If your trailer has sat for a length of time without being used, things may look alright on the outside to the naked eye. However, odds are your trailer's brake components and wheel bearings are far more deteriorated than you think, because moisture and corrosion really get a foothold when metal parts sit motionless out in the elements. That goes double if the trailer is backed into salt water during boat loading and unloading. Moving brake parts will rust and seize; wheel bearings will lose their grease and they too will corrode. When these parts are compromised, the risk of accidents increases, or the trailer simply becomes unusable. Worn or rusty brakes can cause the trailer to pull, lose braking power, or completely lose control if a wheel seizes or comes off.
To insure safety on the road, periodic disassembly and inspection of components is essential. Should you find horrors lurking inside your drum brake assembly, our Trailer Brakes section offers complete replacement trailer brake assemblies, wheel bearings, grease seals, and individual components such as brake magnet kits, shoes, return springs, and related hardware because these are the critical components most subject to wear. In this article, we'll discuss the products that make it easy to get you stopping straight and true again.
Complete Replacement Drum Brake Assemblies For Your Trailer
We offer replacement drum brake assemblies complete with electric braking assist magnets, backing plates, brake shoes, linings, actuating levers, and hardware - completely eliminating the hassle of assembly or adjustment to save you time. For example, the Pro Series Trailer Brake Assembly and the Tekonsha Brake Assembly are built for traditional trailer brake sizes of 10" x 2.25" and 12" x 2".
If your trailer was built with Hayes Brake Co. style brake drums, Tekonsha offers the Hayes 12" x 2" Brake Assembly as a pre-assembled kit for easy bolt on replacement. Similarly, Tekonsha also produces the AL-KO Electric Trailer Brake built to specifications of AL-KO products as well as the complete Dexter Electric Trailer Brake to match OEM Dexter Axle Company equipment. All are built with components that match the exact size, shape, overall dimensions, and thickness of originals in order to ensure everything fits tight and works right.
Individual Trailer Brake Shoes, Spring Sets, And Other Hardware
For those rebuilding trailer brakes who don't wish to replace the entire backing plate and assembly, Tekonsha offers the Axle Set Hardware Kit that includes drum brake return springs, clips, slotted nuts, and metal sleeves (Tekonsha also offers the return springs by themselves). Should you need only OEM Dexter style brake shoes by themselves, we also sell individual Dexter style brake shoes in a variety of sizes (see Product Options).
Trailer Drum Brake Electromagnets
Because it's not practical for trailers to have their own hydraulic systems for supplying brake pressure, they rely on electromagnets to enhance stopping force. When an electrical connector on a trailer is plugged into the tow vehicle's power supply, electricity flows through a "completed" circuit whenever the driver steps on the brakes. Trailer brake lights illuminate, and current also flows to the rear brake drums. At this point, the magnetic plate becomes magnetized and moves outward toward the drum face. Once it makes contact, friction causes it to rotate and move an actuating arm which, in turn, pushes the brake shoes against the drum to create stopping force.
We offer trailer brake kits from Tekonsha that are named for original equipment manufacturers. The Tekonsha Dexter or Hayes Magnet Kit, Dexter Magnet Kit, and Alko Magnet Kit are built in the style of OEM equipment and come complete with electromagnet assembly, conductor wires, springs, and applicable retaining clips designed to fit right in place without compromise or modifications. In the Product Options field, you'll find a selection of sizes to choose from.
Wheel Bearings And Grease Seals
We have wheel bearings designed to match common sizes from OEM suppliers such as Dexter, Hayes, and Fayette. Tekonsha wheel bearings will fit various sized brakes from Dexter, Hayes, Centerline, and Fayette (see NOTE on product page). While the Tekonsha kit includes the cup and cone, it does not include a grease seal/dust cover which is sold separately. The Fulton Wheel Bearing Kit is available in a choice of diameters, and all these kits include the grease seal/dust cover (see choices in the Product Options window). And finally, C.E. Smith offers individual grease seals in a choice of diameters.
It's been said about our cars that all the horsepower in the world doesn't do us much good if the brakes don't work! You could make a similar statement about our trailers. Since most of us have a trailer for recreational use (boating, biking, camping, etc.), we want to be sure that you enjoy the total experience. Don't let ineffective or inoperative trailer brakes ruin your fun. To help guide you through our selection, we've set up items in our Trailer Brakes area to provide choices for sizes and other variables in the Product Options field. Now you have no excuse to get those trailer brakes in shape.