www.iFourWinns.com

Not that familiar with the surge brakes on this trailer. Brakes seems to work well, but the left braking wheel gets hot and smells like hot brakes after about a 30 minute haul. Obviously the pad is creating friction. Is is normal/abnormal? I can understand a little warmth but this seems more than normal. The other side is totally cool. What is a good way to test the braking system?

Thanks...

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2004 Four Winns Horizon 230
VP 5.7GXi/DP, Trim Tabs, Monster Wakeboard Tower with Speakers and Bimini Cargo Rack

Previous Boat - 1988 Celebrity V190BR

It sound like the caliper is frozen. Not returning to rest.

Sounds like you have a sticking wheel cylinder. You may have to disassemble the side that is getting hot and push the brake shoes side to side and watch the plungers move side to side. Or your surge cylinder on the tongue is starting to stick and not releasing the pressure which is holding the brake against the drum. My old trailer with surge brakes used to stick and cause a vibration after braking so I would have to accelerate with a jolt to release it. I now have electric brakes and will never go back to surge I have more control in stopping. I trailer every where I go up and down 6-7% grades at times so for me it works a lot better. It may also be time to have your bearings packed which could also be causing your heat issue.

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'96 200 Horizon 5.8l VP/SX

Stuck caliper piston. Time to pull the caliper off and check for corrosion. Not too hard a job once the trailer is jacked up. If the piston is very corroded, you might be better off buying a rebuilt caliper. Good time to bleed the brakes anyway, so 2 birds with 1 stone. After you clean up the piston (or before installing a rebuilt caliper), try to get some caliper grease under the rubber boot, between the boot and the piston, to keep water out (don't tear the boot!). The best way to do that is to force the piston partially out of the caliper, smear grease over the outside of it, then use a huge C-clamp (old skool) or a caliper compression tool (new skool) to push the piston back in.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Disc brakes can be prone to sticking caliper pistons as drum brakes are prone to sticking wheel cylinders. In the case of drum cylinders I pack the boot with OMC triple guard grease and seal te boot to the cylinder with high temp RTV. If I had discs I'd seal up the space around the caliper seal with the same grease. They stick because of deposits left when water evaporates.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

stuck caliper piston -- as others have suggested

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DaleG -- West Palm Beach FL
2003 240Horizon -- 5.7Gi -Duoprop

Is it just me or does his boat seem to be nose heavy. the front tire looks like it is bearing the majority of the load. so if there was too much tounge weight couldnt it apply brakes slightly

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"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes "

1996 238 Vista dlx "Casper's Toy Too"
2006 5.0GXI w/closed cooling, DP-sm 1.95 drive
Previous boat:
1998 Sundowner 205

I think his ball mount may be an inch low, but otherwise it looks correct to me and that isn't enough to cause the problem he's having.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic