breaks overheated - 2 tires blown up

(nyelland) · (nyelland) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 07-06-2008, 7:28 PM

Sorry for the long post - but I could use some imput. (boat 05' centurion elite V 100hrs)

Drove to the lake and when we stop the truck, I notced that both wheels on the breaking axel where smoking bad and covered in grease. I was about 3 feet a way when one tire blew off the rim (the bead spereated from the rim. Then I got away from the boat as it continued to smoke, when the other tire blew. wo flat tires! took the wheels off and got new tires - drove home with the breaks line disconected. I pull the drum breaks off and all of the parts are discengrated. Spings, shoes and all. Is this under warrenty? What should I look for on the trailer? How do I get parts?

Thanks

(marknjenn) · (marknjenn) **Join Date: Feb 2005** 07-06-2008, 8:20 PM

We had the same thing happen, minus the tire blowing after towing a long distance downhill. Grease spitting out of the bearing buddies and smoke billowing out of the breaks. We were just cruizin down a long hill in 2nd gear towing with the rv. Turned out the surge brakes were on and fried the brakes. Have them checked and repack your bearings and everything should be ok.

(chaser) · (chaser) **Join Date: Sep 2006** 07-07-2008, 12:41 PM

make sure you are towing with the trailer level. Sometimes towing with the tongue low will cause your surge breaks to engage and stay engaged. This happened to a friend of mine who thought he could get more clearance on the back of the trailer by using a big drop hitch.

(roberto) · (roberto) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 07-07-2008, 12:44 PM

Feel your pain. After a couple seasons hauling up and down from Big Bear I chucked the surge brakes and installed Fulton's waterproof electric brake kit. Life is good now.

(nyelland) · (nyelland) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 07-07-2008, 3:06 PM

Thanks for the info. I have some new break parts on the way. My trailer was not level on this trip becaus we had a lot of camping gear & a heavy ice chest in the back of the truck which caused the bed of the truck to sag. Are there any tricks on bleeding the breaks?

(phatboypimp) · (phatboypimp) **Join Date: Apr 2005** 07-07-2008, 3:12 PM

Buy some airbags for your truck, I suspect that will be a problem in the future. Cheap insurance on keeping it level - I would recommend getting the bags with the built in compressor, you can adjust on the fly. You can buy a brake bleeding kit, or manually pump the master cylinder with someone releasing the pressure or you can get all redneck and block the rear tires and gently rock back and forth with your truck/tow vehicle (apply your brakes to hold the pressure) while releasing pressure (if no one is around to help). I don't really recommend the last one :-)