Removing surge brakes?
*Let me start out saying that I'm not a newb when it comes to towing trailers. The V is little in comparison in both size and weight to some of the stuff I have towed. Stopping a 14,000lb truck while pulling another 14,000lb truck on a towbar with no brakes on the towed vehicle is slightly more difficult. I always drive with no distractions(radio, phone, etc.) and keep my eyes focused way down the road. I plenty of leave room for stopping. (try driving a big army truck in traffic in the rain)*
So apparently after a better look at the trailer I've discovered that the surge brake system is shot. The PO has already disconnected it at the drums. Since there's no brake fluid or pressure the sliding part of the hitch moves and bangs back and forth in traffic alot.
I'm aware of the implications of towing a 4500lb trailer without brakes, but I want to know if I can simply just replace the coupler with a non-surge one. It's got the 3 cross bolts at the bottom and I've never seen a standard couple like that.
BTW, I'm towing with a 2004 F-250 Superduty Crew with the powerstroke. At 2x the weight of the towed load, the truck is more than capable of stopping without the non-functional surge brakes.
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