Is It Better To Replace The Brake Shoes Or Completely Replace The Brake Assembly

Updated 03/18/2023 | Published 03/17/2023

Question:

2015 Grand Design Momentum 5w toy hauler, model M-350. I purchased 2 sets of the AKEBRK-7-sa 6 years ago and they worked fine. This year while changing the bearings and seals, I noticed a couple of chunks missing from the rear brake pad on the front driver side set. The drum is fine, no groves. I dont see any replacement pads on the web page. What is the part number of the pads or is it cheaper just to replace the whole assembly?

asked by: David P

Helpful Expert Reply:

Most people prefer to completely replace the brake assembly instead of replacing just the brake shoe because the cost of the brake shoes is about 3/4 the cost of completely replacing the assembly and you'll typically have quite a hard time removing and swapping in the new brake shoes, especially if you don't have the correct tools and have the technique down.

It's much easier to just pop the brake assembly off of the brake flange and swap in a new # AKEBRK-7-SA, which will give you all new parts, instead of just the shoes, and a new 1-year warranty incase there's any issues.

I've attached a short video below where Dave will walk you through the replacement process.

expert reply by: Kevin C