Friends trailer, all 4 wheels locked up

When getting ready to leave the lake yesterday, my buddy went to get his truck/trailer, and found that he had all 4 brakes/wheels locked up to the point it was dragging the tires across the asphault...tried backing up, going forward would not release the brakes. I disconnected the hydraulic line and released the pressure in the brake lines, even took the trailer off the ball, still locked up. He told me that one side was doing this sometimes, and he could usually get it unlocked. Now all 4 wheels are locked. What the heck causes this? The other odd thing is he says it only happens at (1) certain lake...

my buddy's trailer just did that a couple weeks ago, he did all the same stuff you did, i think he found a way to get it to the dealership, but i forgot what he told me his problem was.

he was towing a X-10, i dont know what type of trailer comes w/ them.

I've had the same problem recently on one side. What I found is the cylinder which pushes the shoes against the drum is freezing. Probably from heat build up and then throwing it into cold water??... if anybody else knows, please inform.
In your friend's situation, it sounds like that or wheel bearings.

it very well may be something like that cylinder freezing up. They launched the boat, dropped the trailer off in the trailer/overnite parking and didn't touch it till the next afternoon, and it was all locked up, like water got into the wheel cylinder and rusted it or froze them up. I had to leave them in the camp grounds cuz I had to drive my motorhome home with my boat... and it was already getting dark. I'll find out if they got it moving or not. Last he said to me when I was leaving was, he's gonna leave the trailer there and have the dealer come get it...

Here is a good trick to try.... Take a hammer and give a good wack to the drum. I have had this happen to my friends trailer 2 times, mine once. I had a mechanic at Powell show us, or really tell us "Grab my hammer, go hit the drum of the stuck wheel, bring me back my hammer." Sure enough....worked like a charm. Something to do with break dust......

Anyway, worth a try....

E.J.

Of course we are only talking one wheel each time this has happened.... All four makes you wonder....

E.J.

all 4 at once sounds like a frozen master cylinder. try taking the line off the back of the MC. of course, that means you then have to bleed it for them to work again, but it might get you home.

two of mine did this within a couple wks of one another, but it turned out to be the friction material had broken loose from one of the shoes, and wedged under the other one. it got so hot, it boiled all the grease out of the hub.

i converted to discs. they stop better, but run a lot hotter than the drums ever did... can't win! =)

well, I drove by their house yesterday and the boat was in the driveway so they must have gotten the brakes unlocked. I'll go talk to them and find out what happened. Still, that shouldn't happen at all. It's never happened to me yet (knock on wood)

Check to make sure that the wires are not pinched and grounded out in the swing away tonge.

it's a hydraulic surge brake setup, not electric. While at the lake trying to get the trailer to roll, I disconnected the hydraulic quick disconnect fitting and released all the pressure in the lines going to the wheels, and it was still locked up and wouldn't release. I think they drums need to come off and see what it looks like in there... all 4 wheels locking up is not normal.

If the trailer is a 5 wire surge setup with disc brakes. The wires can get pinched when the tongue is closed this grounds out the wires and applies the brakes. Not exactly sure how it does it but I have seen it happen. Something to look into.

(Message edited by phaeton on August 11, 2004)

Phaeton, I believe they have the hydraulic surge setup with drums, same as my trailer. They haven't been home since last weekend but last nite I noticed the boat was not in thier driveway, so I think it's at the shop getting it checked out...(hopefully)

the brake drums / rotors actually rust to the brake pads it happens all the time to big trk trailers , the fix is just like what was posted earler a sharp blow with a hammer or other hard object to the drum or rotor to bust loose the rust. and yes it rustes that fast

rust eh? I didn't know that brake drum lining could rust, guess I learned something new (I think). I wonder why this trailer does this alot, and others (like mine, same trailer) it never happens ever?

the drum rusts not the pad

I talked to them Sat. morning, the dealer is replacing the entire brake system on the trailer, and also getting them 4 new tires. The dealer still couldn't explain why it happened.