Brake drag

[zelmo]

Single axle trailer with DB-35 brakes.

When servicing my hubs I noticed that on one side the rotor does not spin in the caliper as easily as the other side. It is not frozen, it just doesn't rotate freely. The caliper on the side that rotates freely was replaced last year. The last time I went to the ramp I had checked the temps and the tight side read 150 degrees on the brakes while the other side was around 125 degrees.

How much drag is acceptable? I read on this forum that the pads are always touching the rotors and my pads are not worn abnormally. Do I need to worry about this?

[Coke]

[Jeff Hahn]

All disc brakes drag a little. If the hub isn't over-heating, don't worry about it.

[mikesxpress]

As Jeff noted they all drag a bit. Ensure the areas for the caliper/pad pin is clean and lubricated and the pad piston itself is not corroded or hanging up.

[zelmo]

Ensure the areas for the caliper/pad pin is clean and lubricated

I am at the beginning of the learning curve on brakes and need to figure out every step of the process. How do I get to the pins to lube them? I have seen that mentioned several times but have not been able to find instructions.

[jimsch]

Look on YouTube for changing front disc brake pads.

[zelmo]

Look on YouTube for changing front disc brake pads.

I have done that but have not found anything on the DB-35.

[zelmo]

Well, the slider pins are irrelevant. I took the caliper off and removed the pads. The piston is cocked at an angle and seal around it is damaged.

I presume this means a new caliper?

[Islands]

For me it would mean two new calipers and all new pads. With brakes, whatever I replace on one side gets replaced on both sides. Get all your parts from the same source so you have no compatibility issues.
For servicing the slide pins, just about all standard calipers work the same so the video does not have to be for the exact one you have.

[mikesxpress]

Well, the slider pins are irrelevant. I took the caliper off and removed the pads. The piston is cocked at an angle and seal around it is damaged.

I presume this means a new caliper?

Two new calipers, new pads, lube pins, and flush/bleed the fluid. Then your go to go for awhile.

[leonreno]

How much is one caliper? If that was my caliper I would buy a piston rebuild kit, but my calipers are stainless steel and pretty expensive. Mine are Kodiak. Not sure what a DB-35 cost.

[leonreno]

I looked it up, your complete piston is about $100. Not bad. Mine is about double that, rebuild kit is $40 for mine, includes piston, seals, rubber bushings, slide pins and bolts.

[zelmo]

I picked one up today and will put it on tomorrow. I only got one as the other side was replaced at the beginning of the season and only has a few hundred miles on it.

I'm not sure why the shop didn't do both of them at the same time. Now that I am doing my own maintenance on the trailer I will stay on top of it.