Tie Down G5 - Manual (Page 3)

2
Should you feel that the tow vehicle brakes or trailer brakes are not working
properly; have the tow vehicle and trailer brake system inspected. Make sure your
trailer’s GVWR is within the tow vehicles capacity. If your trailer has multiple axles,
verify that the GVWR of the trailer does not exceed the capacity of the brakes, which
is 3750 lbs on 10-inch (5 lug) brakes and 6000 lbs on 12-inch (6 lug) brakes, per axle.
Some states require brakes on all axles.
Check with your state laws and the state laws of where you will be using your trailer
prior to towing.
After long trips or downhill towing, your brakes could become very hot and it is a
good idea to let them cool down before submerging in cold water. The change in
temperature of very hot brakes submerged in water creates additional stress on the
parts and could cause damage to your brakes.
Pads must be replaced when the friction material is 3/32°± or less. Original Tie
Down Engineering brake pads for the G5 Stainless Steel disc brakes have a ceramic
pad material and a stainless steel backing plate that aids in corrosion resistance.
Disc brakes require the use of flexible brake lines attached to the caliper. The calipers
“float” and should not be used with metal brake lines that will restrict movement and
cause overheating or brake failure. If you are replacing existing brakes and using the
existing metal brake lines, either replace metal brake lines with a Tie Down Engineering
brake line kit or add flexible extensions to the metal lines to connect to the disc brake
calipers.
Disc brakes require the use of an actuator designed for disc brakes. If you are
replacing drum brakes, you must also change the actuator to a disc brake model. Using
a drum brake actuator with disc brakes will cause overheating, loss of braking power
and possible brake failure.
Use DOT 3 brake fluid only. DOT 3 can be labeled as “synthetic”.
DO NOT USE SILICONE BASED BRAKE FLUID.
When backing a trailer with disc brakes, you must have a lockout device on the
actuator or preferably an electrically operated solenoid to stop brake pressure to the
disc brakes. The solenoid is mounted at the rear of the actuator, between the master
cylinder and brake line. The solenoid has a wire that is connected to your back up
lights. When the tow vehicle transmission is put in reverse, the reverse light voltage
activates the solenoid. This will either stop or redirect the brake fluid to keep the brakes
from operating while in reverse.
Stainless Steel Disc Brake Instructions