What are the Differences Between the Disc Brake Coatings for Trailer Disc Brakes

Published 05/27/2016

Question:

Hi - Could you provide an explanation on the various coatings/options for the Kodiak disc brakes and the benefits of each? Im thoroughly confused on which version I should look at.

asked by: Travis F

Expert Reply:

Brake parts are manufactured with one of several different finishes - raw metal, e-coat, silver cadmium, or Dacromet or they are made entirely of stainless steel.

Parts vary in price and in the degree of resistance to corrosion, depending on the finish. For example, the ability of brake parts to resist corrosion would be important if you typically use your trailer around water, especially salt water.

Of the different finishes, "raw" offers the least resistance to corrosion. Better than a raw finish is e-coating, which fights rust and corrosion with a paint-like coating. But a downside to e-coating is that the paint can wear off or get chipped, allowing rust to start. Both silver cadmium and Dacromet plating offer better alternatives for corrosion resistance than either a raw finish or e-coat, and they hold up very well. But parts made of stainless steel stand up best to corrosion because they are reliably rustproof. The only downside here is that stainless parts are much more expensive than parts having any of the other finishes.

expert reply by: Jameson C