question about surge brakes and gas strut

[shu2kill]

well, the surge brakes on my 94 Javelin's trailer were leaking, so today i took the tongue apart.

This is what i found. First of all, i got this small gas strut, which seems stuck in the CLOSED position. I pulled it and it deployed, but it stays at whatever position i put it. It is as hard to pull as it is to push. And, i didnt see where the smaller hole connects. I took all the tongue apart and i cant seem to find a place for it. I even think it was only connected on the bigger hole with one of the pins.

piston.jpg

And, this is how the tongue looks from the underside:

low.jpg

So, i saw the pump was leaking from the front. The rear connectors and hoses looked clean. I took the pump apart, and fortunately i could find locally a kit with the seals, piston, and spring. I have yet to reassemble the pump with the new kit, and then put it in the trailer. I hope this is all it takes.

Now, which fluid do I need??

And, where is the small strut supposed to go?

Thank you

[shu2kill]

Well, i found this diagram and see where the small shock absorber goes:




now, should it be hard to push/pull?? or should it be as a normal strut that always stays in the extended position?? and that case, where can i purchase a replacement??

[Jtreed99]

Just went through this. With as much corrosion as you have around your master cylinder you will be much better off just buying a new actuator assembly and replacing the whole thing.

[mikesxpress]

Surge brake actuators have a 5-6 year planned obsolescence cycle if your towing your rig frequently. It's not worth the time or $ to repair anything on it. Remove & replace. DOT 3 fluid and bleed. Lots of on-line availability for the actuators.

[bgibson]

As said already just replace with new its not worth the aggravation of throwing parts into an old actuator.

[shu2kill]

thanx!

unfortunately i live in Mexico, so getting the entire assembly would be difficult. Luckly i found the replacement kit (piston, seals, and spring) for $15, so i just replaced it after cleaning everything. I just put t back together, and it is no longer leaking, but i need to bleed the system to see if i got my brakes back.

[mikesxpress]

Why does living in Mexico prevent one from on-line ordering the entire actuator?

[Triton420]

Get a master cylinder and shock. No need to spend over $200 if you just need a master and shock. Actuator housing looks pretty clean

[shu2kill]

Why does living in Mexico prevent one from on-line ordering the entire actuator?

getting the parts over the border increases the price a lot... plus, a lot of times they get "lost" and never make it here... i can order to Texas, and then go and pick it up, its a 4 hour drive one way...

[shu2kill]

Get a master cylinder and shock. No need to spend over $200 if you just need a master and shock. Actuator housing looks pretty clean

why do i need a master cylinder? I just changed the piston, with new seals and spring. It is no longer leaking. I will need to order the shock though, but i dont know when i will be able to pick it up.

[Bob G.]

getting the parts over the border increases the price a lot... plus, a lot of times they get "lost" and never make it here... i can order to Texas, and then go and pick it up, its a 4 hour drive one way...

If I was going to drive 4 hours to pick up a delivery, I would have ordered the whole actuator and do it in one trip.

[DABS]

it is a static shock, not gas.

[buster502]

it is a static shock, not gas.

what he said,you might want to check out brake fluids, i thought the dot 4 and 5 was better for boat trailers,i used a mighty vac when i had to bleed mine