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disc brake upgrade


GlennWest

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I am having problems with my electric brakes. Price to replace vs upgrade with new bearings plus not reusing old hubs is very comparable. I have the 8k dexter on my Teton. 7k axles with 8k brakes. Where is best place to buy? Looking on etrailer. Also what acumalator do you recommend

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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Direct link's actuator states used with direct link controller. Don't have. Curious, how did you buy from Kodiak? They link me to a trailer center distributor. No option to buy from them.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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Why not just put BluDot on in place of an electric/hydraulic actuator. Use the HDT the way it was designed to be operated.

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Ditto on the Bludot. And if you buy from Dexter, make up some fake 'repair shop" name when you call, ask for a discount. They aren't bashful at all on the price, and the pads for my 10K axles are way higher than Kodiak. And nothing else fits.................

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Thanks, hadn't really considered Bluedot. Need to study up on it. Understand but really not researched all the details. Actuators are 700ish and comparable in price. May actually be less. Also need to find those air lines. Found one, air fitting on it.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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Glenn,

 

I installed them back in 2007. I honestly cannot remember how I connected with Kodiak - might have been via Dexter. They were certainly good to work with though - they sent the wrong rotors (six lug versus eight lug) and shipped the replacements at their cost and figured the six lug would cost more to return than they were worth so I had six anchors for my boat.

 

Lenp

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How large is that air tank with Bluedot? Curious as to where to mount. Also looking on Bluedot site, they list mostly drum brake kits in our weight axle range. Which TH kit do I need with 3 axles with 8k Kodiak disc?

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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....and here is my presentation on the BluDot. LINK. You can mount the tank almost anywhere, either vertically or horizontally. You need a drain on it, of course, so that "could" affect the mounting position because of the existing taps into it. You could even mount under the trailer, but I don't know of anyone that has done so.....there are obvious negatives to doing that.

 

If I was starting fresh I'd consider Dexter disc brakes, BUT the downside is that on a three axle trailer you need to run TWO BluDot systems, dividing the axles between them The reason is that Dexter cylinders are too large for a single BD system to handle. I usually have one axle on a system, and then the other two (rear) axles on the other system. Both are fed from the same air supply.

 

To avoid that, you can go to the Kodiak brakes. There you only need one BD system. There is an experienced installer here in the Valley (Mcallen), if you get dead time at work. But it is certainly something an experienced DIYer can do themselves. The key to a successful BD install is to bench-bleed the master cylinder, and then once installed bleed the entire system VERY thoroughly. On initial installation the BD is sensitive to air in the system. When retrofitting I ALWAYS use a different color brake fluid. That is a lesson learned the hard way.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
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Bench bleeding I always do with master cylinders. Thanks Jack. I believe I going with Kodiak. 8k brakes on my Teton with 7k axles is likely overkill. If one can have too good a brake. Dual master cylinders take up more room also. Personally I like going to parts house and get pads too.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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The Kodiak brakes work fine, Glenn. I had them on my Royals International with BuDot. A VERY capable braking system. Just be sure not to feed the Kodiak too much pressure. We usually dial them back to 900-1000 psi. They "can" blow out if you leave them unregulated. (seals blow).

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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Look at Bontrager's and RV Surplus in Elkhart. One of them has a pic online with a STACK of axles.

Would this be an option for used axles already outfitted with disc brakes? If someone already did conversion on a 5er that was totalled then there would be inventory somewhere.

Marcel

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Would this be an option for used axles already outfitted with disc brakes? If someone already did conversion on a 5er that was totalled then there would be inventory somewhere.

 

Would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. IF you found such axles they could be worn out.

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I am biased but I would jack the trailer up, take off the springs and shackles and have a MOR/ryde IS suspension installed with Dexter Brakes.

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I've installed Kodiak on 3 trailers but on the the last install I had 2 calipers which the pistons didn't slide easily and overheated the rotors, This was after doing 6 or 7 E brake tests. I was told by a Kodiak competitor that the casting deforms during heavy use..

 

My next disc install I'll try Dexter calipers that have pistons on both sides.

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J-T, I doubt that cast iron will deform under heavy use. It is more likely to crack than deform. As long as your slide ways are moving freely and greased with high temp caliper grease, they should work fine.

 

If yours stuck, more than likely the cause was the machining of the parts.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've done 6 disc brake conversion using the standard ( Chev Cavalier??) calipers that all the companies sell.

 

All worked great but after doing several E brake tests on the last install one pistons was stiff. Found out after the TPMS showed the tire running 20F-30F hot.

 

For my next install I'm gong to give Dexter disc a try,

2011 Cameo 34SB3

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