Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes That One Wheel Locks Up When Braking

Question

Question:

I have a 2003 12 foot haulmark twin axle enclosed trailer. All brake shoes were replaced recently, now the right rear tire nearly locks up when brakes are applied. My question is, on the right side when replacing shoes, does the primary shoe one with longest brake pad go to the front or the rear. All four brake assemblies were adjusted the same.

asked by: Carroll B

0

Expert Reply:

The shorter brake shoe should always be facing the front of the trailer. As well as the "C" shaped arm on the inside of the assembly. See the diagram that shows the different sized shoes and the arm.

If the brake is installed correctly I would check the adjustment just to be sure before anything else. The next step will be to inspect the wiring for any pinches or damaged points. There could be a short on the circuit.

expert reply by: Charles S

0

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Answer 1

Sounds like your brakes aren't working when you use the breakaway kit or when your tow vehicle applies the brakes which leads me to believe the problem isn't the breakaway and it's most likely electrical. I attached a link to a page that…

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Answer 2

The break in process will be the same when replacing one brake and drum as if you were replacing both. Drive the trailer out into an open area, like an empty parking lot. Get up to around 40 MPH and apply the manual override on your brake controller.…

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Answer 3

In order to measure a brake assembly for replacement you need to do so from the inside of the drum on the contact surface for the shoes which you can see in the attached photo. The two most common sizes are 10" x 2-1/4" like the Electric…

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Answer 4

You would know to replace brake shoes the same way you would know with a vehicle. If performance is suffering and adjusting the brakes does not help and there are no other issues causing the poor performance it is probably time to change the brake…

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Answer 5

As long as your existing hub drums are in good condition (no grooves worn in the armature surface that the brake magnet rides on or the surface that the pads grab). For a lot of trailer hub/drums there is a minimum thickness for that to be turned…

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Answer 6

Most likely it's a mechanical problem on the specific assembly that's locking up when you hit the brakes. If it was a short in the wiring they all would be locking up. Best option is to pull the hub off and inspect the assembly to see if you…

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Answer 7

On many drum brakes there are wear indicators at the pad material on the shoes. If the pad material is riveted on and you have reached the rivets then it is time to replace them. If you have the brakes adjusted out all the way and the braking is…

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Answer 8

If there is visible signs of wear then it is a good idea to replace the hub/drum with the brake assemblies. If the armature surface where the brake magnet is damaged, or if the area where the bearings ride is showing wear or is damaged it would be…

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Answer 9

As long as all 4 tires have brakes installed, all 4 tires are supposed to lock when the pin is pulled. If only one axle has brakes, the 2 of the 4 tires should lock. There are a couple of possible problems your trailer may be experiencing. One…

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Answer 10

If the surface on the inside of the drum where the shoe pads make contact isn't smooth then a brake shop may be able to turn the drums. If that surface or the surface where the magnet makes contact (called the armature surface) is discolored then…

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Answer 11

You would know to replace brake shoes the same way you would know with a vehicle. If performance is suffering and adjusting the brakes does not help and there are no other issues causing the poor performance it is probably time to change the brake…

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Answer 12

You cannot really go by miles when determining when brakes should be replaced. You would know to replace them the same way you would know with a vehicle. If performance is suffering and adjusting the brakes does not help and there are no other issues…

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Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes That One Wheel Locks Up When Braking

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