Flexible brake lines

[skargo]

I bought the tie down actuator for my trailer, and am waiting on the flex line kit to get here.
Has anyone installed them? Looks a lot more user friendly than running new hard lines.

My old actuator kept "flipping" up the part that goes on the ball, plus it was an old rust bucket. The old line broke when I started messing with it.

No boating for me this weekend, because unlike some un-named person here who has been towing his rig for over a year and a half with no brakes, I prefer to be safe and consider others around me

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Flexible brake lines

My Float-On trailer came with flexible lines, rated for 1600psi to handle the pressure requirements of disc brakes.

They work fine, but still have metal connections which will eventually corrode.

Good luck with the tie downs, start saving your money so you will have it available next year when you have to replace them. Course you may get lucky and get 2 years out of them.

Trailer came with tie downs and they went bad in 28 months, with average care, in salt water. Everything people post on here about them was right on target with the demise of my td's.

I apologize for this bashing, don't normally do it, but the td's really ticked me off. No one around me even sells the replacement parts, all the trailer places referred me to Kodiaks.

 

[skargo]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Hmmm, I bought them from Iboats, thinking they wouldn't sell junk.

Are you referring to the lines, or the actuator too?

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Flexable lines may be easier to install but,
They will expand under pressure, and dry-rot faster than a steel line will rust.
Plus the steel wont expand when braking.

 

[Shrike]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Cars and trucks have had flexible lines on the front forever.

 

[skargo]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Flexable lines may be easier to install but,
They will expand under pressure, and dry-rot faster than a steel line will rust.
Plus the steel wont expand when braking.

I know the expansion difference, it will be minimal on a trailer. We'll see how long they last, I think they will hold up fine since they won't be out in the sun, after all, even on steel line systems, there are rubber flex lines and my trailer, which is a 93 still has the originals.

I'm more concerned about Bob's problems with them in the past.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Pretty sure Bob is talking about tie downs disk type trailer brakes and specifically the junk calipers. Absolute rubbish.
Actuators dont get submerged so you should be good there.

Most things Tie Down do leave something to be desired, quality wise but hey its lower priced stuff.

 

[skargo]

Re: Flexible brake lines

So what actuators are quality? I see Atwood makes one for pretty much the same price, and I have always thought Atwood was lower quality?

I don't want to use garbage for a safety item.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Personally, I prefer stainless steel brake lines with the flex lines only where needed such as from the frame to the axle and to the disk brake calipers.

 

[skargo]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Soooo to recap, I asked if anyone has installed them, and I get what junk tie down brakes are,which I'm not using, and how they will dry rot before steel witll rust, and how some prefer other methods.

Went just about as I figured hehehe

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Sorry for the delay on responding. Been out of time.

1st off the flex lines need to be rated at 1600psi or better for use on disc brakes, this per Easternmarine. I have never seen any dry rotted lines, but I don't look at every trailer I come across.

2nd, I no longer have faith in anything made by tie down (that's why I am not capitalizing their name - no respect)

The td actuator on my trailer was the 1st thing to go and the replacement master cylinder was crap. Then I couldn't get the calipers to work, and the bleeder screws were frozen and wanted to break off.

Replaced them with Kodiaks and Dico. I don't know how well they are going to hold up but I know they will have to be better than the short time td lasted.

It's not Iboat's fault nor their responsibility to test all the products that they sell, for quality. If they did they would be a Consumers Guide and have to charge us more. It's up to us to be informed and there has been a HUGE amount of negative feedback about td's lack of quality on this very forum. (And all their competitors as well).

What I find the most interesting is that the trailer parts/repair businesses around me, and there are quite a few, all stated that they didn't carry td, nor would they order the parts, because they made junk.

When I questioned Float-On about the brakes on their trailers, they informed me they carried both td and Kodiak as the boat manufacturers sometimes desired the price point advantage of the td's. They did prefer Kodiak, but had no problems with the td's.

So, there it is, my reasons and rant, will now step down from the soap box.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Flexible brake lines

I'm on my thrid year running a Tiedown coupler (model 66 disc) with flex lines and Kodiak disc brakes. No problems with any of the assemblies.

Got tired of replacing the steel lines every couple of years and figure I'd give the flex lines a shot. The brass couplings have oxidized a bit but what doesn't is salt water?

 

[skargo]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Thanks gentlemen, I appreciate your input.

I will go with them and hopefully have the same experience dingbat has had so far.

Dingbat,
did you run the lines inside of your trailer frame?

Also, in the last image in this PDF, they show the main line going to a union t fitting, with one side plugged off. Why wouldn't you just go to the t fitting between the 2 brakes, looks like a useless fitting to me?
http://www.tiedown.com/pdf/a613.pdf

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Flexible brake lines

What's the big deal about running hard stainless steel lines? It's just as much time to replace as the flex line. And if the flex line is like the td ones that Champion sent me with my brake line kit, it's flimsy Chinese crap. I junked them and had decent ones made at the local hose shop.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Also, in the last image in this PDF, they show the main line going to a union t fitting, with one side plugged off. Why wouldn't you just go to the t fitting between the 2 brakes, looks like a useless fitting to me?

You want it to leave the trailer frame and down to the axle at a right angle.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Flexible brake lines

Thanks gentlemen, I appreciate your input.

I will go with them and hopefully have the same experience dingbat has had so far.

Dingbat,
did you run the lines inside of your trailer frame?

Also, in the last image in this PDF, they show the main line going to a union t fitting, with one side plugged off. Why wouldn't you just go to the t fitting between the 2 brakes, looks like a useless fitting to me?
http://www.tiedown.com/pdf/a613.pdf

I ran it down the inside of the frame.

The tee is used to connect the brakes on the second axle.

 

[skargo]

Re: Flexible brake lines

You want it to leave the trailer frame and down to the axle at a right angle.

It looks like in the pic, they make a right angle without a tee anyway?

I ran it down the inside of the frame.

The tee is used to connect the brakes on the second axle.

I only have brakes on one axle, so I wouldn't need to second tee?

 

[dingbat]

Re: Flexible brake lines

What's the big deal about running hard stainless steel lines? It's just as much time to replace as the flex line. And if the flex line is like the td ones that Champion sent me with my brake line kit, it's flimsy Chinese crap. I junked them and had decent ones made at the local hose shop.

I boat exclusively in saltwater. Nothing holds up. You buy knowing full well that it will need replaced in a matter of years.

I had the SS lines on my last trailer. After 3 years they where was starting to signs of corrosion here and there. I sold the trailer at that point so I?m not sure how long they held up. Figured I?d give the rubber a try.

The rubber is 1/3 the cost and I should not have any corrosion issues. I?m on my third season with rubber and so far so good. Only time will tell which solution is more cost effective for the application

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Flexible brake lines

It looks like in the pic, they make a right angle without a tee anyway?

That diagram is deceiving since it is trying to show 3d on a 2d diagram. You want a right angle from the trailer frame to the axle. The Tee with the plug will be right over your axle and the 24" line will drop down to the axle. It is true that line will have a 90 in it but it will flex a lot so only one bend is desired.

 

[skargo]

Re: Flexible brake lines

That diagram is deceiving since it is trying to show 3d on a 2d diagram. You want a right angle from the trailer frame to the axle. The Tee with the plug will be right over your axle and the 24" line will drop down to the axle. It is true that line will have a 90 in it but it will flex a lot so only one bend is desired.

Gotcha, makes sense now.