All your ideas have been for electric brakes, right?
CindyL
The idea that I am working on should work for surge or electric brakes, that idea being to make a hub adapter to allow me to install a standardized spindle, then standardized trailer brake components with the UHaul wheel.
I would not give up on the brake system that you have. I think it was just neglected and got full of water and rust. Trailer brakes take a little more maintenance than cars because they sit so much. Nobody repacks their car wheel bearings once a year.
I would replace your brake lines and hoses, then flush the system thoroughly with brake fluid. If it still misbehaves, you may need to take the master cylinder apart and rebuild it. Parts are probably standard, but a good resource would be a trailer build / repair place - you know, the kind with the 60 year old guy who has been building and fixing trailer for 40 years? Seriously, do a little detective work. I found three great places near me in the working class part of town. Once you get it operating properly and maintain it, the surge brake system will give you good service. UHaul might be paranoid, but they have stout designs.
If it is rust in the passenger side line, can this be cleaned out with a long, stiff wire or some type of liquid flush? Or do I need to route a new brake line on that side? Of course, this is all just dreaming right now... we are under a winter weather watch for snow tomorrow and much colder temps.
When I redid my old car I put stainless steel brake lines on, cost a little more, but worth every bit of it.
Well I am in Kansas, and have found out the trailer has a U-Haulaxle under it, no brakes at all, just hubs.
[QUOTE=Roger Kimble;282999...........
Well I am in Kansas, and have found out the trailer has a U-Haulaxle under it, no brakes at all, just hubs.[/QUOTE]
Roger that is so disappointing. Are any of the components like the brake surge coupler or lines there?
Roger that is so disappointing. Are any of the components like the brake surge coupler or lines there?
Yes the old lines are there, no surge coupler or drums, just hubs like yours, I think I might just remove this axle and put a new one under it, make it easy.
Yes the old lines are there, no surge coupler or drums, just hubs like yours, I think I might just remove this axle and put a new one under it, make it easy.
Take very careful measurements. I found that there is not much room between the outer edge of the frame and the outer lip of the wheel well. So if you get an axle with brakes and put a standard zero offset wheel on it, you may find the tire rubbing on the wheel well lip.
This stuff is a foreign language to me, and I know that this is not directly relevant to the current discussion, but I do know that people over on uhaulcamper.com who have used car tires have had to put spacers in for what that is worth.
Take very careful measurements. I found that there is not much room between the outer edge of the frame and the outer lip of the wheel well. So if you get an axle with brakes and put a standard zero offset wheel on it, you may find the tire rubbing on the wheel well lip.
............
I did finally talk to a guy who was the former tech guy at UHaul and he said there is no parts list for the VT. He did say that he thought the VT brake system was common with another UHaul trailer and had me leave a message with Frank at UHaul. I'm waiting for his call...emails unanswered to this point.
Just as a follow up, I did get a return email from Frank at UHaul Truck parts.
Quote:
The drum you are looking for is part# 23390006 and they are on our website uhaultruckparts.com for $41.70 each
Oddly, this part # is listed as being for the car trailer with a price of $24.32 on the Truck Trailer Parts website
When I measured the car trailer wheel bolt circle at my local UHaul dealer, it has a larger bolt circle than the 4.75 bolt circle of the UHaul camper.
What diameter of brakes will you put on it? The hitch I ran into was that the standard trailer brakes are 10" and the only 10" drums I could find were Ford with a 4.5" bolt circle - which you evidently have already.
What diameter of brakes will you put on it? The hitch I ran into was that the standard trailer brakes are 10" and the only 10" drums I could find were Ford with a 4.5" bolt circle - which you evidently have already.
I still think I have to change the axle, because remember the magnet hits on the studs of the hub, if we could find a nother way we would be good to go.
Is it possible to install an inner disc on the hub for the magnet to rub on. This would throw off the shoe to drum spacing, but could that issue be overcome somehow, wider drum or modified shoe mounting. I haven't looked at our uhaul lately so I'm not familiar with clearances in that area. Also, if hubs from some car fit the stock uhaul axle. can that cars backing plates and shoes be used and make it into a hydraulic surge brake system. It would sure be nice to have a pile of various brake parts on hand, "let me stick this one on and see if it works, nope, try another". Rent a uhaul trailer that has brakes for a day, take it apart and see what fits.
I still think I have to change the axle, because remember the magnet hits on the studs of the hub, if we could find a nother way we would be good to go.
Oh yea, right. I was thinking that you were going with surge brakes.
Is it possible to install an inner disc on the hub for the magnet to rub on. This would throw off the shoe to drum spacing, but could that issue be overcome somehow, wider drum or modified shoe mounting.
Yes, you could machine up a disc to lay on the back of the hub covering the stud heads. A regular trailer brake drum is basically just very thick and the studs are recessed. There is a 10" x 1.5 wide electric brake assembly available that might work with narrowed drums.
Edit: I think you would have to disassemble the GM style hub to add a plate to the backside of the stud flange. It is made to be a sealed unit - I butchered mine taking it apart.
Quote:
I haven't looked at our uhaul lately so I'm not familiar with clearances in that area. Also, if hubs from some car fit the stock uhaul axle. can that cars backing plates and shoes be used and make it into a hydraulic surge brake system.
I think you could probably use the rear brake assemblies off a FWD GM car or maybe even the Camaro (to stay with the 4.75 " bolt circle) and make it all work. The trick is finding all the right parts. I wanted electric brakes, so this is where I jumped off.
Quote:
It would sure be nice to have a pile of various brake parts on hand, "let me stick this one on and see if it works, nope, try another". Rent a uhaul trailer that has brakes for a day, take it apart and see what fits.
I agree. If you had a friendly used auto parts (junk yard) nearby, you could probably scout out what you need. Some will basically let you walk around with a tool box and take what parts you want off, then pay on the way out. Most are a little more strict these days. Bruce at UHaul truck / Trailer parts told me that he thought the VT drums were common with another UHaul, but I have no verifiable answer from Frank, Bruce's replacement.
Is it possible to install an inner disc on the hub for the magnet to rub on. This would throw off the shoe to drum spacing, but could that issue be overcome somehow, wider drum or modified shoe mounting. I haven't looked at our uhaul lately so I'm not familiar with clearances in that area. Also, if hubs from some car fit the stock uhaul axle. can that cars backing plates and shoes be used and make it into a hydraulic surge brake system. It would sure be nice to have a pile of various brake parts on hand, "let me stick this one on and see if it works, nope, try another". Rent a uhaul trailer that has brakes for a day, take it apart and see what fits.
Maybe, I would have to get with Tom and see about an inner disc, I don't see why we couldn't mount one on the inside of the hub for the magnet to hit on thought.
Kevin used a new backer plate on his VT, the hub that fits is GM 295-13018, and yes surge would be possable and easy to do on an existing system.
I wanted to install electric brakes on my UHaul CT13, but UHaul did not use standard brake spindles on this trailer. I decided to fabricate an adapter hub from the UHaul axle flange to a standard trailer brake spindle.
First I designed a hub on Google Sketchup, machined it from metal that I purchased at a fabrication shop, welded it , then welded in a purchased spindle. I reused the UHaul wheels, as I needed their offset to stay within the wheel wells. As it is, I moved the wheel outboard about 3/4". I was going to put the adapter plate inside the brake backing plate to gain back 1/2", but there was too much interference between the brake backing plate and the axle flange. I still have 1.25 inches clearance to the wheel lip.
Wow. I am impressed with all the work you people have put into your rigs.
As a fellow traveler in this world, I would like to make a small suggestion:
Document everything you have done and what you have used. Ten years from now, you won't remember if those were Ford drums or Chevy. You also would help the next owner if you ever sell.
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Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.
Wow. I am impressed with all the work you people have put into your rigs.
As a fellow traveler in this world, I would like to make a small suggestion:
Document everything you have done and what you have used. Ten years from now, you won't remember if those were Ford drums or Chevy. You also would help the next owner if you ever sell.
If you look at the photos, the one consisting of tiny print is the part numbers, supplier, cost and weight of each part.
Just to document some of the wrinkles in case anyone is crazy enough to copy this conversion, the UHaul hub mounting is four bolts in a rectangular pattern. Standard brakes mount with 4 bolts in a square pattern. You can drill 4 new holes in the backing plate, but it turns out that the holes overlap, which is sloppy and hard to drill accurately. Coincidently, if you rotate the backing plate slightly, the diagonal holes line up, requiring just new two holes to be drilled in fresh metal.
I was a little concerned that using two holes to center the backing plate might not be accurate enough, so I turned a piece of wood with the diameter of the center hole of the backing plate (3") and the center hole of the hub plate (2.75") on the same piece of wood (see photo). With the two pieces held perfectly concentric, I used a transfer punch through the hub plate holes (before it was welded) to mark the new holes in the brake backing plate.
Bigfoot Silver Cloud
Howie - now sold
Seriously, do a little detective work. I found three great places near me in the working class part of town. Once you get it operating properly and maintain it, the surge brake system will give you good service. 
Little bit of Heaven
"Homelet" Trillium 1300
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