More clunking than surging

hshift

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
49
Maybe someone familiar with surge brakes can help me out as I am not experienced with their operation. I have a DICO/TITAN model 60. When I brake with my trailer, I get several loud clunking noises and it feels to me like the trailer is vibrating, like the brakes are grabbing. This happens almost all the time, except at very slow speeds like when I'm manuvering the trailer in and out of my driveway or the boat launch.

As a test I jacked up each side of the trailer. The wheels turn freely and if I use a 2x4 to manually push on the hitch, I can no longer turn the wheels, so I assume the brakes are working. One thing I noticed is that the shock absorber seemed soft, and that I had to manually pull the hitch forward to get the brakes to release. Is this normal, or should the hitch move back to non-braking position on its own? I removed the shock, and it does not move on its own. I can extend it fully, and it stays that way, and I can push it in all the way, and it stays that way as well. Shouldn't the shock try to fully extend when it is not connected to anything, like a car shock behaves? And finally, if this shock is bad, can it cause the clunking noise I'm hearing.

Thanks for your answers in advance.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,589
Re: More clunking than surging

The shock is a damper. There is no spring associated with it.

If you are getting a clunking, it could be that your brakes need to be adjusted. If the shoes are not adjusted close enough to the drum, the master cylinder has to push in farther and the clunk you hear is all that travel being pulled back out. Could also be air in the lines and require bleeding.
 

jacknbella

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2008
Messages
251
Re: More clunking than surging

Have you checked to see if there is any play within the hitch drawbar or even the hitch ball itself? I had a very similar situation a while back and I was convinced the surge brakes were not working as well. Come to find out, the hitch drawbar had about 1/8" of play forward and aft which caused the loud clunking noises. I purchased one of those "hitch-vise anti-rattle clamps" and it nearly went away altogether. Good luck!
 

hshift

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
49
Re: More clunking than surging

FYI, I changed out the damper, and the noise has stopped. The old damper was a LOT easier to move manually than the new one, so I figure the lack of tension in the old one was causing the brakes to grab.
 

shorts&chanclas

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
125
Re: More clunking than surging

It might not hurt to bleed them just to be sure air didn't get in the lines.
 
Top