For years, this UFP-style surge brake actuator has been the gold standard for boat trailers. Its weld-on, low-profile design looks sleek on your trailer, and the primed finish can be easily welded and painted to give it a fresh look. Made in the USA.
Features:
Specs:
Tech Tip: If you really just need to replace the inner member of your old actuator and you're confident that you can salvage the outer casing, you can purchase DX97FR instead.
If your trailer isn't married to just one tow vehicle, this Dexter actuator will be a great option for you. Just keep in mind that because it doesn't have a reverse lockout on it to keep your brakes from locking up, you will need to have free-backing brakes instead.
If you're replacing your old actuator, you're probably looking at this one and thinking, yeah, that looks like mine alright, but doesn't UFP make these? The short answer is that Dexter bought out Unique Functional Parts (UFP) in 2013, changed the name, but kept the awesome design. Rest assured, this is the real deal and not some kind of knockoff.
Trigger latches on traditional couplers can be kind of a pain to work with sometimes.
For starters, you have to hold the latch up as you lower the coupler onto the hitch ball. Not to mention that the latch can stick out like a sore thumb, so it may get bent or broken by your tailgate or your bumper as you go to hitch up. That's more than just an inconvenience; when your coupler is out of commission, your trailer's not going anywhere with you.
The coupler on this UFP-style actuator negates all of that. Just slide the button on top with your thumb while you lift up the latch handle. Then, place the coupler over the center of your hitch ball and lower your trailer with your tongue jack.
When you can close the latch without forcing it, you'll hear a click. This sound tells you that the ball is seated firmly inside. Then, just re-insert the tethered safety pin, hook up your safety chains and your breakaway cable, and you'll be ready to tow.
When you slow to a stop as you're towing, momentum pushes your trailer toward the rear of your vehicle. When this happens, the surge brake actuator compresses the master cylinder inside, which forces it to push hydraulic fluid out to your brake lines, ultimately engaging your trailer brakes. When you start moving again, the actuator will telescope back out, stopping the flow of fluid back to the brakes and allowing your trailer's wheels to start rolling again.
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Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi everybody. Andy here with etrailer. Let's take a quick look at this Dexter A 60 brake actuator. Now this is a surge brake actuator that's designed for trailers with hydraulic drum brakes. And this is rated for trailers up to 7,500 pounds gross trailer weight. So this is gonna be a solid choice for heavier setups where a dependable braking system really does matter.
Now what makes this nice is that it's fully automatic. It uses a surge braking design, which means that when you slow your tow vehicle down, the trailer's gonna naturally push forward slightly, and that motion's gonna activate the trailer's brakes. So what that means for you is no complicated wiring or brake controllers needed in your cab. This is just going to work in sync with your vehicle. Now, hookup is gonna be pretty straightforward and secure.
This has an over the center latch that's going to lock down when it's fully seated on your two-inch hitch ball. So you're not gonna have to worry about looking. You're not gonna have to worry about this looking to latch, but not actually being secure. So let me give you a brief demonstration of how you hook this up. You've got a tethered safety pin here that you're gonna pull out, and then you just slide this little tab over, and then that's gonna allow you to bring that latch up.
And then that's just going to go over your two inch ball, and then you're just going to close that latch. And then it is important to replace this pin as well because once you have that pin in place, if for whatever reason this latch pops up accidentally, that pin is going to prevent this from coming up all the way. So you're still gonna stay securely connected to your ball. So again, make sure that pin is in place. And then when you're ready to disconnect, you'll just pull that pin out and then open up that latch, and then that's going to allow you to disconnect just like that.
So this is going to give you the extra confidence that you're properly connected before you hit the road. Now, this is built to weld onto a three-inch by five-inch straight trailer tongue. So, this is meant for sturdier trailer frames. Internally, it does use an aluminum master cylinder, and the body here is primed. So this is going to help resist rust and corrosion over time. When you get this welded into place, it's a good idea to paint over this prime finish whatever color you want that's gonna match your trailer to give you that extra added protection. That aluminum master cylinder is gonna be great, especially helpful if your trailer sees regular outdoor storage or wet conditions. Now, you probably already noticed, but this does have a breakaway cable with this included hook. So this will hook to your tow vehicle and prevent a trailer runaway situation. So if your trailer, for whatever reason, unhooks from your tow vehicle, it's going to pull this cable, which will activate the master cylinder to apply the brakes to keep it from a runaway situation. Before I leave you, let me go ahead and put a tape measure up to this. Just give you a rough overall measurement so you have a good idea of the size. So as I hope you can see, we're sitting pretty close to 22 3/4 inches. But if you happen to have any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We do wanna make sure that you're getting exactly what you need. Well, again, my name is Andy. Thank you for joining me.
Product specs are right on. Well built.
Came packaged well and in a timely manner. Product just as expected. Installed and ready to go.
Was exactly what I was expecting, good quality, a fair price, and will fit right on my trailer tongue.
Good job!!!
I ordered late Tuesday evening. It shipped on Wednesday, arrived Friday and my boat trailer was fixed by Friday evening. Product was exactly as advertised and the perfect replacement for my damaged one. Quick and accurate shipping had me back out fishing by the weekend. Very impressed with etrailer service levels.
Paul is awesome!!
I was very pleased with the way he handled the order. I was going to order it online but he suggested that he could possibly have it delivered in 3-4 days. Actually it was delivered in 24 hours.
I thought [other retailers] were quick about deliveries till I ordered from etrailer.
The coupler and the brake actuator fit perfectly and definitely was a great replacement from the Atwood coupler.
Thanks. Paul.
Worked great, replaced an old Atwood, welded in where the old one was cut out. Minor modification to the brake line, easy to bleed master cylinder and then bleed brake system. Coupler is extremely easy to use.
I installed this brake actuator on a 3500 lb boat trailer with drum brakes, is working great so far. Needed to replace the existing broken hitch on my trailer and this was a suitable replacement to get the brakes working again.
Fast courteous service, great equipment.
worked great
Product as described and will be the needed replacement for the existing actuator on the trailer.
Perfect fit exactly the part that I nee ded
Installed and working as expected.
My 1993 Jayco 1206 pop-up was originally equipped with an Atwood weld on hitch with surge brake actuator. The actuator became seized and unserviceable and was obsolete, so it couldn't be replaced. I got this replacement hitch, cut the old one off, and had this one welded on. This is a great option and will be much more serviceable in the future. I am very pleased!
Worked perfectly
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