Electric brake, E-brake options?

[Old#7]

I'd like to have electric drums on my up and coming home build. I would also like to have a 416 style e-brake. I haven't had much luck looking online. The only other option I could think of is using a trailer breakaway system. When I need to lock up the wheels without being attached to the tow rig I could just pull the pin that activates the brakes. Of course this would only last so long because of the battery that activates it. But for when I need to e-brake it for a long period of time I would just use Wheel chocks.
However I really would just like to have an e-brake system just like the 416's but also be able to use a brake controller from the tow rig for normal braking. Any way to retrofit a lever and e-brake system to normal electric drum brakes?

 

[OlympiaFJ60]

Dexter Axles

There was a thread on mud about this and I found all the part numbers. I will try and find it and post relevant info back here. Dexter Axles makes one and Six Robblies carries them. The brake lever has to be sourced else were. There was a thread on the WFTW rig I think and he had a parking brake axle installed.

 

[OlympiaFJ60]

SixRobblees prices

New complete brake kit (less drum/hub):
LH assembly: K23-086-00 $135.99 in stock at Tukwilla, WA
RH assembly: K23-087-00 $135.99 in stock at Tukwilla, WA


Parts to convert an existing e-brake to include parking brake:
21 036-019-07 1 LH Backing Plate Assembly (includes items #12, 22-28) $69.69 plus shipping from factory
21 036-019-08 1 RH Backing Plate Assembly (includes items #12, 22-28) $69.69 plus shipping from factory

May be able to get online for less.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Keep in mind, electric brakes only move the shoes outward when they recieve electricity, AND when the wheel tries to turn. If the trailer is stationary, you apply current, the magnet locks to the drum. But the lever the magnet is attached to does not spread the shoes out until the the wheels turn several degrees. So unlike a true parking brake, the wheels will roll back and forth within some small distance.

Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, this may or may not be acceptable. I wouldn't go under a trailer that is supported with jacks, or jack stands, if the only thing holding it stable is a wheel with an electric ebrake on it.

 

[I Leak Oil]

I think he's looking for mechanical actuation of the parking brake while using electric brakes for the service system.
Jason T.

 

[Old#7]

The main purpose behind needing a parking brake, besides the obvious parking, is because I have devised an ingenious way of dumping my small utility/offroad trailer. There are few things I hate more than unloading a trailer full of rocks or mulch using a shovel. Due to the fact that my axle will be in the rear of the box center line, and the rule of having more tongue weight I won't be able to just pull the pin and push the box, dumping it. so I thought If I locked the wheels with a parking brake, pulled the pin for the tongue and then backed the tow rig up it should dump the trailer no matter how much weight I have in it. Maybe the pics will help explain.....

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I think he's looking for mechanical actuation of the parking brake while using electric brakes for the service system.
Jason T.

Oh, I missed that, didn't even know it was available. I'd be interested in seeing these parts myself.

Old#7, interesting concept. Never seen that before, but I can't see any reason it wouldn't work. Only, the whole setup will have to be stout. The forces needed to tip that up with those angles will be substantial. Also, your... forked tongue (not sure what else to call it), the side extensions should make a triangle, not a square like you have it. They won't have much strength that way. Either that, or gusset the corners of the square.

 

[njtaco]

I'd be interested in seeing these parts myself.

Page 27 of the linked PDF of the Dexter Cat.

http://dexteraxle.com/i/u/1080235/f/6-8K_cat_4-07/2300-3500_lbs.pdf

I just recently found out about these myself...

 

[Old#7]

Sweet that is just what I was looking for. I knew they had to be out there! Thanks guys.

 

[jagular7]

The main purpose behind needing a parking brake, besides the obvious parking, is because I have devised an ingenious way of dumping my small utility/offroad trailer. There are few things I hate more than unloading a trailer full of rocks or mulch using a shovel. Due to the fact that my axle will be in the rear of the box center line, and the rule of having more tongue weight I won't be able to just pull the pin and push the box, dumping it. so I thought If I locked the wheels with a parking brake, pulled the pin for the tongue and then backed the tow rig up it should dump the trailer no matter how much weight I have in it. Maybe the pics will help explain.....

That idea I've tried with a US military M101 3/4ton trailer. It doesn't quite work if there is significant weight in front of the axle. My friend recycles material and was using this trailer for steel. With more weight in front of the axle, the bed wouldn't lift. It would just push the tires skidding backwards. It could be because of the dirt he was on, but there wasn't enough friction on the tires to keep them still with enough force to lift the front of the trailer over the axle axis. In testing, it worked fine with an empty bed and that is where we got the idea.

 

[I Leak Oil]

Unless the weight is way behind the axle I can't see that working too well on anything less than pavement. On snow, mud, sand, wet grass, leaves the trailer would just be pushed backward. It would probably be just as easy to make it a simple hinge and hydraulic piston setup to turn it into a dumper. Safer too! But as you have seen the parts to address your brake questions do exist. Good brainstorming...
Jason T.

 

[Old#7]

I might have to change a few things to get it to work, maybe change the axle position a little. Get the trailer a little more balanced so that it wouldn't take much of a push from the tow rig to get it to go over. I have a small utility trailer right now that is 4' x 5'. and the axle is exactly in the middle of the box. I converted it to be able to dump just by pulling a pin on the tongue and pushing it by hand. I have had it loaded with lots of weight and I can still push it by hand to dump it. i figured that if I moved the axle a little to the rear and used the force of the rig to push it, it should work. I don't know because I haven't built it yet but I guess in theory it should work. In practice, maybe not.

 

[Old#7]

It would probably be just as easy to make it a simple hinge and hydraulic piston setup to turn it into a dumper. Safer too! Jason T.

Yeah that's true but then I would have to deal with a whole hydraulic system, removing simplicity from the whole idea. Maybe the idea is contradictory to my desire for simplicity, and I should leave out the idea of a dump capability all together.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Put the axle dead center on the box, so you can tip it by hand, and rely on whatever you're putting on the nose box to give you your tongue weight.

Or, if you can give me the dimensions of the box, box load, axle location, frame height, and wheel diameter, I think I can calculate how much force we're talking about to tip it up, see if it's realistic.

 

[roadkill]

well if doesn't work on slick ground he could always use a come along or winch to tip the trailer