ReadyBrake
- Thread starter DHunt
- Start date
alittleoff
TJ Addict
BendLarry
TJ Addict
How about you turn the Readybrake upside down. The cable should clear the ball nut.
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OP
OK, here it is. I spoke with ReadyBrake several times. For their Blue Ox installs they sell a riser to hold the cable above the catch point on the tow bar. My solution is better because there won't be a bind when turning right or left. That's a piece of nice slippery Delrin (plastic) that shouldn't add any bind factor. Thanks for all the input.
OP
You guys are confusing me. If Ready Brake sells a riser for Blue Ox applications how can they say no rise/drop between the brake and towed vehicle?
I'm just trying to learn what my options are for flat towing and now I'm more confused than ever. Maybe I should just buy a Brake Buddy and call it a day.
I'm just trying to learn what my options are for flat towing and now I'm more confused than ever. Maybe I should just buy a Brake Buddy and call it a day.
BendLarry
TJ Addict
With a receiver type tow bar it’s very straight forward. I installed mine in about an hour. Just follow the instructions and you won’t have any issues. I also installed a stainless steel turn buckle in line with the bar cable so I could make tension adjustments without having to unbolt the cable clamps.
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That's what I did. Considered the Ready Brake, but found a Brake Buddy on CL from a guy in Roseville who bought a new toad and needed to upgrade to an integrated braking system. $300 and done!
BendLarry
TJ Addict
I also have a Brake Buddy and it has issues as well. Both systems work.
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OP
So it's all about the physics. The toad surges forward when the tow truck brakes. That's what causes the lever to lift and the brakes on the toad to engage. The force needs to be linear, that is, in a straight line from the toad hitch to the brake unit. If you have a drop between the toad and the brake unit, the force will be less. It will want to pivot.
I wish you the luck of CL, I never seem to have any. If I found a BreakBuddy when I needed a tow setup for $300 I'd be singing too. I'll give you an update after I put 1000 miles towing this, but I think I've got it licked. Actually, the only advantage I've heard of the $1000 (retail) units are they're easier to hook up. I've dropped the hitch directly on the ball twice not using a stick marker. No advantage, (maybe).
I wish you the luck of CL, I never seem to have any. If I found a BreakBuddy when I needed a tow setup for $300 I'd be singing too. I'll give you an update after I put 1000 miles towing this, but I think I've got it licked. Actually, the only advantage I've heard of the $1000 (retail) units are they're easier to hook up. I've dropped the hitch directly on the ball twice not using a stick marker. No advantage, (maybe).
BendLarry
TJ Addict
I have over 2k miles using the Readybrake, here are my thoughts on it as a supplemental braking system.
With a receiver type tow bar, it’s an easy installation. It’s an inertia/surge braking system, meaning that that when the towing rig hits the brakes the toad then pushes against the tow bar which then pushes a plunger forward within the Readybrake against the spring which makes the actuator arm move forward pulling the cable forward which pulls the toad pedal forward. The micro switch that is connected to the arm closes so an led mounted on the towing rigs dash alerts the driver that the arm has moved. The Readybrake is 50 states legal and is recognized by most insurance companies. The optional brake-away switch, which is required to be legal is kinda sketchy. It may or may not work reliably, never had a brake-away happen so don’t really know.
What I don’t like about it. The internal spring is to stiff for a 3500 pound rig. Setting the cable tension so that it will actually slow the Jeep means that it will have to be dangerously close to having the Jeeps brake pedal engaged when you don’t want it engaged which could cause brake wear. I know this because I had the micro switch led hooked up as well as a led connected to the Jeeps brake light switch. The Readybrake micro switch led would indicate the arm had moved but the brake light switch would not light up meaning the pedal didn’t move. Adjusting the cable a little tighter had the brakes on the Jeep coming on at random times.
The other thing I didn’t like was that the Readybrake added about 16 inches to my tow bar length, which was a problem for my setup.
If you want the cheapest legal supplemental braking system then it’s a solution, but don’t expect much actual braking assistance.
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BendLarry
TJ Addict
My take on the need for receiver type tow bars. With a ball type tow bar, if your toad isn’t very flat in relation to the ball, with almost no tongue weight, the forward motion of a toad against the ball is going to be putting a lot of pressure on the little clips securing the ball to the tow bar. With other ball hitch applications, on trailers, boats etc. you have significant tongue weight keeping the hitch forced down on the ball. With receiver type tow bars, as long as you have a good receiver pin, nothing can come unhooked from the receiver and the tow bar. My 2 cents.
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OP
Finished my San Diego to Mammoth Lakes trip yesterday. My truck is a beast and had no trouble with the Crimson Toad. Here's my 2 cents on the standard tow bar with the ReadyBrake. It sucks. First off, there are 3 separate pieces with pins. Drop receiver, Ready Brake, and ball receiver between the truck receiver and the tow bar. Each one has about a half inch of up and down wiggle, so when you do stop and go traffic, the whole works has an inch and a half play. Bam! You can feel that. I think that's just the stress BendLarry is concerned with.
The next time I tow, it will either be a complete manufactured unit or just a bare tow bar. The ReadyBrake should not be used like this.(my opinion)
As for the legal aspect, it appears to me CHP, etc, are not enforcing the supplemental brake law. Has anyone on this forum had actual side of the road experience with this? The law barely seems concerned with the 55mph speed limit on towing.
The next time I tow, it will either be a complete manufactured unit or just a bare tow bar. The ReadyBrake should not be used like this.(my opinion)
As for the legal aspect, it appears to me CHP, etc, are not enforcing the supplemental brake law. Has anyone on this forum had actual side of the road experience with this? The law barely seems concerned with the 55mph speed limit on towing.
They won't enforce it in California unless there's an accident, then be prepared ... any accident will most likely be deemed your fault and both insurance companies will use that report to deny all coverages.
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BendLarry
TJ Addict
OK, so I installed mine last night and set it up today. Yea, it doesn't work, just like @DHunt and @BendLarry already stated. For one I have to use a 4" drop hitch flipped upside down which does not allow the cable to run parallel. The other issue is all the joints between the truck, RB, drop hitch, and ball. All sorts of clunking and banging. It also takes a great deal of pressure to compress the RB. It may work if everything was level/inline. So at this point, need to find another solution.
BendLarry
TJ Addict
I don’t think I ever said my Readybrake didn’t work. I took a 1800 mile trip with one and it worked. I have a bigger raise than you do and I got the cable straight. I also drilled and tapped a couple of bolts in the component junctions to take out any movement. I had no clunking. I didn’t stay with the Readybrake for two reasons. First, because of the addition of the raiser with the Readybrake it made my total tow bar setup to long. Second I feel the Jeep is too light for the internal Readybrake spring. It only activated a few times on my trip. It is a good cheap legal solution but not the best solution for my setup.
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For me, that would be a major issue. I use a half ton Silverado so I need a consistent braking system. I thought about the drilling and tapping to eliminate any movement but still think too many parts is not helping. Thanks for the clarification.