Drums to discs..

gearhead · 07-10-2021, 11:44 AM

Performance Trailer Braking came down to Liberty Texas to convert us to discs. Preston and Alysa got here about 10am, it's almost 3pm and they are getting close to finished. Nice clean job and looks real good. Test drive it soon.
Coming your way Danny!

**sourdough** · 07-10-2021, 12:02 PM

Thanks Brent. Looks really good. I'm excited to get them here and get the suspension and brakes. Let us know how the test drive goes with those new brakes, I'm figuring it will be a great improvement.

gearhead · 07-10-2021, 03:33 PM

It's hard for me to describe the feel of braking with the discs. It's smooth and I can feel the 5th pulling the truck down rather than pushing the truck. We took a short ride around town on the bypass and had several stops from 60mph.
I reset my RAM brakes to heavy electric/hydraulic and I think I have the controller at "7". I still need to do a good break in.
Preston and Alysa hung in there with the 102 feels like temps. This was the first day without rain in quite while so it's plenty steamy. They have another one tomorrow in this area and then you, I think.

**sourdough** · 07-10-2021, 03:56 PM

Thanks for the update Brent. I'm thinking I wish next Saturday was here. I think feeling the trailer hold the truck back vs pushing from speed will be quite welcome. Hope all goes well - I'm trying to figure out how to hit the road as soon as they're done but I've got cataract surgery right before they get here so figure I'll be just hanging out "frettin".

gearhead · 07-10-2021, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Thanks for the update Brent. I'm thinking I wish next Saturday was here. I think feeling the trailer hold the truck back vs pushing from speed will be quite welcome. Hope all goes well - I'm trying to figure out how to hit the road as soon as they're done but I've got cataract surgery right before they get here so figure I'll be just hanging out "frettin".

I had cataract surgery 2 weeks ago. Yeah, you'll just be hanging around kinda discombobulated if you react to anesthesia like me. Your doc will probably give you a pair of dark sunglasses like mine did because your eye will be sensitive to the sun. Really sensitive. I think I drove maybe 3 days after the surgery.
Maybe enjoy your favorite beverage and watch Preston and Alysa do their thing and be planning where you want to go about 4-5 days later.

**sourdough** · 07-17-2021, 06:42 PM

Update on the suspension/disc brake install - it's complete!

Preston arrived a little after 10am and finished about 7pm or so with his helper. Replaced everything from the frame down. New heavier Dexter axles, springs, MorRyde SRE 4000 suspension with HD shackles, wet bolts, x factor cross braces etc. etc. AND new disc brakes. And what can I say...?

I was always skeptical of the Road Armor copycat suspension; well, that's all it is, the MorRyde is just a far better suspension..even with heavier springs. But the ticket are the disc brakes.

Having had any number of "oh sh****t" moments towing because drum brakes on a larger trailer tend to just sort of "help you slow down", not stop. Leads to some crinkled leather seating, stained underwear/jeans etc. I hated always trying to either keep 1/2 mile behind everyone or keeping an eagle eye on all the "go fasters" that like to cut you off and hit the brakes because.....I couldn't stop worth a flip. Done....over and out.

Took it out this evening after the install and folks if you have a trailer of any size you need.....disc brakes. It's difficult to describe because they are not like any electric trailer brakes I've ever had = they're seamless with the truck; no delay, no jerk, no....nothing; feels like you are stopping your truck....and just as fast.

Enough of talking about all that; I just know that braking issues plague many if not most folks that haul a trailer - you learn to adapt; read the traffic; watch out for "that guy" that's wants to put you in the ditch; worry about brake adjustments; drum contamination and on and on. Man, THIS is way different - I wasn't really prepared for how good it was going to be. After about 10 minutes of testing it out Susan just looked at me and said "stop it". I said "stop what"? She said "you look like the Joker with that plastered on grin"......

Anyway, IMO it's a wonderful mod - the best I've made IMO. Performance Trailer Braking came to my house with everything required, top notch and professional; work non stop and keep you informed every step of the way. For once I didn't want to cut off the arm of the guy wanting my money - gave it to them willingly....with a big smile.

BTW they come to your home and repack bearings, brake inspections, adjustments etc. Did I say I was impressed? RV folks trying to help RV folks..pretty cool IMO.

**sourdough** · 07-17-2021, 06:48 PM

Oh, I believe someone said without pics it didn't happen:

**flybouy** · 07-17-2021, 06:53 PM

Great to read about a success!

**sourdough** · 07-17-2021, 07:14 PM

You know it really is in the RV world. I had many, many reservations about spending that money but it's one of the best things I've done messing with an RV - now I've got to hit the road but we are neck deep in doctors; where did that youth go??

rwreuter · 07-17-2021, 08:05 PM

Cost, on or about?

**sourdough** · 07-18-2021, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwreuter

Cost, on or about?

It all depends on what you want done. They will do any one part or all - I did all. My cost was about $7300. Each part is fairly cheap. My largest costs were the axles and the disc brakes. If you go with disc brakes alone the pricing varies from around $2k to 2700 depending on wheel and axle size. Their website breaks down all the pricing for all the components;
performancetrailerbraking.com.

I will note that the labor is in addition to the prices reflected on the webpage. I was charged 2k for the installation which sounds extreme but in reality they pulled every single thing from the trailer below the frame, replaced it with new parts, added a reservoir/pump for the hydraulic fluid, ran the lines for same etc. - the whole kit and kaboodle. I can't begin to think what the dealership would have charged in hours and labor to do the same thing.....using "that guy" that was working at McDonalds last week. Preston knows his stuff and has installed hundreds of these.

Just to note that I have nothing to do with this company and don't know anyone with it until I met Preston yesterday. My glowing assessment is simply because these folks made it SO easy and painless....plus came right to my house. And, if there was one thing that always worried me, in the back of my mind, was the braking ability when towing a larger RV. After too many "oh crap" moments it was pure joy adjusting the brake controller and feeling the unbelievable difference in the discs over the drums - I would have never thought.

Edit: to clarify, the $7300 I mentioned included labor.

Javi · 07-18-2021, 09:13 AM

Sounds like the way to go ��

gearhead · 07-18-2021, 06:12 PM

I think I was at $2800 for parts, including new Timken bearings, plus $1000 labor. That was for the disc conversion on my 8,000# axles.
I may have them come back and install heavy duty shackles when they are in the neighborhood again.
Danny....how you like that eyedrop schedule? I just got off the 4X a day schedule and am down to 3X, I think. Betty just hollers: "EYE DROP TIME" and I go lie down on the sofa. Dang one of the drops STINGS.

**sourdough** · 07-18-2021, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearhead

I think I was at $2800 for parts, including new Timken bearings, plus $1000 labor. That was for the disc conversion on my 8,000# axles.
I may have them come back and install heavy duty shackles when they are in the neighborhood again.
Danny....how you like that eyedrop schedule? I just got off the 4X a day schedule and am down to 3X, I think. Betty just hollers: "EYE DROP TIME" and I go lie down on the sofa. Dang one of the drops STINGS.

The eyedrop schedule is a pain. Got off the 4 a days on the first eye and down to 2 a day on it. Now I'm back to 4 a day on the 2nd eye and juggling the drops for the other eye. They gave me a spreadsheet then I made my own to log times and STILL seems like I'm wandering around looking for a eyedrop bottle at all times.

First eye was just cataract and the antibiotic (ciprofloxacin) and the steroid (prednisolone) burned for several days but not too bad. The 2nd eye had a lot more stuff done to it for cataracts and astigmatism. It burns (5th day) considerably more than the 1st one and looks like I have some "blood trauma" in the eye due to the extra surgery.

It's a great procedure and really does some magic. For Susan it was all magic (many years ago) because she could always see near but never far and it gave her sight she never had. I could always see near but never far and always had glasses for that. Surgery gave me great sight for far away but I completely lost all my ability to see close - I hate it. Got a couple of cheapo glasses trying to see close. Tried calling a fellow advising me on a security system updates, saw a number with a 432 area code (couldn't read the rest) so hit it....my eye doctor answered....at 8:45pm on Saturday. What a crock!!

Long story short, super decision to do it; the stinging will stop by the end of the first week and the antibiotic (ciprofloxacin for me) goes straight into my mouth/throat with a terrible "taste" and really ruins an evening "drink". It'll all be good and good luck.

gearhead · 07-19-2021, 03:28 AM

I went for my annual eye exam thinking I would just get a new pair of glasses that I didn't think I really needed. The doc said I had a cataract that needed to come off of my left eye and another on the right in a few more years. It all went well. Yeah I never thought about having sinus drainage from my eyes to my throat. A highball of Wild Turkey and ginger ale seems to rinse that taste away.

notanlines · 07-19-2021, 03:32 AM

Danny, did the physicians office make any lens offers to you that might have made 'up close' vision possible without glasses? I'm curious about the Panoptix Multifocal lens versus monofocal.
By the way, disk brakes are absolutely 'the bomb' on RV's. I highly recommend the conversion or the option on any over about 12-15K.

gearhead · 07-19-2021, 04:53 AM

Jim I'll stick my nose in here a bit. My doc offered a new lens that would correct my vision. My insurance, United Health Care, wouldn't pay the $3400 for it, so I passed. My neighbor had the corrective lens and had major issues. Best I could tell from her story was that her doc messed up the surgery. That helped with my decision to pass on that option. It may be a 99.9% success rate but ....

notanlines · 07-19-2021, 11:53 AM

Having worn these things on my face for 60 years, it wouldn't bother me much to stay with them, but I was just curious since my cataract days are probably ahead of me. Thanks Brent.

**sourdough** · 07-19-2021, 05:01 PM

Sorry for the delay in responding; got out at 6:30am to go to the puppy orthopedic surgeon for an analysis of Gin's messed up leg - just got back home. Torn ACL, too old to risk the surgery so it is what it is. Long day but very happy to know exactly what we are dealing with and a course of action.

Jim I read about those new lenses and that it might be the cat's meow. I asked the optician that has always done our eyes before surgery about them and he just kind of nodded and said they would be OK but I would be wearing glasses for the rest of my life anyway (I've worn them since I was 6 years old). Ran it by the eye surgeon on my initial visit and it was sort of the same thing - no 'hell yeah, go for it, it's the best thing ever" or anything like that just....."it's OK if you want to but...". I knew there would be a cost but we never got there. If Medicare covered them they would be free, if not I'm shelling out of pocket, and I didn't care IF they had told me (any of them) that this was "THE ticket" - that did not happen so I opted out. Susan had told me how wonderful her surgeries were (mono) and that I would be SO happy...and I am; the change is pretty much miraculous - I just can't see up close like I always could. That will continue for about 6 weeks I believe they said until I can get both eyes re-examined and new glasses. Heck, I've been driving without glasses now for a month or so and......I MISS my glasses. Even bought my first set ever of high dollar sunglasses (now 2) and I've found I'm not a Ray Ban/Oakley kind of guy (cut my "chops" off too as my son called them). Guess I'm "cleaning up my act".

gearhead · 07-20-2021, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Danny, did the physicians office make any lens offers to you that might have made 'up close' vision possible without glasses? I'm curious about the Panoptix Multifocal lens versus monofocal.
By the way, disk brakes are absolutely 'the bomb' on RV's. I highly recommend the conversion or the option on any over about 12-15K.

How are the disc pads wearing on your Suites?
I'm about 17,500# and assuming you are at least that.

You may also like: