Free-backing hydraulic drum brakes won't lock up when you back up, even if your actuator is engaged. 12" x 2" Assemblies have e-coated backing plates. Fit most 14-1/2" to 16-1/2" wheels.
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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, allowing the wheels to continue to turn.
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.
The pads on these trailer brakes are made of the same friction material that you might find on a car's drum brakes. In fact, the material is SAE-N certified. So, not only does it provide high-performance braking, but it's environmentally friendly, too! With these brakes, your trailer will be good to go on any road throughout the United States and Canada.
The superior quality of these pads is also due to the fact that they're bonded to the shoes, not just nailed down. Riveted brake pads will always give you a screeching reminder to replace your brake shoes. That's because the rivets will scrape against your drum as the friction material wears down. You won't have that noisy problem with bonded brake pads. You'll also get a little more friction pad contact because there aren't any cutouts for rivets. And more friction means more stopping power.
These pads are also tapered, which should help to prevent any broken, crumbly bits of material from rotating inside the drum as the pads wear over time. Brakes without these tapers are more likely to create a jarring braking experience that could cause the brakes to stutter and lock up.
A lot of resources have been invested to ensure that these brake assemblies meet the requirements for certification set by the QAI and CSA . Basically, these certifications tell you that these trailer brakes are well built and safe for use on the road. They've been tested for braking performance under real-world conditions to provide the most realistic scenario for the everyday tower.
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. 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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