trailer brakes

[jetblue319]

i have a tandem trailer that i will be rebuilding for my 86 v20 with Johnson 150 outbd. i purchase two axles already and now i realize my combine trailer,boat weight, might be near the Florida limit of 3000 lbs for brakes required on a trailer. Can i weld brake flanges on the axles?
thanks
jetblue

[macojoe]

Screw the Law!! I would not ever think of brakes on a boat!! Any time I have had them they no work in short order! Ma. requires them after a weight and I have ripped them out and threw away first sign of trouble! One more headache you don't need!!
I tow a 23' Sea Ox now, (about 6000# loaded ) and just bought a used trailer for it, tore the brakes out and put all new hubs on it. Tows great, and no breaks. Just slow down and watch the other drivers.

[Disturbed]

Jetblue319, I have to agree with Macojoe. I pull my V20 with a dual axle trailer using my 06 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and the frist thing I did when I got the trailer was to take the brakes off. I haven't had any problems with stopping whatsoever. You just have to plan ahead for your stops and drive carefully as I'm quite sure that you already do. I see that you live in Florida as I do, so the only ones you really have to worry about making it an issue is Florida DOT cops. They look mostly for commercial vehicles and I've never heard of them stopping boaters to look at their brakes. The only time it would most likely be looked at is in a traffic crash if you were pulling the trailer. I know LOTS of cops that have boats larger than mine that took their brakes off. Just make sure your vehicle has adequate stopping power and you should be good. Just my .02 cents.

[jasoncooperpcola]

Being from Florida too, i dont want brakes on my boat trailer. just something else to go wrong.

[RidgeRunner]

Agree that it is something else to break BUT, they are handy in a panic stop situation. Kodiac SS disc brakes last a very long while and are easy to service. Weld the flanges on and do it. One axle with brakes should suffice.

[bradford]

Dunking trailer brakes in saltwater is part of a vast Illuminati conspiracy.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by RidgeRunner

Agree that it is something else to break BUT, they are handy in a panic stop situation. Kodiac SS disc brakes last a very long while and are easy to service. Weld the flanges on and do it. One axle with brakes should suffice.

I gotta go with Ridge and a few others here.. Brakes are NECESSARY not only for the possibility of not killing someone, but also (as was already stated) to keep your a$$ from a huge lawsuit should you ever get into an accident and they find you are over the weight limit with no brakes.

Look, there's a reason they make brakes for trailers. They help you stop, they help your tow vehicle stay in a straight line, they help you trailer stay in a straight line. Ridge said it correctly... put one set on the front axle. Disks are nice, Drums work well also. Forget about anyone saying they rot out. If you do your maintenance correctly they will last you years and years. The set of drum brakes on my ShoreLine tandem is at least 5 years old and they still work fine. The secret? ..... Wash them with fresh water after a trip to the salt. That means jack up the trailer, remove the drum and hit it with the garden hose. Yes, it's a pain, but water is cheaper than a new set of brakes or (even worse) an accident. DO IT!!.