What is the best brake system?

[satovod]

Unfortunately my brakes were devoured by corrosion. The OEM brake system of the MFIs never deserved good words and feedback, so I'm looking for some decent alternative. Choice 1: electric or hydraulic? Choice 2: disc or drum?

 

[Liftr]

I’m curious to see the replies.
But, I don’t think an electric brake system would be a good thing on a boat trailer.

 

[Beachbummer]

Best is subjective...

Cheapest way to regain reasonable breaks... Replace with exact system.

If starting from scratch...

I like the electric principle because it's electromagnetic...i trust the magnet more than the hydraulic complexity, with less moving parts... But surge brakes don't require brake controller and can be towed with any car...

Electric over hydraulic is most expensive and though of as the very best of both.

 

[2kwik4u]

Electric over Hydraulic is the best. Surge is the worst.

They make sealed electric systems for boat trailers that are comparably priced to surge systems last time I looked.

My current trailer doesn't have brakes. I WILL NOT use surge brakes, I feel that strongly against them. If/When I upgrade trailers I'll either put an electric over hydraulic system on there, or I'll swap to a completely electric setup.

This is a decent read:
Electric Over Hydraulic Brakes - Trailering - BoatUS Magazine

Here's a thread from about a decade ago:
Anyone with electric trailer brakes - Page 2 - The Hull Truth - Boating and Fishing Forum

 

[Betik]

If you can wait a few weeks, I will provide an updated non my replacement.

I just switched from single axle surge brakes to electric over hydraulic for both axles.
I paid $1,800 for “ everything”

So far this is my update

Pros:
The trailer stops like I never did before. Not sure if the second axle brakes helps or if it is the electric system or the combo or whatever, but I feel the trailer can even stop the truck. It is defiantly noticeable

Cons
It is real expensive
Tires lock when the boat is off trailer ( though you could turn them off).

TBD
The trailer shakes when I first start. It seems to be that the brakes get stuck locked. It is very likely that this an issue cause by me during installation. I am planing to deal with it when I get back home ( end of July).

 

[Beachbummer]

I can attest to surge brakes being much better than no brakes. Cost/benefit is high. Don't take them off your list too early.

 

[Betik]

I can attest to surge brakes being much better than no brakes. Cost/benefit is high. Don't take them off your list too early.

While the jury is still out on my case, I think I coild have been 95% where I am today with just adding rakes to the second axle

 

[swatski]

If they go on this trailer, I would use... a very soft brake system.

View attachment 97782

 

[Bluewater272]

If they go on this trailer, I would use... a very soft brake system.

Yep. Forget the brakes, its new trailer time.

 

[Beachbummer]

Nahh, Flex Seal will fix that right up.

 

[Betik]

You guys get this all wrong the idea is for the trailer to dissinntigrade while towing and then go like. “ o honey I think we need a new boat!”

 

[Dixie Highway]

Air brakes would be best probably....in all seriousness and to answer part of your question, drum brakes are fine for trailer duty. They shouldn’t see enough constant use to need the heat dissipation of discs, and aside from the ease of service they don’t have any advantage over drums really. There’s a reason large trucks still use drums. As for hydraulic vs electric, I like the positive engagement of electric, but again there is a reason electric brakes are not found on cars and trucks as of today. It would be a lot easier and cheaper to run wires to each wheel of a car instead of the combination of hard lines and hoses, yet they still use that method.

 

[2kwik4u]

........but again there is a reason electric brakes are not found on cars and trucks as of today. It would be a lot easier and cheaper to run wires to each wheel of a car instead of the combination of hard lines and hoses, yet they still use that method.

They use hydraulics for the force multiplication. Getting an equivalent clamping force from electric brakes on a traditional disc/drum system would require absurd amounts of electrical current. The force multiplication in a hydraulic system is directly related to the ratio of driving piston to driven piston. Need more brake force, add a larger master cylinder. It's the main reason ABS (and traction control in some vehicles) works well. You can quickly and easily pulse a solenoid on a larger cylinder, and get significant force out of a smaller cylinder. I don't think we'll see hydraulic brakes on vehicles go away any time soon.........although they are starting to move to electric parking brakes, which is an interesting trend, and is probably exactly the same reasoning you have above. Lot less expensive to run some wires and a switch than to place a handle/pedal, run a cable, etc.