Stainless Steel Disk Brakes

[langski93]

I went to a trailer dealer in New Hampshire today, looking to get an estimate on converting from drum to disk brakes on my tandem axle ezloader. I haul an Adventure 208 with a 2010 Tundra. He told me that I should go with regular disk brakes instead of stainless steel. He indicated that in a real emergency situation that the stainless could easily (his word) lose holding power by glazing over. Has anyone ever had this experience? If it was just as likely to glaze over in a "real emergency" than why do they seem to be very popular as an upgrade in the boating community? I am looking to configure my trailer, so that I mess with it as little as possible. I figure the disk brakes rinse easily and the stainless will resist salt as I go in lakes and the ocean. In addition, I will get bearing buddies or some type of oil bath hubs for the bearings. Finally, asked about "electric brakes" as opposed to surge brakes which I have now and he said I must mean electically activated hydrolic brakes. Ok, I'll go with that, does anyone have experience with electrically activated hydrolics? I appreciate any and all comments as well as your experience with any of these configurations.

langski93

 

[richie rich]

I got stainless discs with traditional surge activation pulling a 20 footer and have never had an issue...

 

[trapper]

93 If you go stainless stay away from Tie Down Engineerings brakes. They are a a single rotor with no ventilation and run very hot melting high temp bearing grease.I barely got 18 months out of mine based on short towing trips to the ramp. The callipers started seizing within a few months as the salt water gets trapped by the rubber caps. Enough said, I would suggest spending the money on Kodiak Disk brakes, which I believe to be the best out there. This a salt water opinion. Cheers, trapper

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

RV trailers and some utility trailers have electric activated disc brakes. They employee a high energy electromagnet to activate the calipers. These kinds of brakes work very well until you repeatedly submerge them in water, especially saltwater, thus boat trailer lack them.

My trailer does not have good brakes at all and after a year the manufacturer replaced the entire system because the actuator seized up. I will replace them with Kodiak likely this spring. We trailer hundreds, if not thousands of miles each year between our long summer trip and our day and weekend trips around the region. Good brakes, tires and bearings are must.

 

[Parthery]

Save your money and get the Kodiak silver-cad disc brakes. As long as you are diligent about washing them out thoroughly after each dunking in salt water, you can expect to get 2-3 seasons out of them.

The stainless are substantially more money and from my experience, don't last that much longer.

 

[langski93]

Thanks everyone. I will sub out the drum brakes with the Kodiaks. Parthery, I see you have a Sportsmen in the photo. Did you have an Adventure 208 at one time? If yes, why the switch?
langski93