Free-backing, driver's-side and passenger's-side hydraulic trailer brake assemblies won't engage when you reverse, even if your actuator is activated. Parking brake ready. Fits 14-1/2" and larger wheels.
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Quick Tip: There's really not a whole lot to getting new drum brakes. If you've confirmed that everything listed above lines up with what you need for your trailer, you can be pretty sure these will work for you.
Backing up your trailer might be the only time you don't want the brakes to work. Normally, this would be a job for the reverse lockout on your hydraulic actuator. But if you don't have a lockout, you'll need brakes that will you allow you to back up freely instead.
How do they work, you ask?
During normal forward braking, a fall-away shoe expands to catch your brake drum with enough force to bring your rig to a stop. When driving in reverse, however, these brake assemblies prevent the shoes from fully catching on the drums. This takes away your braking control, and allows your wheels to turn, without stopping them completely.
Note: Free backing brakes don't activate when you're in reverse. So, keep in mind that a trailer breakaway kit will not be effective if your trailer were to disconnect from your tow vehicle while you're backing up.
If you're looking to customize your off-road trailer or pop-up camper, these brakes can be a great way to do that.
Installing these brakes is easy, and using them is even easier. Run the linkage cable from your tongue-mounted handbrake (not included) to the lever on the backing plate of the assembly. Then, just pull on the handbrake any time you need a little reassurance that your valuable cargo won't roll away from you.
The more miles you put on your trailer, the more your brake pads will wear down. As they lose contact with the drum, stopping distances get longer and longer. To keep your brakes working great, it's important to adjust them pretty routinely. For this job, grab a floor jack and either a brake adjustment tool (sold separately) or just a standard flathead screwdriver.
Jack up your trailer enough to get the wheel(s) off the ground. Remove the adjuster plugs from the backing plate on the brake, and insert the flat end of the tool through the back of the assembly.
Push in on the star gear and lift it up. Keep doing this until the brake pads catch on your brake drum. When you can't spin your wheel by hand anymore, back the gear off by about 10 clicks (push down on the star gear). Does the wheel now spin freely (even if it sounds like the brake pads drag slightly on the drum)? Great! Then you're all done with that one and ready to adjust the rest.
Once you get these assemblies installed, and your lines flushed with fresh fluid, you'll need to break in these brakes. First, find a long stretch of road or a big, empty parking lot. Once you're there, set your brake controller to its maximum setting and get moving. Speed up to about 40 mph and brake to slow to about 20 mph. Repeat this 15-30 times. The goal is to get the brake shoes properly seated into your drum. You'll know you've done that when it feels less jerky (and more consistent) each time you apply the brakes.
Note: The brakes will be very hot after doing this, so after every 10 stops you'll want to wait about 10 minutes to let the brakes cool off before continuing. If you don't, you might cook and crack the pad material.
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Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi everyone, Steven here with etrailer.com. Today we're looking at a set of our Dexter hydraulic drum brakes compatible for parking brake, and they are free backing, and you're gonna have one left and one right hand assembly. Now these are 12-inch rated at 7,000 pound capacity, and the free backing. Free backing brakes let you back up without having to lock up the trailer brakes. So you are required that your surge actuator does not have a reverse lockout on it for these to work properly. Now these are parking brake ready, so they have a built-in parking brake, and they even have the mounts on the backside here for those parking brake cables to go in, one on both sides.
Now that kit is sold separately. If you need that, it's part number T2385200, and that requires a tongue amount of activating lever and cables for that to work. Now there are some periodic manual adjustments required. You've got adjuster plugs included. They're left off here for demo.
That's the hole you would use your brake adjuster tool in. And then obviously, you would be spinning that star wheel at the bottom of that yellow spring. And then you got the two plugs here to plug up the hole, and you got the five lock washer nuts there included for installing these. Now you should have the same old bolts to reuse, and that's the five-hole pattern here that would mount to the brake flange. Again, you get the lock nuts and lock washers included.
If you need new bolts, you could source them locally, or we carry them here as well, part number BRKH12. Now these fit most standard hub and drum assemblies including etrailer, Dexter, and Lippert, or LCI. These are 12-inch diameter by about two inches wide, and they are a five-bolt mounting flames there on the front. Now the pads are nice bonded pads. They're not riveted or anything, and they are the same quality as automotive grade.
So very nice quality here as always by Dexter. Again, axle rating up to 7,000 pounds. And these are the left and right hand as a kit. Well, folks, that's gonna wrap it up for a quick look together. I'm Steven. Thanks for watching.
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