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  #21  
Old 11-21-2010, 11:38 PM
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If your trailer brakes freeze up you can take the glad hands loose and pour some alcohol in the lines. Start pumping your brakes and using anything that has air and it should free itself up within a short time.
Amazingly that's exactly what I did on the night before! I was getting worried about the brake lines with such low temperatures, so I bought a bottle of some brake spirit-based fluid. I put it into the air lines before going to bed and then again in the morning - right into the glad-hands. And still one wheel got frozen because I had applied the trailer brakes (this was THE last time!). It wasn't an internal problem (frozen moisture in the lines). It was external - one brake pad FROZE TO the surface of the drum and stayed put even with the brake released. Hammering at it was the only way. And you're right - applying trailer brakes in cold weather is just asking for trouble.
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Old 11-22-2010, 01:05 AM
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You can get an alcohol evaporator bottle installed on your truck. They're cheap and easily installed. Some trailers are worse than others for freezing. Back in the day with spoke wheels I used a small sledge and foot long breaker bar to hit the drum. That way you didn't have to get under the trailer. The vibration from hitting the drum will usually break it free. Also try backing up first they seem to break free easier that way. When I got a trailer with hub piloted wheels the problem seemed to go away IDK I don't find any difference with applying the brakes or not. I let the brakes cool down or maybe dry if it's a sloppy snowy day before applying the brakes and that's it.
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  #23  
Old 11-22-2010, 01:09 PM
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Originally Posted by tracer View Post
Amazingly that's exactly what I did on the night before! I was getting worried about the brake lines with such low temperatures, so I bought a bottle of some brake spirit-based fluid. I put it into the air lines before going to bed and then again in the morning - right into the glad-hands. And still one wheel got frozen because I had applied the trailer brakes (this was THE last time!). It wasn't an internal problem (frozen moisture in the lines). It was external - one brake pad FROZE TO the surface of the drum and stayed put even with the brake released. Hammering at it was the only way. And you're right - applying trailer brakes in cold weather is just asking for trouble.
If the pad is frozen to the hub then it likely won't do any good to put something in the lines. I have found alcohol works as well or better than any of the commercial products and costs about $0.79 at Dollar Store. It can be a pain to have to get out and beat the brake drums when the weather is nasty. That is why I don't apply the trailer brakes in winter. I am glad that you got the brakes loose.
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Old 11-23-2010, 12:28 AM
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I remember once leaving my car with a manual transmission in the yard with applied hand brake. The weather was warm when I left on a trip but I was gone a long time and fall turned into winter When I finally got back home, I got into my car and it wouldn't move. Took me a moment to figure out brake shoes froze to the disks (I have all disk brakes). But at least on a car you don't have to climb under it to get the brakes release: I just added more gas, the car hesitated a bit, but then snapped out of it and I was rolling
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Old 11-23-2010, 01:00 PM
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It's minus 2 F (!) or -19C in Jamestown, ND right now and the truck started fine. I drove all day, then shut down, drained the water separator/primary fuel filter and my tanks were 90% full with plenty of anti-gel. I idled 1 hour before going to bed and then shut the truck down. Started the bunk heater around 4 am. Started the truck at 7 am. It hesitated a little bit but fired up okay. So, I agree with guys who said you should be okay without idling to -20C or 0F. As long as you don't discharge your batteries too badly and your fuel is winter-ready and you have no water in your water separator/fuel filter. Too bad the CAT didn't make the primary filter the way they made them in a Volvo - where you have the bottom transparent. When I get to drain the damn thing I have to drain it 100% - about 8 oz of fuel - because there is no way for me to tell if it has water at the bottom or not.
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Old 11-24-2010, 03:31 AM
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It's minus 2 F (!) or -19C in Jamestown, ND right now and the truck started fine. I drove all day, then shut down, drained the water separator/primary fuel filter and my tanks were 90% full with plenty of anti-gel. I idled 1 hour before going to bed and then shut the truck down. Started the bunk heater around 4 am. Started the truck at 7 am. It hesitated a little bit but fired up okay. So, I agree with guys who said you should be okay without idling to -20C or 0F. As long as you don't discharge your batteries too badly and your fuel is winter-ready and you have no water in your water separator/fuel filter. Too bad the CAT didn't make the primary filter the way they made them in a Volvo - where you have the bottom transparent. When I get to drain the damn thing I have to drain it 100% - about 8 oz of fuel - because there is no way for me to tell if it has water at the bottom or not.

You should be able to open the drain cock on the fuel filter and get rid of most of the water without having to drain the entire filter. Water should settle to the bottom of the fuel filter and you should be able to see if it has water when the fuel hits the ground. It would be great if all trucks had transparent fuel filters. It would make it much easier to spot the water.
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  #27  
Old 11-27-2010, 04:21 AM
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buy the alcohol with the red label. it has a lot less water content in it. It is 91% alcohol instead of the usual 70% I aslo carry a small propane torch kit to heat the drums if needed.
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Old 12-03-2010, 03:36 PM
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You can also spray the alcohol ON the brakes linings, it will release them right away, AND NOT hurt the linings.

Save an extra bottle cap and drill a small hole in it, put it on the alcohol bottle and squeeze, it will squirt 20 feet, squirt the linings without going under the truck or trailer.

Rubbing alcohol is IPA, (isopropyl alcohol) , it WILL eat rubber, use Methanol instead, that is what the air brake stuff is, or you can get Methanol in the paint section of Home Depot or Lowes. or any hardware store.
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  #29  
Old 12-06-2010, 05:25 PM
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The alchohol that is being sold in most truck stops I have seen is the 70% variety. What a waste. Like HeavyHaulerSS stated, get the 90+ percent stuff. Why would anyone want to throw water into the air system?

When in Alaska, I would carry a can of Ronson lighter fluid. If brakes were froze up, I would squirt a line of lighter fluid on the drum and light it up. Maybe not the best choice, but it worked in -60F temps. The use of a small propane torch would be the best choice for most people. Propane didn't work quite so well in real cold temps like Alaska.

Good point, Maniac. I never really considered that before. In Alaska, our alchohol supply was in a bulk tank and we just filled jugs from it. Never noticed whether it was Methanol or not. Based on your comments, I would bet it was.
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Last edited by Copperhead; 12-06-2010 at 05:32 PM.
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  #30  
Old 12-17-2010, 05:17 AM
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Nothing with the starter dude they are the batteries which creating the problem .... get them replaced....
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