How do I back this trailer up?

[f_inscreenname]

Been working on this 1969 Thunderbird trailer prepping it for the first time the race boat will sit on it for 25+ years.
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/6860/31131190.jpg
After pricing some hydraulic serge brakes I was thinking about rebuilding the ones already there. So I spent a week seeing if I could the actuator (hitch) unfrozen. The master cylinder was shot but all the mechanicals of the hitch were good just stuck. Then 2 nights ago I find a new, old style Atwood brake master cylinder that is replacement for the hitch and it was on. So tonight I hit it again with the PB Blaster lube and out come the wrenches. After an hour or so I had it all freed up, cleaned up and painted. As I was putting it all back together I noticed something.
In the picture when you stop it pushes back on the hitch (3 arrows). As it pushes back it pushes the lever (yellow arrow) forward which in turn pushes the plunger in the master cylinder making fluid go out of the single outlet (single arrow) and back to the brakes. Now when I back up wont it do the same thing? I have a driveway that has a slight incline and it takes a hard turn to get into it so you know there will be some torque on the hitch going backwards, pushing the brakes on. I then thought the lever (2 arrows) had something to do with it but it is a break away lever. If the trailer comes off the hitch it pulls the lever and the brakes come on. So again I have no clue how to back up with it. I looked for a place to put a pin or something and there is no holes. What’s the trick?
By the way it looks like this now and it all works.
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/5471/85150192.jpg

[mrfixxall]

You get the demco free backing brake assemblies..they wont lock up when backing up,or put a disc brake back up solenoid on the master cylinder so when you put it in reverse it blocksthe brake pressure and wont let fluid go to the wheel cylinders.


http://www.redneck-trailer.com/2009/C/C25-C26.pdf

[Trueser]

We have in the past used a manual brass valve in the line to shutoff the brakes also..

How do the Tie Down solenoid ones work. That’s interesting on the brass valve.

Where can I get me one of those?

[f_inscreenname]

It looks like I will need actuators anyway Almost everything inside the one drum (the frozen one) is shot . The other is not much better. I really hope they can turn the drum out but to be honest I'll settle for “as good as they can get it” before I buy new. I have $200 in wheel bearings and seals alone and I'm running out of cash.
The rest of the system looks like any drum brake I’ve dealt with before. I did find most of a number on the brake shoes late last night. I will have to get that later. But I still don’t understand how it knows it is in reverse (not that I have to, just want to)? I mean if its just the actuator I have to replace it anyway but if it means replacing the whole brake assembly I’m thinking I need to drill out a spot for a pin in the coupler or that brass valve you were talking about.
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/3741/92361602.jpg

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1052/20601748.jpg

[f_inscreenname]

As for the bearings, (these trailer brakes are new to me so don’t look down when I explain things you already know) they fit in the hub. The hub can be used with or without the brakes. To use the brakes you just pop all the studs out of the hub and set the hub on top of the drum and put the studs back in thru both the hub and drum. The bearings are already taken care of. Just waiting on the races to show up. They all had to come from all over the country. One bearing was even in Alaska. Something like 8 locations to get all 8 bearings and 4 seals. If you still need to know the inside is an inch and half and the outside is an inch (Fed Mogul part #’s, inside - IM29749 outside - L44640).
As for the shoes, the shoe it’s self is 2”s and the drum is slightly larger by less then a ¼”. They have 6 studs (one of the reasons they cost so damn much).
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1470/47861154.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9323/15307718.jpg

On the back of a brake shoe it said Bendix and this....

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/8531/48203135.jpg

[mrfixxall]

My buddys sister works for skf and i havnt paid for a bearing in years:):):) they have most of the bearings & seals in stock as do i thanx to her:)

anyways the reverse solenoud works offthe reverse light,when you put it in reverse the light wire trips the solenoid and cuts off the brake fluid pressure to the wheel cylinders..you will also need a 5 or 7 way plug for the trailer yoo..

[BUIZILLA]

I just threw out 4 of those 6 bolt sets a month ago in a cleaning frenzy.... complete.... perfect shape...:bonk:had 'em stored for 15 years I guess...

[f_inscreenname]

I just threw out 4 of those 6 bolt sets a month ago in a cleaning frenzy.... complete.... perfect shape...:bonk:had 'em stored for 15 years I guess...

http://www.supernova19.com/forumcw/Smileys/classic/eek.gif



Do they make a 5 plug that will work with a 4 plug. The 19 has no brakes.:wink:

[BlownCrewCab]

Do you want to do it automaticly with the reverse lights??? or (just a thought) can you just drill a hole through both pieces of the parallelagram and stick a bolt through it when needed??

[f_inscreenname]

Do you want to do it automaticly with the reverse lights??? or (just a thought) can you just drill a hole through both pieces of the parallelagram and stick a bolt through it when needed??


I've thought about doing that but then you would have to line up the hole perfectly before the pin would go in. On a down hill incline that would be impossible.

[mrfixxall]

http://www.supernova19.com/forumcw/Smileys/classic/eek.gif



Do they make a 5 plug that will work with a 4 plug. The 19 has no brakes.:wink:


they make flat five..

http://shop.easternmarine.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.prodInfo&productID=4997

[gcarter]

If the trailer has a flat 5 and the truck has a 4, they fit just fine.
I did that for over a year until I took the time to wire up the truck's brake light and change the plug.

[justleft]

We used to carry a big arse C-clamp.

Before backing up just tighten the sucker down on the frame so the
receiver can't push back.

[BigGrizzly]

There are two back up solinoids one shuts down the fluid flow and is a pain on hills the other bypass it to the master cylinder which leaves no pressure in the brakes fro backing on hills. Kodiak brakes has a really good explanation of this.

[mrfixxall]

i hooked a switch in line at the steering colum to the reverse lights on my sub..

1 it is good for when your hooking up to a trailer at night

2 flip the switch whyle going forward and you wont have any brake pressure:)

[f_inscreenname]

I just found out that they are "Free-Backing Brake Assembly's".:bonk: