Bleeding trailer brakes alone?

Danielle

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Sorry for the bad photo. Does anyone know how to bleed these with one person? I just did new lines.

The videos online show different style with a hole for inserting a flathead to pump it and a second person at the bleeder.

I have neither other person nor hole for a flathead
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DieselDc

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Disk brakes on trailer? I never had them - they sound expensive. Always had the electric ones. If they are hydraulic, like all my trucks - I bleed them with help from gravity. Open the bleeder and let her run all the air out.


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chillman88

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I would try the gravity bleed method, it should work just fine as long as the master cylinder is above the wheel cylinders. If they don't want to start, open the bleeder and pump them with the bleeders open to get the fluid moving.
 

Danielle

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Holy cow we just had a real tornado blow through here!! I thought those only happen in Oklahoma!

Customer trailer ok but my tarp carport is f-ed.

They're drum brakes yes. I'll try gravity bleeding. Hope the miniductor will fit back in the bleeders. I always joke that stuff around here looks like it has been sitting in the bottom of the ocean and this trailer actually HAS haha

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laserjock

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We were watching the sky here too. There was enough circulation that we were paying attention. Not really concerned but paying attention. Years of living in TN gave us plenty of experience cloud watching and knowing when to be concerned.

If they are like any other brake system you should be able to bleed them via gravity or vacuum. I’ve never seen a surge system that I could have actuated with the springs on it.
 

Danielle

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Got all bleeders out and cleaned out of crud. Nothing came out while bleeders were out. Vacuum pumped each one and 3 of 4 had a bunch of rust water finally come out after forever pumping.

But the piston on the master cylinder just flops around and reservoir full of rust chips so new one on order.

Pretty neat system.

A side note, trailer brake replacement shoes come already assembled on a backing plate! That's cheating!

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Kiwif150

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Most trailer brakes out here are like this ..... some can be a right bustard to do too!!!! . I've even resorted to lifting the front of the trailer up with the forklift to damn near vertical to get the last of the air bubbles out of brake lines. I've also had some success with reverse pressure bleeding then conventionally bleeding to get the last bit out of the calipers or slave cylinders. either way if you've struck water then pretty much new slaves and a master cylinder along with a good flush on the lines is the quickest , cheapest way forward.
If you get really lucky like us out here , you'll have an influx of chinese horse floats (trailers) and i swear those things are designed to fail from the start !!!!!
 

compressionignitionrules

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if you got rust and water out of it, you can kiss your surge brakes goodbye. no point in bleeding at all! weld the tongue solid and go buy backing plates with shoes and magnets for $50 each and bold them on. your drums need machining anyhow..........

surge brakes only work properly on dry roads in perfect conditions.

have fun .
 

chillman88

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I was going to suggest that as well but you said you've already ordered a new master cylinder. Probably almost the same price to just convert to electric brakes at this point.
 

Danielle

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The great thing about Amazon is free returns haha. I didnt know it could be converted. Time for some research and a possible conversion!

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compressionignitionrules

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doing this exact conversion on my brother's trailer that he got with the business, had all new master and wheel cylinder 4yrs ago when it got a safety , somebody neglected to put brake fluid in it or left a line loose. now its full of rust, I'm getting all 4 drums/hubs machined and bolting on electric brake backing plates at $52 Canadian each comes with shoes and magnets. now it will have 4 wheel brakes instead of 2 wheel brakes.

if you feel the trailer swaying behind you, you can apply the electric brakes to correct it instead of kissing your a## goodbye like surge brakes. :cheers:
 

Danielle

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This trailer has a 4 pin connector so will need 4 elec brakes (4 on this pig) and elec actuator and updated 7 pin plug?

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Danielle

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While I wait on the decision of what they want for brakes I am playing with this. It makes dismounting tires a breeze!

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