Continental trailer and removing the drum.

[Jquest]

I have a continental trailer with brakes. I'm having a problem where every time I head out...one of the brakes is locked. After I move a couple of feet..it unlocks and is good for the rest of the day. I"m trying to take the drum off to see what is going on. My problem is..the drum won't come off. It looks like the drum and the housing(hub) is one piece? I've removed the outter bearings and I'm trying to get the thing out ,but it appears to be stuck. Any ideas??

[Silvertip]

Sure, there is a ridge on the outer edge of the brake drum. It can't clear the brake shoe. Loosen the brake adjuster. Chances are there is a leaky grease seal or brake cylinder that has contaminated the brake lining and it will need to be replaced.

[Bond-o]

Did you Drag it,... To release it,.... Before you started taking it Apart,..????....If Not,....... A BFH is the 1st Tool you'll want to start with,........ Then back off the Adjusters,+ It'll Fall Off..........

[Jquest]

Originally posted by Bondo:A BFH is the 1st Tool you'll want to start with

A wise man said "Always have a baby sledge available".You guys were dead on. I finally got it off. Yep the outter lining and the hub were one piece indeed. Never seen that before. But then again...never done a trailer brake before. Cars yes...trailers had to start sometime. Found the problem. The boot that protects the brake lining was cut. So water was getting into the cylinder walls. thus not letting it operate properly. I cleaned it out throughly. Do you guys think I should replace it? Or just get a new boot? IT also looks like I need to replace the set of pads it has. One of them is cracked. Oh well...at least I found the problem.

[Lou C]

You're talking about the wheel cylinders, you should replace both of them since they are likely to stick again. Use the aluminum ones instead of cast iron, they will last somewhat longer.

[Jquest]

I've been looking around and I really like the idea of switching from drum to disk. For what the cylinders are going to cost and I'd have to replace both. And I have a cracked pad.I'm thinking for just retrofitting my brakes. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...t_6970_801_801 Could I still use the same actuator and brake lines?

[Bond-o]

The Lines are the Same,...Although they will have to be modified somewhat.....The Actuators Are Different......

[Jquest]

oh boy...the hole keeps getting deeper.

[Lou C]

Just get a set of assembled backing plates, $130 for a pair of 10" Tie Down drum brake clusters from Champion Trailers. Disc you have to remove the residual pressure valve in the master, and you also must have flex lines to each caliper because they have to move slighlty unlike drum brakes.

[Jquest]

Thanks for the help guys. I bought an assembled 10" and installed it. Next week I'll buy another one and do the other side.Next year I'm gonna get the actuator for disk and get myself a disk set. Don't like how the drums operate with salt conditions and the fact that you have to buy entire kit cause no one sells the pieces you need.

[Lou C]

You can get the individual parts fromwww.championtrailers.combut when you add it up the assembled backing plates are cheaper!To make the drum brakes last longer in salt, pack the area under the rubber cap on the wheel cylinder with marine grease, same with the threads on the adjuster. Also add the flush system, I did when I put mine in.Disc brakes are not trouble free either, do a search on some of the troubles people have had. Disc seems like it will be better, but they have a couple of issues--one is that the caliper and the disc have to be aligned properly, if your brake flanges are not exactly square you can have a problem with them dragging, you can still get galvanic corrosion (alu caliper, steen or stainless piston), you have to lube the caliper slides each season, and since you are using surge brakes, the normal drag present with disc brakes can overheat them since going down hills with a surge actuator they will be on all the time.

[bruceb58]

I just replaced my drum brakes with the tie-down ones that you are thinking about getting. Champion trailer has the best price. Having said that, I am not sure I would go that route again. One of my discs is getting grooved ver badly and I am hearing about people having problems with these rotors warping.You can use your old drum brake actuater but you have to take out the residual valve.I would reccomend getting vented discs. Tie down makes those as well as Kodiak. Only problem is that they are not stainless. Kodiak makes vented stainless but they are very expensive.