What Holds A Trailer Brake Magnet In Place In A Trailer Brake Assembly

Updated 05/09/2026 | Published 09/26/2024

Products Featured in This Question

etrailer Electric Trailer Brakes - 12" - Left/Right Hand Assemblies - 5,200 lbs to 7,000 lbs

(636)

$151.81

Replacement Magnet Kit for 12" Electric Trailer Brake Assemblies - 5,200 lbs to 7,000 lbs

(162)

$24.36

Question:

What holds the magnetic in place is it clued to the arm or does it just float on the arm. Is there suppose to be a clearance between the magnet and the enter drum

asked by: Tony

Expert Reply:

Hey Tony,

The brake magnet # AKBRKR-M12 is placed on a metal arm with a spring on the back side of the magnet to push the magnet up away from anything and a clip to prevent it from popping off the arm. When the brake is energized by the brake controller the magnet will stick to the drum. As the drum spins it will pull on the magnet arm which pushes the brake shoes out to contact the drum and slow the trailer down.

I've attached a short video where I replace a brake magnet that will give you a better idea of how this works. If you're having an issue with your brakes then let me know what you're experiencing and I'd be happy to help.

expert reply by: Kevin C

brake magnet arm
(click to enlarge)

Brake magnet clip
(click to enlarge)

brake magnet spring
(click to enlarge)

Jerred H.

1/5/2026

Hey Tony, how did things go with the brake magnet on your trailer brakes? Did the spring and clip setup work the way you expected? Your update could make it easier for others working on the same brake assembly.

Haldi

5/9/2026

@JerredH I'm not Tony, but I have the same problem. The spring pushes the magnet towards the drum and the clip prevents the magnet from falling off the arm. The magnet is very loose and wobbly on the arm. It scrapes against the inside of the drum when there is no electricity applied. With electricity applied, the mechanism works. The scraping sound is pretty loud, but it doesn't cause appreciable drag on the trailer. Shouldn't the spring pull the magnet away from the drum? I looked at the video for replacing the magnet; the example assembly you used looks exactly the same as mine. Is the magnet not supposed to be wobbly? If yes, how can I make it wobble less?