Bradley doublelock hitch

ORVEE

Not sure if this is the right place to post this....

A friend asked me to have a look at a trailer he bought a few months back. No name on it so not sure what make it is, but it does have a bradley hitch on it.

The problem is i can't release the handbrake lever. The lever is in the upright position and needs and unbelievable amount of force to release it(which i cant't do). There's a spring at the end of the lever in a cylinder.
The brake shoes have been adjusted so the trailer can still be used.

Do these levers give trouble and just needs replacing or am i not seeing something.

Sorry for the long post and appreciate any input.

rangler1

ORVEE wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right place to post this....

A friend asked me to have a look at a trailer he bought a few months back. No name on it so not sure what make it is, but it does have a bradley hitch on it.

The problem is i can't release the handbrake lever. The lever is in the upright position and needs and unbelievable amount of force to release it(which i cant't do). There's a spring at the end of the lever in a cylinder.
The brake shoes have been adjusted so the trailer can still be used.

Do these levers give trouble and just needs replacing or am i not seeing something.

Sorry for the long post and appreciate any input.

Trailer brakes are very important and very hard to get someone to service hem right, so tell him to bite the bullet and get it serviced right.......before he kills someone

Reggie.

rangler1 wrote: »

Trailer brakes are very important and very hard to get someone to service hem right, so tell him to bite the bullet and get it serviced right.......before he kills someone

Don't think he means it that way rangler. Never came across the lever stuck on a trailer as more the brake shoes would seize to the drums but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Def worth getting looked at as something is amiss

td5man

Ifor Williams here takes a fair push to get the handbrake off.

Attie

ORVEE wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right place to post this....

A friend asked me to have a look at a trailer he bought a few months back. No name on it so not sure what make it is, but it does have a bradley hitch on it.

The problem is i can't release the handbrake lever. The lever is in the upright position and needs and unbelievable amount of force to release it(which i cant't do). There's a spring at the end of the lever in a cylinder.
The brake shoes have been adjusted so the trailer can still be used.

Do these levers give trouble and just needs replacing or am i not seeing something.

Sorry for the long post and appreciate any input.

Orvee
Ran into the same thing on a mates Ivor Williams a goodly helping of engine oil soon helped it put the oil on the lever let it run into the cylinder also on the workings of the handbrake.
Oil the best mechanic to come about any place.
Attie

ORVEE

Everything is oiled up, but still no joy. I can pull the lever about half way but the tension on the spring just seem's to much.

Thank's for the input anyway....maybe i need more spinach!

Zr105

You could try slip a pipe over the end of handle if it is moving free to a point at the moment.

Also I agree with above about getting it serviced. If the brakes are adjusted so there off when the handbrake is up I'd be fairly sure there's zero braking at all as they all work through the one system, which means the trailer very dangerous on the road.

I hate seeing trailers with the handbrakes left up, far better just use them till you chock the wheels then let them off. It prevents the shoes from sticking to the drums which will cause the linings to peal away if done repeatedly. Also takes all the pressure off the cables so that they don't become stretched, particularly if the trailer is seldom used

Miname

Oil up everything and take off each wheel giving the drums a light crack of a sledge and pretty much anything that moves do the same. You would be surprised how it might be the tiniest wee bit of friction that's probably holding it back.

Attie

Miname wrote: »

Oil up everything and take off each wheel giving the drums a light crack of a sledge and pretty much anything that moves do the same. You would be surprised how it might be the tiniest wee bit of friction that's probably holding it back.

The cables on mine are inclined to seize up if breaks are left on for a time while sitting in yard so I don't put them on, just set a block of timber at wheel.
Suggest checking the cables to see if they are free there will be one to each wheel/hub.
These guys are good for parts and ship all over the country.
http://www.thjenkinson.co.uk/trailers/spares-and-service/
Attie.
PS. Hubs are £100 each so watch what you do with the sledge hammer.

Sami23

Posting here rather than starting a new thread. Bit of advice needed please.
The Brakes on a twin axle trailer are sticking slightly after being applied as in the threaded bar is not fully releasing after each use. Brakes are working fine and pads are good it's just the threaded bar is not springing back fully after each use.
It's the same if you engage in manually with the handbrake and all it takes is a gentle tap or shove and the threaded bar goes back no bother. All 4 cables are moving in and out freely so not sure why the threaded bar is not springing back fully each time.
Should there be a spring at the end of this bar near the hitch or is it just the brakes themselves that should release themselves and make this bar spring back.
The end result the last day I was using the trailer was that one of the brake stayed slightly on and the hub heated up a bit.
Thanks in advance.

hopeso

A spring at the hitch would do nothing, as that threaded bar moves forward towards the hitch to apply the brakes...It should move back to release them. If you're sure the cables are moving freely in both directions, then it's possible the brakes are tightened up too much in the drums...especially the one that was heating.

Sami23

hopeso wrote: »

A spring at the hitch would do nothing, as that threaded bar moves forward towards the hitch to apply the brakes...It should move back to release them. If you're sure the cables are moving freely in both directions, then it's possible the brakes are tightened up too much in the drums...especially the one that was heating.

So is it just the springs in the brakes themselves that should return the threaded bar back to original position once pressure is released from it

hopeso

Sami23 wrote: »

So is it just the springs in the brakes themselves that should return the threaded bar back to original position once pressure is released from it

Yes, more or less. That bar shouldn’t feel tight when the brakes are released. You should be able to joggle it a bit with your hand.

I’d say try slackening off the brakes a little at the drums is your best bet. Tighten each one in until the wheel is locked with the brake. Then back the nut out slowly until the wheel rotates with little resistance. A slight rubbing noise as you rotate the wheel is fine.

Sami23

hopeso wrote: »

Yes, more or less. That bar shouldn’t feel tight when the brakes are released. You should be able to joggle it a bit with your hand.

I’d say try slackening off the brakes a little at the drums is your best bet. Tighten each one in until the wheel is locked with the brake. Then back the nut out slowly until the wheel rotates with little resistance. A slight rubbing noise as you rotate the wheel is fine.

Thanks for that - I'll give it a go at the weekend.
One thing I did notice last night was where the threaded bar bracket is connected to the braking mechanism under the hitch was very stiff so I sprayed WD40 on that to free it up. Brakes all pull fine when pressure is applied it's just they don't slacken off fully when released. I'd say it's all down to a general stiffness from not using the trailer that much. A little oil and grease all along the braking system should hopefully go a long way to getting me sorted. Even the brake cable compensator seems stiff from surface rust so that got the WD40 treatment also.