Disk vs Drum on Trailer

On May 20, 1:49*pm, Tony wrote:
I'm sure RAS has an opinion. *I'm going to be putting brakes on my
trailer. *I'll be adding a Flexride axle and I can either buy just the
axle and buy drum brakes to fit it or i can get it shipped with Disk
Brakes installed. Thoughts?

Disc brakes hadn't been invented when the Cherokee was built !

On May 20, 11:15*am, Dave Nadler wrote:

Disc brakes hadn't been invented when the Cherokee was built !

"Disc-style brakes development and use began in England in the 1890s.
The first caliper-type automobile disc brake was patented by Frederick
William Lanchester in his Birmingham, UK factory in 1902 and used
successfully on Lanchester cars."

Am I to believe that RAS has no opinion about Disk vs Drum brakes??
Obviously you all have an opinion about all the stuff that I didnt ask
about

On May 20, 9:14*pm, Tony wrote:
Am I to believe that RAS has no opinion about Disk vs Drum brakes??
Obviously you all have an opinion about all the stuff that I didnt ask
about

I've only had overrun drum brakes on glider trailers. I haven't towed
off with the parking brake engaged, thus I've never damaged them. I
once had a dual axle trailer with one braked axle. Tracked straight
but was a bugger to turn into a tight spot. Eventually one of the
wheels fatigued and failed around the center and took off on its own
one day. However the trailer was quite happy to keep moving on three
wheels. I replaced the duals axles with a single axle.

I'm not a fan of electric brakes though I did have them on a boat
trailer long ago. I understand the attraction. I prefer the
flexibility of any number of vehicles towing and having trailer
brakes, so I prefer surge brakes, whether hydraulic or mechanical as
on my LAK-12 trailer, which work just fine. You just have to maintain
them. I've towed several glider trailers over many states and
mountain passes with a Dodge RAM Van and an F150 4WD. 5-6 of those
trailers had not brakes, so that's my minimum tow vehicle size with no
brakes.

I don't recommend driving at night with a glider trailer in tow.
There are just way too many deer. In Wyoming they plant nice prairie
grass along the Interstates for erosion control. Guess where the deer
spend the night? We counted 14 deer grazing in median and along
side I-25 south of Sheridan. Next morning, just into Montana, we saw
an 18-wheeler that pulverized a deer at night, but it also buried that
big front bumper into the left front wheel and wasn't going anywhere
except by wrecker.

Frank Whiteley

On May 20, 9:14*pm, Tony wrote:
Am I to believe that RAS has no opinion about Disk vs Drum brakes??
Obviously you all have an opinion about all the stuff that I didnt ask
about

Hi Tony,

Apparently not, I haven't ever seen disk brakes on a trailer so I
can't have much of an opinion on them. My only concern would be that
trailers tend to sit out side a bunch and I wonder if corrosion on the
Disks would be a concern.

Brian

On May 21, 9:29*am, Brian wrote:
On May 20, 9:14*pm, Tony wrote:

Am I to believe that RAS has no opinion about Disk vs Drum brakes??
Obviously you all have an opinion about all the stuff that I didnt ask
about

Hi Tony,

Apparently not, I haven't ever seen disk brakes on a trailer so I
can't have much of an opinion on them. My only concern would be that
trailers tend to sit out side a bunch and I wonder if corrosion on the
Disks would be a concern.

Brian

yea, one of my local friends had the same concern which prompted me to
put up this post.

You all should be happy that you have me thinking strongly about
electric brakes now.

"Tony" wrote

yea, one of my local friends had the same concern which prompted me to
put up this post.

You all should be happy that you have me thinking strongly about
electric brakes now.
***********************
Good. I think you are headed in the right direction.

You know, if everyone is using one type of system, be it brakes or engines,
or generators, or whatever, there is usually a good reason.

Same holds true with brakes. IMHO, surge brakes are for rental trailers
and such, where some minimal braking is needed and it will work on any
vehicle. It does not need to be precise or adjustable or highly
controllable. Electric brakes are all of that.

As far as the maintaining of the breakaway battery goes, you hook it to the
tow vehicles power and every time you drive it, it charges. Take it inside
for the winter or put a trickle charger on it, check the water twice a year,
and you should have a good battery for several years.
--
Jim in NC

On May 21, 11:06*am, Tony wrote:
On May 21, 9:29*am, Brian wrote:

On May 20, 9:14*pm, Tony wrote:

Am I to believe that RAS has no opinion about Disk vs Drum brakes??
Obviously you all have an opinion about all the stuff that I didnt ask
about

Hi Tony,

Apparently not, I haven't ever seen disk brakes on a trailer so I
can't have much of an opinion on them. My only concern would be that
trailers tend to sit out side a bunch and I wonder if corrosion on the
Disks would be a concern.

Brian

yea, one of my local friends had the same concern which prompted me to
put up this post.

You all should be happy that you have me thinking strongly about
electric brakes now.

I would suggest looking at option of mechanical drum brakes.
No electric compatibility issues
No bleeding issues.
Cobra builds more trailers than probably anybody in the world for
gliders and they use mechanical. Look up options available from ALKO
out of Indiana.
FWIW
UH

On 5/21/2010 7:29 AM, Brian wrote:
On May 20, 9:14 pm, wrote:

Am I to believe that RAS has no opinion about Disk vs Drum brakes??
Obviously you all have an opinion about all the stuff that I didnt ask
about

Hi Tony,

Apparently not, I haven't ever seen disk brakes on a trailer so I
can't have much of an opinion on them. My only concern would be that
trailers tend to sit out side a bunch and I wonder if corrosion on the
Disks would be a concern.

It doesn't seem to be a problem for airplane disk brakes, or all the
cars that sit outside. Drum brakes can rust, too, in a humid enviornment.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (netto to net to email me)

- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation Mar/2004" Much of what you need to know tinyurl.com/yfs7tnz

On May 23, 11:16*pm, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 5/21/2010 7:29 AM, Brian wrote: On May 20, 9:14 pm, *wrote:

Am I to believe that RAS has no opinion about Disk vs Drum brakes??
Obviously you all have an opinion about all the stuff that I didnt ask
about

Hi Tony,

Apparently not, I haven't ever seen disk brakes on a trailer so I
can't have much of an opinion on them. My only concern would be that
trailers tend to sit out side a bunch and I wonder if corrosion on the
Disks would be a concern.

I've seen boat trailers with disk brakes. They probably get a little
wet now and then...

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA