air, and spinning by hand, the slightest amout of braking is going to bring them to a complete stop almost instantly.
This does NOT verify that you have full braking power! ;)

Pulling the emergency lever is what happens if the trailer comes off the ball and the safety chains do not hold.:eek:
You do not have to keep holding the lever, once it is pulled the brakes should lock up at full strength until reset.
If you try to roll, you should have great difficulty, ideally, you should be dragging the tires in a skid.
Click to expand...

;);););) Rest my case
 
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