Hydrastar Actuator Troubleshooting and Do I Replace or Repair?

Question:

I’m helping get this trailer back up and operational. It is being towed by a 2005 Ford F450. As you can see by the photos there is a hydrastar brake control already installed. This trailer is a twin axle with disk breaks and rated at 20,000 pounds. I disconnected the original wiring and tried to troubleshoot and see if the hydraulic brake control would run per the troubleshooting directions in the manual. After connecting directly to a 12 V truck battery the hydraulic actuator did not run or pressurize per the manual. One of my questions is can this unit be removed and repaired? If repair is not an option, would HBA – 16 Hydrastar be a good option for replacement considering the trailer size and disk brakes? Assuming the HBA-CAM is working that is already installed, will this model work with the factory brake control in the 2005 F 450? Thank you for the help!

asked by: Aaron P

Helpful Expert Reply:

Thanks for the pictures! I would be happy to help you. Since you have already gone through the recommend troubleshooting steps and verified it is not a wiring issue I think its safe to say the actuator is the problem. Carlisle's troubleshooting directions are extremely thorough. I have linked a question below that details them step by step so you can verify you have covered all grounds. I have also attached a wiring diagram so you can 100% rule out any wiring issues before you move onto the repair or replacement stage.

There is not a rebuild kit for your Carlisle hydraulic brake actuator so I would recommend replacing it with the Hydrastar Electric Over Hydraulic Actuator for Disc Brakes item # HBA16. You can call around your area and see if there are any local repair shops that have experience and success rebuilding Carlisle actuators if you prefer to go this option and not wait for a replacement to arrive.

Carlisle does indicate that on the early model Ford factory integrated brake controllers you will need to use adapter # HBA-CAM with generation 6 or newer electric over hydraulic brake actuators. So it will be compatible with the item # HBA16 assuming yours is still working.

expert reply by: Jerred H