Locked brakes

[optimajon]

My trailer brakes are locked. Will one of these pins release them?

 

[seasick]

If your surge actuator ( the brake cylinder with the hitch ball on it) is being held pushed back, the brakes will be applied. The brakes could also be 'frozen' to the rotors or drums due to corrosion).
For the surge actuator, if the tow vehicle is attached, chock the trailer wheels and try lightly jerking the trailer forward with the tow vehicle. If the actuator is compressed, a small tug should pull the front part out a bit.

If the wheel brakes are stuck, the job is trickier. You have to back off the brakes and that is easier said than done, especially wit disk brakes. Try whacking the drums or calipers with a small sledge hammer or dead blow hammer.
The the actuator is struck, you can loosen one of the hydraulic hose fittings or brake bleeders to release pressure. Note if that works to free up the brakes, it won't help unstick a stuck actuator.

Finally, you may have a seized wheel bearing. If that is the case only the specific wheel will be affected.

 

[family affair]

I have the same actuator on my trailer.
If you are trying to back up, then the 5 pin electrical harness has to be plugged into the tow vehicle. When the tow vehicle is put in reverse, a lock out solenoid engages to prevent the surge system from making pressure.
To mechanically bypass this, take the tongue lock pin and place it in the partial covered hole on the far left of your photo.
If you tripped the emergency lock, the arm in the top of your actuator with the cable attached would be forward and sticking up. EDIT: To release it, you have to take the screws out of the black cap and slip the retaining plate towards the back of the trailer. stick a screwdriver in the slot on the side of the plastic bracket. From there I can't remember! It isn't intuitive. I do know that sliding the plate back will release it also.
If it is a corrosion or caliper issue, follow seasick's suggestions.

 

[seasick]

I guess it would help if the OP explained if the breaks are locked going in reverse or always locked and can he or she tell if both sides of the axle are locked.

 

[Hookup1]

The round / straight pin on the actuator isn't in right and starting to come out. The round part should be over the shaft to hold in place. Bend the pin if necessary to lock it in place. Look at the smaller one on the actuator.

Make sure the emergency brake arm on top of the actuator is pushed all the way back. You can put a pipe or pipe wrench on this to test the brakes. This arm directly pushes the brake piston to actuate the surge brakes.

The hitch connection slides in and out of the actuator to put pressure on the piston (vehicle surge) to activate the brakes. Make sure it's all the way back. As said above chock wheels and pull forward and back - make sure it slides.

Jack up the trailer one side at a time. You will need a bottle jack if boat is on the trailer. Make sure wheels turn on both sides.

If the trailer works ok in forward but brakes are locked in reverse your problem is with the reverse bypass solenoid. This is on the back of the actuator connected to the trailer via the blue wire. Frequently on mine the large trailer connector isn't in all the way. You can also put a voltmeter on it to see if you are getting voltage.

 

[Joe_C]

The hole that a surge pin WOULD go in is 1/2 way visible - far far left in the photo. This is in the "male" part of the trailer tongue.
There's no pin in that hole - it appears partially "surged" back into the (female) brake enclosure, meaning your brakes are engaged! You can see that IF there were a pin through here, that front (male) part of wouldn't be able to push back into the larger (female) brake enclosure.
You need to carefully jerk forward with your truck to release the brakes - you'll know you've done it when there is plenty of space behind the hole where the surge pin would go.
If that doesn't work, something else has your male partially stuck into your female . . .

 

[family affair]

Addition note, most Loadrite trailers sold now use Knott brake assemblies. Many COVID built trailers have issues with Knott calipers "hanging-up." I had temporary luck unsticking mine by tapping them with a hammer, but they would soon have issues again.
I'll spare the GG crowd the details of the ordeal to get my brakes fixed under warranty. It was Knott fun. PM me if that is the case and I can talk you through the misery.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

If you tripped the emergency lock, the arm in the top of your actuator with the cable attached would be forward and sticking up. To release it, you have to take the screws out of the black cap and slip the retaining plate towards the back of the trailer.
If it is a corrosion or caliper issue, follow seasick's suggestions.

This! You can see it is sticking up, you have to insert a flathead screw driver in the opening of the plastic piece to release.
See page four.

https://www.dexteraxle.com/user_area/content_media/raw/2019-10_059-z01-06.pdf

 

[DennisG01]

This! You can see it is sticking up, you have to insert a flathead screw driver in the opening of the plastic piece to release.
See page four.

https://www.dexteraxle.com/user_area/content_media/raw/2019-10_059-z01-06.pdf

Not on that style, though. With that style, it sticks almost straight up in the "normal" position.

We still need to hear back from the OP as what, specifically, he means. At this point, we're just guessing. Although, with the amount of spider webs on that thing, the trailer could have been sitting for a long time and things are corroded/rusted. In any case, need much more info.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

Not on that style, though. With that style, it sticks almost straight up in the "normal" position.

We still need to hear back from the OP as what, specifically, he means. At this point, we're just guessing. Although, with the amount of spider webs on that thing, the trailer could have been sitting for a long time and things are corroded/rusted. In any case, need much more info.

Actually that is the exact same style as mine (and the one in the link I sent), when it is up like that, it is locked. It lays back when not locked.
I just rebuilt the whole actuator and replaced the master cylinder.

 

[DennisG01]

Actually that is the exact same style as mine (and the one in the link I sent), when it is up like that, it is locked. It lays back when not locked.
I just rebuilt the whole actuator and replaced the master cylinder.

Are you sure you're not talking about the older version of that style? I just had one of these in the shop the other day and it was exactly like the OP's picture and the brakes were not locked. I looked in the manual you linked... in the bleeding section there is a picture of it in the normal and locked position - according to that manual, the OP's picture matches the manual's picture of it in the normal position.

 

[family affair]

Are you sure you're not talking about the older version of that style? I just had one of these in the shop the other day and it was exactly like the OP's picture and the brakes were not locked. I looked in the manual you linked... in the bleeding section there is a picture of it in the normal and locked position - according to that manual, the OP's picture matches the manual's picture of it in the normal position.

I believe you are right Dennis. If it's tripped, it looks very discombobulated. I think the OP has an issue elsewhere.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

Are you sure you're not talking about the older version of that style? I just had one of these in the shop the other day and it was exactly like the OP's picture and the brakes were not locked. I looked in the manual you linked... in the bleeding section there is a picture of it in the normal and locked position - according to that manual, the OP's picture matches the manual's picture of it in the normal position.

It's the same version and the two images in the attachment (images 12 and 13), to me it looks closer to 13, but I could be wrong.

 

[DennisG01]

It's the same version and the two images in the attachment (images 12 and 13), to me it looks closer to 13, but I could be wrong.

It's funny, the other day was the first time I saw this exact style at the shop and the first thing that went through my mind was "Wait, the e-brake has been tripped". But sure enough, the wheels were spinning normally. This happened to be a brand new trailer, too. I'm so used to the older style where the handle lays nearly completely flat in the normal position -- this looked odd to me. But oh well - it was working as it should.

I see what you mean with figures 12&13... now look at figures 5&6

 

[A&J Outdoors]

It's funny, the other day was the first time I saw this exact style at the shop and the first thing that went through my mind was "Wait, the e-brake has been tripped". But sure enough, the wheels were spinning normally. This happened to be a brand new trailer, too. I'm so used to the older style where the handle lays nearly completely flat in the normal position -- this looked odd to me. But oh well - it was working as it should.

I see what you mean with figures 12&13... now look at figures 5&6

Yeah I had to do that to bleed mine once I replaced the master cylinder and other brake parts. But, figure 6 is when you manually pull it to pump the brakes. But when it is tripped (locked) it doesn't sit that far forward.

 

[DennisG01]

Yeah I had to do that to bleed mine once I replaced the master cylinder and other brake parts. But, figure 6 is when you manually pull it to pump the brakes. But when it is tripped (locked) it doesn't sit that far forward.

Is there slop in your lever? I'm positive that the lever on the new trailer I saw was in the same position as the OP's and the trailer rolled along easily. But that info is not matching up with your experience. I wonder if there's enough slop in the lever to go from "your" normal position to my "normal" position without activating the brakes?

 

[A&J Outdoors]

Is there slop in your lever? I'm positive that the lever on the new trailer I saw was in the same position as the OP's and the trailer rolled along easily. But that info is not matching up with your experience. I wonder if there's enough slop in the lever to go from "your" normal position to my "normal" position without activating the brakes?

I wish I had the trailer here at the house, but it's down at the coast right now. I don't remember if there was some slop in it.