What is the best way to free up frozen trailer brakes?

[DockMan]

I was reading some older posts and happened across one telling a brief story about a yard spotter who was run over and killed by his own truck.

Part of my job(s) is working as the night shift spotter in our yard. One of the most frequent problems we deal with is frozen trailer brakes during the cold months.

Are there any tips or tricks which could help me out in the next couple months?

I’ve been driving our Yard Dog for about a year and a half and already realize I still have much to learn. Some days I would swear the trailers have a mind of their own and spend the hours thinking of some new way to torment the truck drivers.

I’ll tell you what little I know so far and hope someone can add to my knowledge base.

When I encounter a trailer with frozen brakes the first thing I do is cycle the emergency brakes on and off a few times. I let the air pressure build until the compressor kicks off and release the brakes, then wait for full pressure and set them again. After a few cycles of that, combined with some pushing and pulling if they still won’t release the only alternative I left is to set the tractor brakes, release the trailer e-brakes then while the brakes are trying to “relax” crawl under the trailer and bang on the things with a hammer until I see movement in the shoes.

I’ve been fortunate so far and had this all work well enough. To be honest about it crawling under the trailer with the emergency brakes off scares the hell out of me. As far as that goes crawling under the trailer with all the brakes set but the engine idling scares me. My fear of the thing makes me go back and look to see if the tractor brakes are really set or not but I still don’t trust it completely.

There is no room at all in a Jockey cab to keep wheel chocks and I have yet to figure out where I could keep a set on the outside. Somehow I can’t imagine most drivers chocking wheels anyway.

How do you all free them up when they are frozen or just sticking?

 

[Scorp]

I have a piece of rebar about 2 feet long. Set the tractor brakes and release the trailer brakes. Slide it through the holes on the rim and use it to hit the drum. Usually 2 or 3 good hard hits and they'll pop loose. Doing that keeps you from having to get under the trailer

 

[Sinister]

That sounds like a pretty good plan, and safer than crawling underneath, but I don't think you could hit them hard enough.

I just crawl underneath, pray, and whack away.

Sometimes, there's just not much science in something, and the way it's been done forever is the way it will be done for a long time.

 

[rebel]

That sounds like a pretty good plan, and safer than crawling underneath, but I don't think you could hit them hard enough.

I just crawl underneath, pray, and whack away.

Sometimes, there's just not much science in something, and the way it's been done forever is the way it will be done for a long time.

If the rebar is pretty substantial, like 5/8" or bigger, coupled with a good ole' BFH, I'd bet you'd have more force than lying on the ground with just a hammer.
There's always a better way, just keep looking, and don't risk life or limb.


And that last line is why not all machinists are ten-fingered ones. (Also why I don't work for G. E. anymore.......:cop:)

 

[2xR]

A couple of things to add...

Turn the switcher off, and, take the key with you, just in case a dip-wad comes along and decides, "somebody left the dayum switcher in my way," while you're under the trailer.

Position your body so if the trailer were to move you wouldn't end up being the wheel chock.

Back in the day, I've used flares and torches to heat air tanks, and, drums, but, in this era of anti-lock technology you'd screw up more than you fixed.

 

[DockMan]

Thanks again for all the input. Gives me some new ideas to work on. I like the re-bar idea and think I give that a try before crawling under the beast next time it happens. I wish I had the luxury of calling someone to come fix the problem but as was pointed out the yard man just doesn't have the time. Once I have the trailer docked I go back in and load it then do the BOL for it and then, if the thing hasn't frozen solid again park it in the full trailer lot.

I asked the day shift guy what he does and got the same answer about crawling under with a BFH, even he doesn't have the luxury of calling for help. Most of the time we have more loads ready than we have trailers in the empty lot so we can't let the little things keep us from moving trailers.


One of my favorite memories of last winter was the night I backed through three feet of snow to get under a trailer only to discover it was froze up. By the time I figured it out I'd spun the wheels and gotten myself stuck. My partner brought a five gallon bucket of rock salt and two snow shovels the quarter mile from the docks to the lot. It took some pounding, shoveling and salting the wheels but we got the thing moving on our own. That's life in Upstate New York.

 

[tomboy]

Interesting thread. I've heard of brakes freezing after they've been run and warmed up and then parked for the night w/ the truck running. In that instance the advice was to set the brakes and then release them right away and then set them again after waiting a couple minutes. That was in really cold weather near zero + or -.

 

[Scorp]

If the rebar is pretty substantial, like 5/8" or bigger, coupled with a good ole' BFH, I'd bet you'd have more force than lying on the ground with just a hammer.
There's always a better way, just keep looking, and don't risk life or limb.

It's about 1" I grabbed it from the scrap pile at a job site where they were using it for bridge pillars

 

[2xR]

Interesting thread. I've heard of brakes freezing after they've been run and warmed up and then parked for the night w/ the truck running. In that instance the advice was to set the brakes and then release them right away and then set them again after waiting a couple minutes. That was in really cold weather near zero + or -.

I rarely set my trailer brakes when I park for the day, unless, of course, I'm dropping the trailer. When I'm on the road, especially in the NE, and it's cold and wet, setting the trailer brakes is just asking for troubles. The tractor is usually warm enough to keep it's brakes from going into deep freeze mode during a 10 hour break.

 

[Sinister]

Good call. Forgot about that. Half the time, I don't set my trailer brakes either so I'm not sure why I didn't think of that.

 

[superbiker49]

an old trucker told me that to take a spray bottle and fill it with methol hydrate and spray a couple of shots into the frozen wheel and the methol hydrate will help to release the brakes. yah and also never dynamite the trailer brakes unless absolutely neccesary.

 

[Sinister]

I had a trailer brake freeze up the other day. An empty flatbed so there wasn't a lot of weight. It was only one wheel, but it was enough to have be spinning and rocking for a while. I finally realized it when I looked for the THIRD time.

And by "looking" I mean hitting all the brake drums with a hammer. Three times. Only one was frozen though.

I gotta admit, hearing them release is a satisfying CLANG as you'll ever hear.

 

[DockMan]

I have a piece of rebar about 2 feet long. Set the tractor brakes and release the trailer brakes. Slide it through the holes on the rim and use it to hit the drum. Usually 2 or 3 good hard hits and they'll pop loose. Doing that keeps you from having to get under the trailer

I found a piece of hex shaped bar about 2 feet long and 3/4 inch thick. I'll admit I had my doubts about getting the brakes to loosen up just by banging on the outside of the drum but tried it anyway. It worked great and I didn't have to crawl around in the slush and ice. It's to early to tell if it will work all or even most of the time since I have only had to resort to hammering once this season.

I've had to deal with frozen brakes several times already this winter. Trouble is the trailers come in off the road with the brakes hot and sit here, sometimes for a couple of days, plenty long enough for a little moisture to condense on the drums. Usually I can get the brakes loose just by setting and releasing the brakes repeatedly and dragging the thing back and forth over a bare patch of pavement if I can find one. I'll have to see how things work out but so far the idea was a good one. Thanks Much.

 

[patriciajnsn]

So far ive havent had any frozen trl brakes surprisingly and the trailers i have are all junk but last yr im parked at a dock and the brakes froze a driver next to me just happen to have a torch
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[freedhardwoods]

I've had to deal with frozen brakes several times already this winter. Trouble is the trailers come in off the road with the brakes hot and sit here, sometimes for a couple of days, plenty long enough for a little moisture to condense on the drums. Usually I can get the brakes loose just by setting and releasing the brakes repeatedly and dragging the thing back and forth over a bare patch of pavement if I can find one. I'll have to see how things work out but so far the idea was a good one. Thanks Much.

Interesting thread. I've heard of brakes freezing after they've been run and warmed up and then parked for the night w/ the truck running. In that instance the advice was to set the brakes and then release them right away and then set them again after waiting a couple minutes. That was in really cold weather near zero + or -.

I have been driving for 30 years. Much of that time I was working with older, sometimes pure junk, equipment. While I was an o/o for 14 years, I always had the same truck and trailer. Whatever I did or didn't do in wet and cold weather determined whether my brakes would freeze or not.

I have never had condensation freeze a shoe to a drum. Where I always ran into trouble was when I was running in wet weather and the temps were supposed to drop well below freezing that night. As 2xR mentioned, not setting your brakes works best, but if you have to drop your trailer or are parking for a couple days and have a slow leak, that isn't an option. Over 20 years ago I had an old timer tell me how to keep my shoes from freezing to the drum and it has always worked for me. Before you get to where you are going to stop, drag your brakes long enough to dry everything out. If the brake drum and shoes are dry when you set them, they won't freeze.

The same principle will work if you are afraid the brakes will freeze while you are loading the trailer. When you pick up a trailer, drag the brakes while driving to the dock.


As far as unsticking already frozen brakes, I always crawled under with a hammer, but using rebar from the outside sounds like a good idea.

 

[freedhardwoods]

So far ive havent had any frozen trl brakes surprisingly and the trailers i have are all junk but last yr im parked at a dock and the brakes froze a driver next to me just happen to have a torch
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I carry a torch for frozen air valves (among other things). To me, frozen valves are much more frustrating than frozen drums. Most of the time it's hard to tell which valve is causing the problem You will waste a lot of time in extremely cold weather trying to thaw a valve that isn't froze and by the time you figure it out, you are.

 

[Dayripper]

I just crawl underneath, pray, and whack away.

that sound wrong on so many levels.:sarcasm:

 

[Larry]

that sound wrong on so many levels.:sarcasm:

Your sick!

 

[Tn. Truckers Wife]

that sound wrong on so many levels.:sarcasm:

HAHAHAHA...Yeah it does...

 

[Keendriver]

ok, I guess all is well.I saw the title of this thread,someone needing help FIXING something and saw TTW was the last poster..........well you can see where I'm going with this.