The Importance of Maintaining a Trailer Brake System

Is your trailer brake system in disrepair? If so, you could be in for a nasty surprise. Trailer brakes are a fail-safe for loads that exceed your tow vehicle braking capacity. This ‘extra’ set of brakes also improves stability in slowing/stopping, reducing the risk of jackknifing in emergency-stop situations.

Trailer Brakes Require the Same Maintenance as Passenger/Tow Vehicles
Not much different in function, trailer brakes are at-risk of all the same maintenance issues as passenger and tow vehicles, not to mention additional woes in those toting water-friendly vehicles like boats and jet-skis. In these haulers, water contamination, corrosion and rust, as well as failure to clean, repack, adjust trailer bearings regularly, can lead to the early demise of your braking system, putting you and your cargo at-risk of a serious accident.

Are Your Trailer Brakes Up to Par? Trailer Brake Inspection
Routine trailer brake inspection will ensure brakes are fully functional, releasing when your hauler is in-motion, and applying evenly and properly when braking. Have your brakes professionally inspected annually, at a minimum. Between inspections, remain on the lookout for….

●        The condition of drums, shoes, springs & hardware.
Thin, worn shoes and drums and badly corroded items should be rapidly replaced.

●        Thin, worn rotors (disc brakes).
On disc brake systems, replace thin, warped, or cracked rotors immediately.

●        Wheel cylinder, master cylinder & brake line fluid leaks (hydraulic systems).
Including inspecting the condition of brake fluid for rust, sediment, and water infiltration. Leaking systems should be bled to remove air in lines, and fluids regularly replaced to inhibit the internal corrosion of brake system components.

●        The condition of wiring, connectors, magnets, and batteries on electrical systems.
Routinely check the main connector, ensuring the emergency battery is securely mounted and fully-charged.

●        Bearing issues affecting brake performance on boat trailers.
Worn wheel bearings leaking grease can contaminate brake linings, negatively impacting performance. Brakes should be inspected when wheel bearings are serviced for damage/replacement needs.

●        Operational issues:

o   Surge/Hydraulic System
Brakes should apply fully and evenly, barring fluid leaks/air in lines. When wheels are raised, they should spin freely by hand. Looseness/roughness in the spin indicate wheel bearing issues.

o   Electric Systems
Unplugging the trailer and energizing the system with a 12-volt battery, or activating the emergency stop system, should result in brake application. Failure to apply indicates wiring, breaker/fuse, ground or magnet issues.

●        Adjustment issues.
Trailer brakes should be adjusted based on driving conditions, trailer load, and driver preferences. Keep in mind when towing, heavier loads require more braking force. Loose surfaces/wet roads require less force to prevent wheels from locking. Brakes should be driven a short distance before adjustment, and warmed under normal conditions: ¼ mile and a series of stops at 25-45 mph is recommended. Adjustable delay settings should likewise be fine-tuned so the tow vehicle/trailer work in harmony when brakes are in-use. If brakes don’t work under operating conditions, but work fine in the service bay, this indicates issues with the vehicle/brake controller.

Don’t risk your ride. Put a stop to brake problems with regular maintenance and inspection. Contact Ainsworth Trailer Repair and schedule an ‘express lane’ brake service today.

This post was originally published at http://www.trailerrepairdenver.com/importance-maintaining-trailer-brake-system/

Bad Tires or Bad Truck? Ainsworth Investigates

Do your tires have flat spots, shoulder wear, punch wear, or show signs of feathering, cupping or scalloping? Tires can tell you a lot about the mechanical condition of your vehicle – if they’re inspected BEFORE they’re replaced and taken off. Catching irregular wear early can salvage the remaining tread on tires, preventing the need for frequent and costly tire replacement.  

Stop the Insanity: Prevent Irregular Wear BEFORE Purchasing More Tires
Rarely are wear issues caused by tires themselves. Resolving tire problems at the source, with tire wear pattern analysis by a professional technician, is essential to safeguarding the life expectancy of tires. Pros in the know can help you identify and correct issues leading to excessive tire wear, including symptoms that point to issues with… 

●        Alignment
Improper alignment is the leading cause of irregular tire wear. As many as half of vehicles and trailer traversing the roads are not properly aligned. This routine maintenance neglect may seem minor, until you consider you could be giving up one-third to one-half of tire life: 33-50% of the money you spent on those tires, going up in smoke. For those seeing irregular wear, that $200 alignment can save a pretty penny, paying for itself several time over. When was the last time your vehicle and hauler were aligned? A full vehicle alignment is recommended every 80,000-100,000 miles, or at least once per year, to prevent unnecessary and costly tire replacement (not to mention vehicle wear-and-tear, which we’ll discuss later).

●        Inflation
Another common tire wear issue involves inflation pressure, which shows itself in cupping, scalloping, shoulder and center wear. This problem is more common in inside duals and trailer tires, which tend to be overlooked on pressure checks. This is an easy way to keep your tires in service longer, but sadly, the most overlooked. If you see these symptoms, don’t wait for total tire destruction. Check tire pressure first, then schedule an alignment.

●        Other Issues

Haulers frequently traveling less than ideal road surfaces may also experience irregular or accelerated wear. Driving behavior such as a tendency to high-speed cornering and hauling loads with a high center of gravity can also affect tires, flattening or smoothing shoulders similar to wear patterns seen with misalignment and incorrect camber adjustment.

Still Think it’s Your Tires?
You may find that some brands of tires wear faster than others. This can be due to inadequate design/construction (aka: cheap tires), or tire/vehicle compatibility issues. A combination of factors, ranging from construction and tread design, to alignment, vehicle suspension, steering geometry, and work/road environment can all affect tire wear. However before you blame the tire, you must eliminate the truck.

A Symbiotic System
Tire wear can take a toll on other components, too. A symbiotic system, irregular tire wear and alignment issues on tow vehicles and trailers can each create stress and wear in the tires and drive components of the other. Since haulers and trailers aren’t mated for life, this can complicate the process of identifying issues with tire wear-and-tear, as can the inclination to frequently move tires/wheels to other positions on the vehicle.

Stop the insanity and expense of constantly replacing tires. Identify the root cause of irregular and excessive tire wear with the help of the professional automotive technicians at Ainsworth Trailer Repair today.

This post was originally published at http://www.trailerrepairdenver.com/bad-tires-bad-truck-ainsworth-investigates/