Hauling grain at the moment with a Fendt516 and Bailey root trailer with commercial axles and I’m disappointed with the amount of braking coming from the trailer. Have adjusted trailer brakes as close as I dare but still disappoints. Have be using numerous other trailers over the past week, some with air, some with ag axles, and they all seem to offer quicker and harsher braking than the Bailey root crop. I should add, the Bailey root crop is hydraulically braked. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Tia
How To improve Bailey hydraulic trailer braking?
- Thread starter chester
- Start date
Chae1
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
Have you moved the slack adjuster arms on the splines?
Or how are you adjusting them right up?
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Take a tee off the brake line into a spool if its long hills you are on
Spencer
Member
- Location
- North West
How old is trailer?
Nearly
Member
- Location
- North of York
Is it load sensing? Have the shoes glazed up?
There’s a whole science to the job of decent hydraulic brakes. Ram size relative to load & brake dimensions, pipe size, how the pipe work is actually plumbed up, position of what hole the ram is mounted to the slack adjuster, angle of the slack adjuster to the ram (90 degrees to the pushrod when the brakes are applied as far as I remember). Thats before you even start on the condition & wear of all the braking components. If they’ve got the basics wrong all the tinkering in the world won’t make a great deal of difference.
davidroberts30
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
Are the rams and levers at 90degree when brakes applied
TripleSix
Member
- Location
- Helmsley, North Yorkshire
Are the brakes actually working and not seized up?
Which hole are the rams pinned in on the slack adjusters?
Are the rams actually moving when someone presses the brakes?
Which hole are the rams pinned in on the slack adjusters?
Are the rams actually moving when someone presses the brakes?
cosmagedon
Member
- Location
- North Wales
Good chance the shoes have glazed up, we used to see this on wagons and before test we would pull the drums off and using a hacksaw sideways scrape across the shoes in a hash. Doubled the braking efficiency and easy passed a test then.
Massey Ferguson 6480
Member
Does it have a load sensor fitted?
- Location
- South east
What size is the hydrolic pipe if it's 3/8 from the tractor and 1/4 off the 4 way fiting it's to small it needs to be 1/2 inc and 3/8 latest, and make shore you haven't adjusted the brack's that far that they are on the end of the S cams
That's the first question to ask. If so might need adjustment
A good question. My Bailey trailers have very little spring deflection between empty and full, so the load sensor is largely decorative. Commercial axles with hydraulics but not air - very sharp indeed. They are Tilly tested every year, not that braking efficiency is ever tested under that scheme.
Last edited:
Massey Ferguson 6480
Member
If it has, i suggest disconnecting the rod or cable to allow the lever to open all the way up and then test them.I would much rather that and have to be abit more carful when empty as the way they are now.
rob h
Member
- Location
- east yorkshire
Start with basics. Take the drums off to check everything is working freely. Are the shoes worn or glazed.and often over looked the drums can be full of brake dust.this if it gets bad it stops the shoes gripping properly
The best way to improve them is to fit air.
Basics first.
Check the load sensing if fitted
Check everything including the tractor & pinpoint where the inefficiencies in the system are.
Check all the hyd hoses & fittings for rot, bulges or leaks, specifically around the rams or where any hose rubbing takes place on the chassis, check the coupler on the hose end & tractor, observe function the rams with the tractor brake & independently via a hyd pump or spool, note any difference in ram stroke or pressure loss when actuated
Single acting spring return ram travel is short, worn mounts, linkages & pins/bolts/boltholes will impact ram travel.
If all above seems ok then remove the hubs.
Once in there check for everything, seized cams, shoe glazing, wear, missing linings, you'll also be able to check the wheel bearings when you are in that far.
A common overhaul is replacing all hoses & rams at once to eliminate the hydraulic circuit.
Basics first.
Check the load sensing if fitted
Check everything including the tractor & pinpoint where the inefficiencies in the system are.
Check all the hyd hoses & fittings for rot, bulges or leaks, specifically around the rams or where any hose rubbing takes place on the chassis, check the coupler on the hose end & tractor, observe function the rams with the tractor brake & independently via a hyd pump or spool, note any difference in ram stroke or pressure loss when actuated
Single acting spring return ram travel is short, worn mounts, linkages & pins/bolts/boltholes will impact ram travel.
If all above seems ok then remove the hubs.
Once in there check for everything, seized cams, shoe glazing, wear, missing linings, you'll also be able to check the wheel bearings when you are in that far.
A common overhaul is replacing all hoses & rams at once to eliminate the hydraulic circuit.
snipe
Member
- Location
- west yorkshire
What causes brakes to glaze. is it when the brakes are not worked hard enough.
yes, pretty much, a lot of short runs unladen, riding the brakes lightly almost like heat treating the brake linings
Chae1
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
How does air improve there performance?
It's just air actuating the same braking mechanism as oil?
davidroberts30
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
air is more controllable but yes the fundamentals are equal
air usually has bigger chambers so exert more pressure, hydraulic rams tend to be too small