Update On Titan Disc Brake/Actuator Conversiuon with Ford trucks

[avvidclif]

Drum brakes are enclosed and trap the heat. Disc brakes are open and ventilated and do not heat up as much as more heat is dissipated faster. Notice the disc brake is not a solid piece but 2 separate disks with air space between. The pads are out in the open also. Ergo better braking.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

BTW....for those still thinking about this or are planning to have Ronald Russell from Performance Trailer Braking do the install at a Rally, he told me yesterday he DOES include the kit to resolve this problem with his installation.

I am having him install disc brakes on our 3160EL in Sept during the PNW Rally.

 

[BigGuy82]

BTW....for those still thinking about this or are planning to have Ronald Russell from Performance Trailer Braking do the install at a Rally, he told me yesterday he DOES include the kit to resolve this problem with his installation.

I am having him install disc brakes on our 3160EL in Sept during the PNW Rally.

This is all it is (on the left):



A little metal box with two wires - took me all of 15 minutes to install.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

This is all it is (on the left):

A little metal box with two wires - took me all of 15 minutes to install.

Yes, I believe so.

Agree the install looks easy, but might as well have the professional install it. The install price was not increased when I questioned him about this, so I figure I saved ~$75 and some time by ensuring it was included in the package for Heartland Rally attendees.

 

[BigGuy82]

Yes, I believe so.

Agree the install looks easy, but might as well have the professional install it. The install price was not increased when I questioned him about this, so I figure I saved ~$75 and some time by ensuring it was included in the package for Heartland Rally attendees.

Wasn't suggesting you do it - just showing you and others what it is.

 

[porthole]

I had one of Ron Russell's lead installers tell me to purposely burn in the new brakes to get any grease and Dacromet coating off of the rotors. He suggested doing this on an empty road by partially applying the trailer brakes only for 10 seconds or so and doing this 3 or 4 times.

A proper install will have no grease or any coatings not meant to be on the rotors or pads.
The purpose of "burn in" is really burnishing, and does serve a purpose, but it is not to clean off grease form a sloppy installation.

This is for your truck or trailer (or car motorcycle etc.)

Brake pad seating


After installing new brake pads, make 6 to 10 stops from approximately 30-35 mph applying moderate pressure.


Make an additional 2 to 3 hard stops from approximately 40 to 45 mph.


DO NOT DRAG BRAKES!


Allow 15 minutes for brake system to cool down.


After step 4 your new pads are ready for use.

 

[BigGuy82]

A proper install will have no grease or any coatings not meant to be on the rotors or pads.
The purpose of "burn in" is really burnishing, and does serve a purpose, but it is not to clean off grease form a sloppy installation.

This is for your truck or trailer (or car motorcycle etc.)

Brake pad seating


After installing new brake pads, make 6 to 10 stops from approximately 30-35 mph applying moderate pressure.


Make an additional 2 to 3 hard stops from approximately 40 to 45 mph.


DO NOT DRAG BRAKES!


Allow 15 minutes for brake system to cool down.


After step 4 your new pads are ready for use.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I'll stick with Ron's installer - he's done this a lot. Also, even if Ron's installer hadn't mentioned this, I would have done it - I've always seated new pads (cars, trucks, motorcycles) by lightly dragging the brakes - no problems. I simply passed it along as I regarded it as a tip from a professional installer. I usually stick with what works for me. I dragged my new trailer brakes (using common sense I might add - not smoking them, just several partial applications for about 10 seconds each) and everything is working just dandy. Discs are shiny as they should be and stops are perfect. I also measured hub, wheel and spoke temperatures during the trial run with a laser thermometer and didn't experience any extreme temps that required a "cool down", so I must have done something right. After using my procedure, I took the rig on a 100+ off-highway trip so the brakes had plenty of normal usage.

Regarding your comment about burning grease off the disc as being the reason for doing this, you obviously missed my comment about removing the Dacromet coating, which is, of course "burnishing". Contrary to your comment, this coating is meant to be there and is merely a protectant that is expected to be removed by usage. Also having a few greasy fingerprints on the discs is hardly indicative of a sloppy installation - if cleaning off your fingerprints floats your boat that's OK with me - obviously I wasn't talking about blobs of grease. Back to my opening comment about opinions, my opinion is that this method of "seating" new brakes is fine.

By the way, your comment on 2 or 3 "hard stops" is just the opposite of everything I've ever read with a new vehicle - seems I've always read that you should avoid hard stops with new brakes. This may not apply to ABS systems since they essentially avoid lock up by pumping the brakes.

 

[porthole]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I'll stick with Ron's installer - he's done this a lot. Also, even if Ron's installer hadn't mentioned this, I would have done it - I've always seated new pads (cars, trucks, motorcycles) by lightly dragging the brakes - no problems. I simply passed it along as I regarded it as a tip from a professional installer. I usually stick with what works for me. I dragged my new trailer brakes (using common sense I might add - not smoking them, just several partial applications for about 10 seconds each) and everything is working just dandy. Discs are shiny as they should be and stops are perfect. I also measured hub, wheel and spoke temperatures during the trial run with a laser thermometer and didn't experience any extreme temps that required a "cool down", so I must have done something right. After using my procedure, I took the rig on a 100+ off-highway trip so the brakes had plenty of normal usage.

Regarding your comment about burning grease off the disc as being the reason for doing this, you obviously missed my comment about removing the Dacromet coating, which is, of course "burnishing". Contrary to your comment, this coating is meant to be there and is merely a protectant that is expected to be removed by usage. Also having a few greasy fingerprints on the discs is hardly indicative of a sloppy installation - if cleaning off your fingerprints floats your boat that's OK with me - obviously I wasn't talking about blobs of grease. Back to my opening comment about opinions, my opinion is that this method of "seating" new brakes is fine.

By the way, your comment on 2 or 3 "hard stops" is just the opposite of everything I've ever read with a new vehicle - seems I've always read that you should avoid hard stops with new brakes. This may not apply to ABS systems since they essentially avoid lock up by pumping the brakes.

You apparently missed the intent of my comment. Grease on the pads or rotors is sloppy work - if not cleaned before use.
Yes using the brakes will eventually solve the issue, but it is not the proper way.

Opinions - we all have our own, It is how you back up the opinion that differs.
In my former career I did a brake job or two. Probably more then the installer has done as well, and I have a degree in automotive diesel technology to back my opinion up. What is is his?

As to the brake burnishing, what I posted is not my opinion. It is an industry standard method.

Take it as my 2 cents. You don't like it, not a problem, for me.

 

[BigGuy82]

You apparently missed the intent of my comment. Grease on the pads or rotors is sloppy work - if not cleaned before use.
Yes using the brakes will eventually solve the issue, but it is not the proper way.

Opinions - we all have our own, It is how you back up the opinion that differs.
In my former career I did a brake job or two. Probably more then the installer has done as well, and I have a degree in automotive diesel technology to back my opinion up. What is is his?

As to the brake burnishing, what I posted is not my opinion. It is an industry standard method.

Take it as my 2 cents. You don't like it, not a problem, for me.

Not a problem at all. I myself have done a few brake jobs. I have a four year college degree. I still trust blue collar working guys who actually apply theory, so I still choose to respect what a good mechanic says and what my experience proves. Your opinion is fine ... it's not a matter of like/dislike ... but, I would appreciate if you didn't rip mine in the process.

 

[porthole]

To be clear, and anymore then this should be taken to PM's, I did not 'rip your opinion'.

You posted a quote from someone else and I countered that is was incorrect and didn't follow industry standards. And it is also the improper way to clean brakes and rotors /drums.

I did not make up the procedure I posted above.

If you were to copy just the first two lines and do a google search you would see that I pretty much copied verbatim the standard.

In fact, since I see you have a Corvette, the second hit oddly enough in my google search, is from the Corvette forum

Burnishing is not meant to clean off the parts, they should be clean when installed.
Burnishing is the process of properly conditioning the brakes and drums/rotors for the best service and long life.

And as much as I'd like to get into not using "matched axle sets of pads, calipers and rotors" I will just go with the assumption that maybe it just isn't that critical on trailers.

 

[BigGuy82]

To be clear, and anymore then this should be taken to PM's, I did not 'rip your opinion'.

You posted a quote from someone else and I countered that is was incorrect and didn't follow industry standards. And it is also the improper way to clean brakes and rotors /drums.

I did not make up the procedure I posted above.

If you were to copy just the first two lines and do a google search you would see that I pretty much copied verbatim the standard.

In fact, since I see you have a Corvette, the second hit oddly enough in my google search, is from the Corvette forum

Burnishing is not meant to clean off the parts, they should be clean when installed.
Burnishing is the process of properly conditioning the brakes and drums/rotors for the best service and long life.

And as much as I'd like to get into not using "matched axle sets of pads, calipers and rotors" I will just go with the assumption that maybe it just isn't that critical on trailers.

Since you appreciate details, watch this video from Monroe brakes (my guess is that they sell a few million pads/year, so I'd consider this an industry standard):

http://www.monroebrakes.com/support/installation-tips-brake-pads

So if you wish to go by the book, we're both "wrong". Note the advice to check with a laser infrared thermometer. If anyone reading this thread wants to know the official "right way", I'd recommend this video.

All that said, you do it your way and I'll do it mine. Both are very likely effective and I know mine works.