Brakes stuck on

I recently replaced everything to do with the brakes last month, (DIY). I noticed last week the trailer brakes would squeak at the completion of a stop and I thought no big deal. Today when I got home I noticed a bad smell coming from the hubs and they were very hot. I put the trailer on jacks and the wheels will turn in reverse but not forward. I have to believe the brakes are stuck on which explains the smell. Is there a reason this would happen? I don't believe the emergency wire was pulled. I would appreciate any and all help, thank you.


Dwayne.

I'm guessing that your trailer has drum brakes and that you may have installed the springs that release the shoes incorrectly.

I hope not, I replaced the entire brake assembly. Thanks.

If you are still hooked up to the truck, with a trailer tire off the ground try cracking a bleeder valve on the backing plate and see if you get a spurt of fluid and if the brake releases. If so then you are having pressure applied from the trailer master cylinder. If not, I would check to make certain you didn't over tighten the brakes when you adjusted them after installing.

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Originally Posted by Chief 2

If you are still hooked up to the truck, with a trailer tire off the ground try cracking a bleeder valve on the backing plate and see if you get a spurt of fluid and if the brake releases. If so then you are having pressure applied from the trailer master cylinder. If not, I would check to make certain you didn't over tighten the brakes when you adjusted them after installing.

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Funny you should say this. I tried this prior to reading this e-mail and the brakes released. Fluid did come out so I pumped the cylinder in an attempt to bleed the lines of air and added more fluid to the master cylinder, hope this fixed the problem. I need to re-pack the bearings because the heat pretty much turned the grease to a liguid. Thanks for the help. :thumb up2:

I'd want to look at the lines, particularly the flex lines, especially if you have a removable or swing-away tongue. A kink in the lines anywhere can act as a one-way valve that allows fluid to flow for applying the brakes, but restricts it from flowing back to release them.

I will check the flex lines, thanks. These are all new as well and I had to wrap them around the axle but they are loose.

Under the brake actuator, did you happen to leave the release switch in the lock position? When bleeding the brakes, my actuator has a locking piston. The release lever is located under the trailer tongue and it's used to release the piston when you do a brake bleed. If you used the screw driver thru the hole to bleed the brakes and this stayed in the lock position, then your brake pads would stay closed.... You may have different surge brakes then me, but thought I'd throw this out there to consider.

You should not have enough pressure for the fluid to "spurt" with no pressure on the trailer tongue. The actuator must travel far enough back to allow the piston of the master cylinder to clear the bleed port in order to remove the pressure. The tongue may be sticking or binding or the master cylinder may be dirty, have an internal ridge, or a spring/shock assembly may have failed.

Forward, to clear the port. the port is only open when the tongue is all the way forward, allowing fluid to return to the master cylinder.