Dropping a Trailer Properly

So his trailer brakes were locking up? Just give me your yes or no to this question please ok? When do you set/pull your trailer brakes. (red knob). I am seeing trust me the errors of my ways.....but I have never pulled a trailer before until school.

 

if you have a manual dump on trailer--i get close to door--go out dump the air--then back into dock--with auto--hit the dockdump the brakes and like mr day said hold a bit of pressure to trailer doesnt scoot back
as with anything--there is the proper book way--and the way it is done on the road
same as hooking up a trailer--i never back close then hook up lines---i get close --check 5th height to kingpin--then dump air if i have to--or just hook up --then hook up air lines---the reason for hooking up airlines before pinning trailer goes back to the old days when trailers either had no spring brakes--or only on one axle
and the dolly legs had roller wheels instead of pads--you actually could end up chasing your trailer while trying to hook up

 

MrBeast. I had the misfortune of being at a mallwart DC this past winter. Their yard dog hooked two trailers in a row with frozen brakes, yep, dragged both of them the length of the DC, smoked 16 tires big time!!

Oh, no worry, they weren't mallwart trailers, they were ours.
I called and let the company know. Don't know what if anything became of it.

 

yes his brakes were frozen--shoe to drum
if they are frozen--just push button in--leave tractor brakes applied---i dont crawl underneath--i use a 3ft long square stock--2" thick--put it thru the rims onto drum and give it a whack with a mini sledge
tire crayon works not bad to put a line on your tires to make sure they are turning

 

When you push the red knob in it releases your trailer brakes.

He had done this, but because the brake shoes had frozen to the drums, the wheels did not turn, and he drug them until they blew.

This is why starting this time of year you will see a lot of company trailers with white, red, or orange lines painted in 2 or 4 spots across the side wall of thier trailer tire, it is so you can see in the mirrors if your trailer tires are spinning.

So yes, he did release his brakes, but they did not release because tey were froze up. He should have checked to make sure his trailer tires were rolling.

 

Also another way is to bump the dock, set the brakes, then put a bit of backward pressure on the trailer and pop the red handle in and out just fast enough to quickly release the brakes and reset them before the bags can air up.

The reason for this is, your trailer provides air to the brakes before the suspension.

 

Yeah, things right there really piss me off. I seriously gets me going when people abuse equipment and dont care that they are doing it.

 

This whole "dumping air" is new to me. It was never mentioned even in the text book. Again i will say this site and it's members are invaluable. I just assumed the trailer was made to fit the dock. If i am gathering things correctly, you have to lower your trailer via the air bags to fit the dock. OK do you ever back into a dock that is to high? I suppose they have apparatus to accomodate that.

 

a tug test...

 

Oh good,

THAT they did teach us in school.