trailer brakes locking up

grady · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 547 City: d-block

we usually tow our launch w/ our 02 2 wheel drive tahoe and we've never had n e towing problems at all. my dad just recently started using his 95 silverado to tow it and we had no problems until we returned home and started to back it under the carport as usual. we have cement around our carport but not down the driveway and when his truck got off the cement he tried to back up and the brakes on the trailer locked up. he pulled forward and tried it again and it did the same thing so we ended up having to hook the tahoe up and back it in with it. the boat backed fine down the boat ramp but as soon as we got off smooth ground it wouldnt back at all. is it becuz my dad's truck sits too low or wut? its 2wd as well but doesnt seem to b n e lower than the tahoe...the brakes on the trailer r hydraulic (sp) i believe and just lock up whenever he tried to back up back onto the cement...n e suggestions on wut the problem could b and how to fix it? (besides my dad gettin a new truck)

pooser · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 4738

if your trailer has the same time off brakes ass mine you need a plier type device to hold this switch on the trailer that stops the brakes from activating. the brakes work by compressing a liquid when you engage the brakes(the trailer has momentum and pushes against the hitch) and then the brakes are activated. if you back it up a hill it compresses the liquid.

BillJ · Posted: May 31, 2003 10:48 pm Post subject:

Many boats with surge brakes have an electric lockout - when you put the car/truck in reverse it locks out the brakes. Apparently the Tahoe has it and the truck doesn't.

I don't know about Chevy, but on my Ford I had to install a relay for it to work. It came as part of the towing package. If the truck doesn't have one then you can also tie the 5th wire into the backup light wire and it'll do the same thing. Otherwise you have to put a clip (a quarter works too) in the slot to keep the brakes from engaging.

Since it works on pressure, you could back down the ramp without engaging the brakes even without the electric lockout.

Bluesman · Posted: Jun 01, 2003 7:42 am Post subject:

Are you sure your truck's backup lights are working?

The surge brake override on your trailer should be connected to your truck's backup light system. So, if the backup lights are dead, the surge brakes will lock up when backing, unless you back downhill.

Geoff Standish · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 843 City: Calgary

Here is a way you can cheat. If you hook up your harness as shown below you are tricking the trailer into thinking it is in reverese. You give the elecetronic lockout power from your running lights. Just make sure you remember to hook the harness back the right way or you won't have trailer brakes. I marked mine with a little red paint so I don't get it mixed up.

BillJ · Posted: Jun 01, 2003 3:44 pm Post subject:

Geoff, didn't you forget to mention that you have to turn your lights on for it to work?

grady · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 547 City: d-block

BillJ, the tahoe did come with a towing package...i forgot to mention that and my dad's truck did not

Bluesman, the backup lites r working fine its just that the truck sits lower and puts much more pressure on the hitch when tryin to back on uneven ground and causes the breaks to lock up

thanx for all the info and i'll b sure to let my dad kno in case we need to tow the boat w/ his truck n e more

for now we'll just stick w/ the tahoe...it matches the boat and looks better n e way Wink

OttoNP · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 848 City: MI

If your trailer just has the common 4 plug, not the 5 as shown in the picture the problem isn't electrical. On my hitch receiver there is a lever that you can move to prevent the surge bracks from engaging. Additionally, most modern trailer brakes have self backing plates built in so you can back up without using that lever, maybe your problem is with them. It will only be an issue when your backing uphill or on rough ground as you mentioned.

Nick
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