www.iFourWinns.com

I will have to look for a trailer place near my boat since it is 98 mikes from here. Is there a manual pressure release for the haydraulics short of disconnecting a line?

Thanks

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2003 Horizon 240 With 5.7 Volvo Penta

You can try opening the bleed valves on the calipers and pumping the actuator. I don't know what kind of brakes FW used on those trailers, but I have heard they are the vented Tie Down ones, if so they have a website with installation instructions and if you have a Tie Down actuator, they also have instructions on how to manually pump the brakes, and bleed them. There is no manual release per se for brakes. You have either a problem (blockage) in the line that lets the brake fluid return to the master cylinder, or you have one or more disc brake caliper pistons sticking. The back up solenoid should not have anything to do with this problem.
I have heard that disc brakes are so much better than drums, but I also have heard over the years of a lot of problems with them not releasing. The issue with disc brakes in a surge system is that disc brakes depend on the calipers not sticking and the fluid being able to flow freely back to the master cylinder to release the brakes. Drum brakes on the other hand have strong return springs to release the brakes. As long as you can keep water from corroding the wheel cylinder, they will release. Drum brakes also are self energizing, which means that they provide better braking torque at the same actuator pressure.

http://www.tiedown.com/pdf/c752.pdf

http://www.tiedown.com/pdf/c553.pdf

http://www.tiedown.com/pdf/c100.pdf

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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

Mike & Lou....

When mine stayed partially locked, both sides were applied (no sticking caliper pistons or guide bolts). When I disconnected the line and released the valve in the QD fitting, there was indeed pressure there (between the QD and the calipers)... and release of some fluid. At this point, the brakes were free. I know what the solenoid does, and how. However, something was keeping pressure in the system. Unfortunately, the QD is "downwind" of the solenoid. Therefore, there is no quick way to tell if somehow the solenoid was holding pressure or if perhaps the QD was doing so ... or something else (?). Once the pressure was released, all was OK and it has not returned. Confounded thing is that, you cannot diagnose a problem that is not currently present ........

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

QD? I didn't realize there was one. I've got the swing tongue, not the removable, and I don't think I have a QD anywhere.

I know many of those Tie Down couplers have "self priming" dampers, I wonder if there could be something related to that - a check ball or something - sticking. Dunno...

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

I've never seen or taken apart a QD fitting, but if there is some kind of check valve in there that can get stuck, that would make sense. I do know that for disc brakes to release, there has to be a free flow of brake fluid back to the master cylinder, anything that restricts that will cause the brakes to drag...

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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

Yes, guys ... Since I have a removable tongue, there is a QD at the separation point ... don't know if the OP's setup has one. Anyway, that's a potential for a stoppage.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner