Dexter Electric Trailer Brake Kit - 12" - Left and Right Hand Assemblies - 7,000 lbs

Video Transcript for Dexter Axle Trailer Brakes - Electric Drum Brakes - 23-180-181 Review

Today we're going to take a look at the Dexter 12 inch electric trailer brake kit with the left and right hand brake assemblies for 7,000 pound axles. Electric brakes are easier to install. They offer more user control than hydraulic brakes, and basically they require only an electric brake controller, which we do sell separately on our website. There's no actuator or hydraulic lines necessary with electric brakes. There are a manual adjustment brake. Right down here is the adjustment gear that you would just turn this gear to adjust them in or out.

It does require a periodic manual adjustment. Also, what's nice is on the back of this, on the backing plate, if you notice the two holes, the access holes at the bottom that you would do your adjustment through, they do put plugs in there. These adjuster plugs are included. That's nice because it covers that access hole, keeps any dirt or grime out of your brake assembly and off your brake shoes. This part number will include the left hand driver's side and the right hand passenger side brake assemblies. The mounting hardware, you can see, for both assemblies is also included.

On the 12 inch size brake assemblies, like these are here, the bolts are usually already installed on the brake mounting phalange, so all you require is the nut with the lock washer and these are a combined nut with a lock washer. They are all included. Dimensions on these assemblies are 12 inch diameter by two inches wide. Those measurements, the diameter 12 inches would be from this shoe all the way across to this show. We'll go ahead and put a ruler on that, there's your 12 inch diameter.

The two inch wide is actually the width of the pad on the brake shoe. If we put the ruler on, there's your two inches wide. We mentioned the brake mounting phalange bolt pattern you can see is five bolts. You can see the five bolt holes right here. It does require the use of 12 inch brake drums. The wheel size that'll fit on these assemblies is 14 1/2 inch, 15 inch, and 16 inch.

These brake assemblies are designed for axles that are rated at 7,000 pounds. These are electric brakes, so you'll notice in the back they have two black wires coming out. They do need to be connected. One goes to the brake feed, the other one goes to a nice clean ground, and they're both black wires, so it doesn't matter, either wire can be used for either function. The last thing I just want to show you is how to tell the difference between the left hand driver's side and right hand passenger side. On a new assembly, of course, they'll have a sticker that will say right hand or left hand. That's easy enough, but if the sticker wasn't there and you just had to look at them, the easiest way to tell is just look at the length of the brake pad on the shoe. This pad goes from here to here and this one just goes from here to here, so this is the shorter pad. This is the longer pad. Shorter pad is always your primary shoe and that's always made to point towards the front of the trailer, so the primary shoe to the front would make this your right hand passenger side assembly. If we go to the other one, same way, this pad is all the way from here to here. This one is just from here to here. Shorter pad, primary shoe, goes to the front, so that tells you that this is the left hand driver's side assembly. That should do it for the review on the Dexter 12 inch electric trailer brake kit with the left and right hand brake assemblies for 7,000 pound axles.