Can 7 Inch Electric Trailer Brakes Be Used on a 3500 Pound Trailer Axle

Published 02/12/2015

Question:

Will the 7 inch electric drum brakes fit on a 3500 lbs trailer axle?

asked by: Jason O

Expert Reply:

With the right size hub and drum assembly you could technically use 7 inch brakes on anything. The problem is that 7 inch brakes are rated too low for a 3500 pound axle. They are only rated up to 2500 pounds. The other issue is that the hub/drums that are associated with 7 inch brakes are not likely going to fit the spindles on a 3500 pound axle because the bearings will not be the right size.

On 3500 pound axles you will use 10 x 2-1/4 inch brakes. I have included a link to all of the brakes in this size as well as the hub and drum assemblies that take 10 x 2-1/4 inch brakes. To choose hub/drums you would go by the bearing numbers stamped into the sides of the bearings.

expert reply by: Michael H