How to Determine What Type of Brakes are Needed on a Trailer

Updated 02/24/2017 | Published 02/23/2017

Question:

hey there, i have a 33ft 1993 tpd 3 axle trailer, and i want to replace all 6 brake assemblies, how do i know what axles i have to choose the proper e brakes assemblies? or is there a way to tell by looking at the brakes assemblies themselves?

asked by: Cory N

Expert Reply:

First you need to know if you're looking for drum or disc brakes and if they're electric or hydraulic. This you can tell by looking at the brakes and how they're powered.

To determine which brakes you need for your trailer you'll need to find out the weight capacity of each axle. This should be stamped somewhere on the axle itself.

Once you have this figured out you can choose the brake assemblies you'd like based on other factors like whether they're self or manual adjusting or the material they're made from.

For example, the # AKEBRK-7R-SA brake assembly is a 12 inch self-adjusting electric drum brake that is for axles rated from 5,200 to 7,000 pounds.

Once you determine what you need let me know and can recommend specific brakes.

expert reply by: Charles S