How Do You Know When to Replace Shoes on Drum Trailer Brakes

Question

Question:

Im getting ready to repack the wheel bearings on my RV which has 7k axles with 12 x 2 electric drum brakes. How do I know when it is time to replace the shoes?

asked by: Todd

0

Expert Reply:

On many drum brakes there are wear indicators at the pad material on the shoes. If the pad material is riveted on and you have reached the rivets then it is time to replace them. If you have the brakes adjusted out all the way and the braking is still weak then it is likely time to replace them.

If you are having any specific braking issues let me know and I can determine what the likely cause is.

expert reply by: Michael H

0

Brian

7/17/2024

does one replace shoes on trailers, or the whole assembly?

Reply

Jesse M.

7/17/2024

@Brian it is possible to replace just the shoes. Generally, I recommend that you replace the whole assembly. Replacing shoes can be trick and time consuming. In most cases, the cost of brake shoes is not far from the cost of the whole assembly. So, you can save a lot of time and headache by replacing the whole assembly and it won't cost you too much more.

Reply

Answer 1

Weight ratings are a little weird when it comes to hub/drum assemblies but as long as the bearings and the inner diameter of the seal (2.250") that comes with the Dexter Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly - 6,000 lb E-Z Lube Axles #K08-201-9B matches…

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Answer 2

On Dexter 12" Nev-R-Adjust Electric Brake Assembly #23-458 the shoe pad thickness is 3/16 of an inch. Dexter says that you should replace the shoes if the material gets down to 1/16 of an inch thick or less.

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Answer 3

No, you would definitely need to upgrade the entire axle, to include the axle beam and spindles, not just all of the other components to get a 5,200 lbs axle. If you could send me a measurement of your Hub-face-to-hub-face length and your…

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Answer 4

We have exactly what you need, so long as your current hub uses an #L68149 inner bearing and #L44649 outer bearing, which you will be able to tell when you remove your current hub assembly as the bearing numbers should be printed on the bearing…

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Answer 5

You would know to replace brake shoes the same way you would know with a vehicle. If performance is suffering and adjusting the brakes does not help and there are no other issues causing the poor performance it is probably time to change the brake…

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Answer 6

If the drums look like they are in good shape you don't have to turn them when replacing the assemblies. Take a look at the inside of the drum and if you don't see any grooving or obvious signs of wear they don't have to be replaced.…

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Answer 7

As long as all 4 tires have brakes installed, all 4 tires are supposed to lock when the pin is pulled. If only one axle has brakes, the 2 of the 4 tires should lock. There are a couple of possible problems your trailer may be experiencing. One…

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Answer 8

You cannot really go by miles when determining when brakes should be replaced. You would know to replace them the same way you would know with a vehicle. If performance is suffering and adjusting the brakes does not help and there are no other issues…

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Answer 9

If there is visible signs of wear then it is a good idea to replace the hub/drum with the brake assemblies. If the armature surface where the brake magnet is damaged, or if the area where the bearings ride is showing wear or is damaged it would be…

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Answer 10

In order to measure a brake assembly for replacement you need to do so from the inside of the drum on the contact surface for the shoes which you can see in the attached photo. The two most common sizes are 10" x 2-1/4" like the Electric…

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Answer 11

Most likely it's a mechanical problem on the specific assembly that's locking up when you hit the brakes. If it was a short in the wiring they all would be locking up. Best option is to pull the hub off and inspect the assembly to see if you…

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Answer 12

You would know to replace brake shoes the same way you would know with a vehicle. If performance is suffering and adjusting the brakes does not help and there are no other issues causing the poor performance it is probably time to change the brake…

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How Do You Know When to Replace Shoes on Drum Trailer Brakes

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