Dexter DX7.5L A-60 Brake Actuator w Electric Lockout - Weld On - Disc - 2" Ball - Primed - 7.5K

Video Transcript for Review of Dexter Axle Brake Actuator - Surge Brake Actuator -DX79FR

Jeff: Hello everybody. This is Jeff at etrailer.com. Today, we're going to take a look at this Dexter DX7.5L Weld-On Disc Brake Actuator with the Electric Reverse Lockout, and it is for a two inch hitch ball, has a 7,500 pound weight capacity. Now you'll use this actuator to synchronize your trailer brakes with your tow vehicle brakes. This hydraulic actuator will activate the trailer brakes when your tow vehicle slows or stops. Basically what happens is when you apply the brakes in your tow vehicle, deceleration occurs and the momentum will push your trailer toward the rear of your vehicle.

So with the surge brake system, this actuator is triggered as your trailer moves forward while the tow vehicle slows, the inner portion right here of the actuator is going to telescope in and applies force to the master cylinder back here, which in turn will supply the necessary hydraulic pressure to engage your trailer's brakes.If you notice on the front of this actuator it has a nice low-profile coupler latch to ensure easy, secure connection. Some of your actuators will have a tall latch on it and they can get damaged or bent. This one has a nice low-profile look to it, and it is an over-center latch mechanism that only engages when the actuator is fully seated on a two inch hitch ball, and I want to demonstrate that I happen to pull a two inch hitch ball right here. This is what it will fit on, and just to show you how this hooks up first step is you take this tethered safety pin, pull it out and that'll allow you to open the latch, and the latch opens by this little round dot on the top. It's spring loaded.

If you just push it all the way over, it'll release it and the latch will open up.Now you're ready to install. So you just go over your two inch hitch ball, drops into place, and then when you push that latch down it'll lock it to the ball, and then for the safety you need to take the safety pin, slide it all the way across, and that makes sure that latch doesn't accidentally open. Basically what would happen if something hit that or moved it, it would unlatch it, but it doesn't open all the way. It still stays attached to the ball. So you just push it down and then to remove it, it's just the opposite.

You pull out your safety pin, open your latch and unhook from the ball. Simple as that.Now also, if you'll notice this does include a breakaway cable, this cable along the side, here with the hook on it, and a breakaway cable is required by law. Basically what this does is it keeps a tray, it helps prevent a trailer runaway situation. What happens is this breakaway cable with the hook will always be attached to your tow vehicle. So what'll happen is if it happens to become detached from the hitch ball, it'll pull this cable and that cable will activate your master cylinder back here to apply the brakes, to stop the trailer in a runaway situation.Now on this actuator, if you look at the back, here actually I'll flip it over and you can see underneath, you'll see the set of wires.

Those wires go to an electric reverse lockout solenoid, and that solenoid will let you back up without actuating your trailer brakes. So basically the electric reverse lockout is automatically activated when you shift your tow vehicle into reverse, the solenoid wires right here will wire into your trailer connector, which connects to your tow vehicle so that you can detect when you're in reverse. So when you put your vehicle in reverse, the solenoid ensures that the hydraulic actuator will not activate your trailer brakes. So it allows you to back up your vehicle. But now to use this electric reverse lockout feature, you do have to have either a five way flat, six way round or a seven way trailer connector on your tow vehicle. The master cylinder right here, that the solenoids attached to, it is constructed of aluminum rather than plastic or steel, gives you increased strength and corrosion resistance, and then right up at the top here, you might be able to see it has a recessed brake fluid filler cap right here, protects it from any damage. Just access that cap to fill it up with brake fluid or to check the level in your master cylinder.This is a nice prime finish. It is a weld-on installation and it is designed to fit three inch by five inch straight tongue trailers. This part is made in the USA. A couple specs again, it's designed for hydraulic disc brakes, the ball size it fits two inch hitch ball diameter, and the weight capacity is 7,500 pounds, but that should do it for the review on this Dexter DX7.5L Weld-On Disc Brake Actuator with the Electric Reverse Lockout for a two inch hitch ball and a 7,500 pound weight capacity..