Carriage brakes - is this usual?

[ChuckTin]

The brakes on my wife new carriage don’t work right. To brake the carriage she has to pump the peddle once before they’ll slow the carriage.

Is this usual? She has been told it is, I’m not buying that! In a car this is not safe, though with these horses it’s not extremely dangerous, certainly is odd. I did bleed them but so far we’ve seen no improvement.

cvt

[MunchingonHay]

Some times it takes a bit to bleed them out. I remember a time when it took ages to get a kuhnle marathon brakes to behave.

Try to bleed them again. Have her pump the brake while you are doing it.

[goodhors]

You may need to bleed them again as suggested, or you may need to check the fluid and add some. Fluid should be clear, not milky looking. Milky is because the brakes have gotten moisture into they system. This can happen with brakes on a vehicle just sitting around unused. System is not water tight. If you have milky color fluid, you need to drain the system and refill with new fluid. Then do the bleeding of brakes again. Watery fluid left in the brake system will cause detrioration of the parts and seals.

You need to find out who made the brakes, so you can determine if you need old style fluid or newer types. Fluids are NOT interchangable, wrong kind will eat those seals because they are not made to withstand that mix of chemicals.

[ChuckTin]

Thank you, that what I figured.

Of course the distaff side always wants it yesterday. I shall try it again (without the help, thank you).

FWIW the fluid is DOT 4, silicon, seems like over-kill to me.

cvt