Axis A20 - Page 136

How to Manually Bleed the Brakes
 Becauseoftheimportanceofcorrectlyperformingthisprocedure,Malibu-AxisTrailersstrongly
recommendsthatthisbedoneonlybytrainedservicetechniciansatyourauthorizedMalibu-Ax-
isTrailerdealer.However,recognizingthatbrakeissuesariseandmayhavetobeaddressedin
situations in which the trailer cannot be taken to the dealer for repair, the following instructions are
provided with the understanding that they should be utilized only in emergency.
• Checkthatallhydraulicttingsaresecure.
• Read and understand all instructions before starting.
• Twopeoplearerequiredformanualbleeding.
1.Removethemastercylinderreservoirplugandllthereservoirwithbrakeuid.
 a.UseeitherDOT3Premium(preferred)orDOT3regularautomotivebrakeuid.Followthe
instructionsonthebrakeuidcontainer.
 b.Avoidshakingthebrakeuidcontainerandpouruidslowlytominimizeairentrapment.
 c.Lettheuidinthereservoirstanduntilitiscompletelyfreeofairbubbles.
2. IMPORTANT: Before bleeding the brake lines, bleed the actuator master cylinder. Insert a
screwdriver through the hole in the bottom of the inner member and use short strokes to pry
onthepushrod(whileholdingthesafetyreleasebracketup)untilnoairbubblesareseen
comingfromthesmalloriceholeinthebottomofthemastercylinderreservoir.
3.Startthebleedingprocedureonthebrakefarthestfromthemastercylinder.
4.Atthebrakeassembly,connectatransparentbleederhosetothebleedscrewttingonthe
wheelcylinderandsubmergethefreeendintoacontainerpartiallylledwithbrakeuid.Do
notreusethisuid.
5.Therstpersonshouldstrokethepushrodslowlywhileholdingthesafetyreleasebracket
up.
6.Thesecondpersonopensthebleedscrewtting.
7.HethenclosesthebleedscrewttingBEFOREtherstpersonSLOWLY releases the push rod.
8.Repeatthisprocedureuntiltheuidexpelledfromthebleederhoseisfreeofairbubbles.
9.Remembertoalwaystightenthebleederscrewbeforereleasingthepushrod.Duringthis
procedure,themastercylinderreservoiruidlevelmustbemaintainedatnolessthanhalf
full.
10.RepeatSteps4-9fortheotherbrake,aswellasthebrakesonthefrontaxleoftandemaxles.
11.Ifinstallationisonatandem-axletrailer,repeatthebleedingprocedureontherearaxle
brakes for a second time to assure purging of all air in the system.
12.Asanalcheckafterbleedingiscompleted,strokethepushrodandchecktobesurethe
brakesystemispressurized.Thisisdonebyattemptingtorotateatirearound.
13.Pushuponthesafetyreleasebrackettoensurethatthepushrodisinthereleasedposition.
14.Afterthebleedingiscompleted,rechecktheuidlevelinthemastercylinder.Fillthemaster
cylinderreservoirtotheindicatoronthereservoirplug.Donotoverll.
Optional Electric Brakes
 TheMalibu(Axis)trailerfeatureselectricalbrakes.Thesystemuseselectricpowerfromthe
towing vehicle to drive the hydraulic power source. In a breakaway situation, the electric power
issuppliedbyabreakawaybatteryconnectedtothetowedvehiclebrakeactuationsystem.This
battery is charged by a charger built into the control circuitry.
 Theactuatorreactsinoneofthreeways:primarily,itturnsonwhenthebrakepedalofthe
towing vehicle is depressed. If due to road conditions it is desirable to apply only the towed vehi-
clebrakes,thisisachievedbyapplyingthemanualoverrideonthe“in-cab”brakecontroller.Ina
breakaway situation, the towed vehicle brakes system is applied by the breakaway switch, which
isexplainedelsewhereinthissectionoftheOwner’sManual.
 Thesystemrequires“in-cab”electricbrakecontrolnotprovidedaspartofthesystem.The
system will operate from most electric brake controllers WHEN PROPERLY INSTALLED.
Proper electrical wiring is CRITICAL for the performance of the braking system. Improper
wiring can result in damage to the actuation system or system failure after initial use. A pure
groundanddirectpower(+12VDC)withfuseorcircuitbreaker(30amp)arenecessarytoensure
good performance. Line losses and poor grounding will result in poor performance or total
Axis
Owners
Manual
2019
Page 125