Can Brake Assemblies have the Magnet Mounted on Top of the Assembly

Updated 05/04/2015 | Published 05/03/2015

Question:

HI, I am new to travel trailer ownership, so Thank You in advance..... I have delved into all the systems in this trailer to check for maintenance and educate myself. I hit a snag on the braking system, as shown in the pic. the magnets and adjusters are all on top and the primary longer brake shoes are to the front as opposed to the information found stating the magnet should be located at the bottom, swing arm forward and the longer shoe to the rear. I thought maybe the axle were rotated 180 degrees at one time. I dont think I can flop the shoes longer to the rear and short to the front because the swing arm would still be on the wrong side. In the pic. the axle that is shown is the passenger side rear axle forward direction of travel is to the right. Does it make a difference with this orientation to how well the brakes work? p.s. the trailer is a 88inch Terry 19foot

asked by: Louie R

Helpful Expert Reply:

Typically brake assemblies mount with the magnet at the bottom of the assembly and the actuating arm pointing forward toward the direction of travel. I can't see it in the picture but there should be a mounting flange that the assemblies attach to on the axle. You should be able to unbolt the assemblies from the flange and rotate them 180 so that the magnet is facing the right direction. Otherwise if the assemblies are working adequately you would want to just leave them be.

You would NOT want to flip the axles to spin the assemblies around. They put a bow in trailer axles so that the axle sits level when theres a load put on it. Flipping the axle would cause the bow to face the wrong direction and your tires would wear strangely.

expert reply by: Jameson C