Riveramx
Jet Boat Addict
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 82
- Points
- 97
- Location
- Saint Marys, Ga
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2013
- Boat Model
- SS
- Boat Length
- 21
So I am doing my normal maintenance and routine checks on my trailer. Everything looked fine. I took my boat to the ramp for the first time this season and noticed steam coming from my brakes as it touched the water. After going home and inspecting my brakes here is what I found. (We go in salt water and wash the boat and trailer with salt away everytime before leaving the ramp area before going home.)
1. The brake pad that touches the caliper ram is held in place by a steel spring clip that fits in the ram cavity and holds the brake pad in place.
2. Being made of steel it eventually corrodes and breaks.
3. When the clip breaks/fails the brake pad is no longer held in place and it falls down and jams itself between the bottom edge of the rotor and the caliper. This means that this pad is constantly pressing against the rotor creating heat and friction as you drive the trailer. It also means that your ram no longer has the thickens of the brake pad and it will have to travel that much more to touch the rotor again. This means in effect that you don't have the trailer brakes working anymore.
4. As the ram travels further out that it is designed to do, the protective rubber boot slips out of the ram edge groove. Left unchecked, the ram may even be ejected from the caliper.
I found a Stainless Steel brake pads that have the pad backing and the clip made out of stainless steel at KODIAK 10"-12" Disc Ceramic Pads w/SS Back, #DBC-225-CERM-PAD-SS. that resolved the problem. Hope this help.
1. The brake pad that touches the caliper ram is held in place by a steel spring clip that fits in the ram cavity and holds the brake pad in place.
2. Being made of steel it eventually corrodes and breaks.
3. When the clip breaks/fails the brake pad is no longer held in place and it falls down and jams itself between the bottom edge of the rotor and the caliper. This means that this pad is constantly pressing against the rotor creating heat and friction as you drive the trailer. It also means that your ram no longer has the thickens of the brake pad and it will have to travel that much more to touch the rotor again. This means in effect that you don't have the trailer brakes working anymore.
4. As the ram travels further out that it is designed to do, the protective rubber boot slips out of the ram edge groove. Left unchecked, the ram may even be ejected from the caliper.
I found a Stainless Steel brake pads that have the pad backing and the clip made out of stainless steel at KODIAK 10"-12" Disc Ceramic Pads w/SS Back, #DBC-225-CERM-PAD-SS. that resolved the problem. Hope this help.
Last edited:
