Hello can someone please tell me where to add alcohol to brakes to avoid freezing in cold weather?

Drag the trailer brakes a bit before you park to dry them out?

 

I see what what you are talking about, but I don't run into those types of conditions too much. No snow here on the road much when it is above freezing, and 90% of the time if running through snow, it is well below freezing, a lot well below 0, I do mostly drop and hook now, so I just drag the trailer brakes a bit to dry them out, so the next guy doesn't have problems, wish everybody would. lol

If a guy forgets to drag them, he can just set there without setting them for ten minutes or so, then pull up a few feet and back back in, and all will be good to go for the next guy.

 

Ive gotten under my semi with a hammer a time or two. Always something. Too exciting for this old dog. I actually still have a minor damage on one foot after the tractor got loose enough on it before I moved too slowly out of the way. Fortuantely the snow was deep with that steel toe to boot. /pun. With the trailer brakes off and shes creeping, I had to hustle.

Too much excitement...

 

I only had to use it on one specific truck that would freeze up below 0*. Had to put a few ounces in the line coming from the compressor a few times every winter. I think their air dryer itself was freezing up. It never had moisture in the tanks though. Very strange.

 

When you stop for the night when its freezing cold don't set your trailer brakes. Also make sure before you go to bed move your truck back and fourth a few feet. The blowing snow and ice freezes to your brake drums after you are finished driving for the day. When you move the truck it breaks it free. I always do this at least a couple of times.when.I am parked for the night before going to bed, especially in places like Wyoming, the Dakotas, etc where there is blowing snow.
I cant name how many times I hear the brakes break free from the ice before it gets frozen solid.....

 

Pour in your emergency line only. Not the service line. As mentioned, do not set your trailer brakes as soon as you park. Rock back and forth for a few minutes to cool the tires and brakes before setting them. Live in the tundra, proper air brake antifreeze is fine in trailers.

 

it cannot be stressed enough to drain your air tanks daily (or nightly) when your shift is done, or at every 10 hour break.

at my last job, we had Penske lease trucks, but my company owned our trailers. still, Penske provided us with brake line "anti-freeze" and told us to use it maybe no more than once a week, or monthly, but to not make a habit of it.

but like someone else mentioned, just do not set your trailer brakes, if you are on a level surface, and just taking your rest breaks. for us at the time, we HAD to set our brakes, as we HAD to back to the loading docks, and if you know the way fork lift drivers zip into and out of trailers, this is why, as well as chocking the tires.

 

Alcohol eats the seals in the brake valves and promotes premature wear. You really don't want to do that. Maybe if you are trying to pickup a dropped trailer that has frozen water in the lines and you have no choice, dump it down the red line.

Just ride the brakes before you stop for the night so it will warm up the brake pads and dry them off. You know when you are coming off an off ramp just use the service brakes and use them all the way to the bottom of the ramp. If your brake pads are dry you don't have to worry about them freezing to the drum. Unless there is a deep moat surrounding the place you want to park... it can happen.


Drain you air tanks every night, just long enough that you stop seeing water spray coming out. Try and make sure your air dryer and air dryer filter is in good shape.

 

• Drain. Tanks during the day when it's warm.

You may not be able to drain at night when temps drop. But check anyways.

Twice a day.

In January. Daytime is the only time I can get drainage. Everything freezes up when I get parked at night.

 

If this is your truck, have a sniffer installer. They are about $100 and go in line after the wet tank. Fill it with air brake antifreeze every month or so in the winter and forget about it. You wont have to worry about dump valves, locker solenoids etc on your truck freezing up again. This of course will make its way through the trailer and its valves as well.

If you never have problems with the tractor, skip the sniffer install and just dump and oz into the supply line every now and then and your trailer will be taken care of (to echo other advice here)

Air brake antifreeze will NOT have any effect on linings freezing to the drums though, this is a separate issue. Always a good idea to pack a camping size propane bottle and torch in case you have to thaw your drums.