Question About Electric Trailer Brake Assemblies

Updated 10/15/2024 | Published 10/13/2024

Question:

Sorry, cant remember if I told you it is electric brake assy not hydraulic. Thanks!

asked by: Dennis T

Expert Reply:

Hey Dennis,

I don't know exactly what question you were asking before but I'd be happy to help you now. Are you needing new brakes or are you having an issue with your trailer brakes?

expert reply by: Kevin C

Dennis T.

10/14/2024

Hi Kevin, Aaron recommended the AKEBRK-7-SA Etrailer brakes for my trailer. He has all the specs about the trailer. But after watching your video, it said it had smaller magnets than the dexter. Al -Ko is the original brake assembly for my 19 ft toyhaular and didnt stop very well. My brake assy. has 5 holes on the plate and 6 lug nuts. Im wondering if I could upgrade to a higher Dexter version without worrying about my spindle not fitting on say like the 7000lb system. I see you stock both. I would like to purchase the complete brake assy and 6 lug drum with the bearings and seals for my original spindle. 2 rt and 2 lt assemblies. Any info on any upgrade would be great! Thanks Kevin!

Kevin C.

10/14/2024

@DennisT You're not really going to see any difference in stopping power when in the same weight capacity between the etrailer and Dexter brands and you can't really just go a size up without also increasing the drum and wheel size. You'd see a difference going from drum to disc brakes but that's going to require a lot of parts to transition and might not be the best fit depending on your trailer. 5.2k to 7k brake assemblies are all going to give you the same braking power. If you're experiencing weak stopping power then I would look to make sure the brake shoes were adjusted on each assembly, test the voltage coming to the brake assemblies, and check the drums for deep scratches or gouges that could prevent the magnet from riding and pulling on the brake shoes. In order to figure out what hub/drum assemblies would fit your spindle we'll either need to part numbers from the bearings and grease seal or you'll need to measure the spindle with a caliper # PTW80157 at points B, C, and D from the diagram above. Let me know what you find and we can figure out what's going to be the best replacement.

Helpful Links

tv-review-dexter-electric-brake-assembly-23-106-09.aspx

Dennis

10/14/2024

@KevinC Thanks Kevin! Yeah, I've adjusted the manual brakes several of times. The magnets look really worn out and the brakes are 20 years old. Disk brakes would be nice tho! haha! 20 year old trailer, will stay with electric brakes. So can I use your brake assembly AKEBRK-7-SA and use my current drums? Or would I still need to let you know the bearing and seal # for me to use your brakes? I know, probably a stupid question! But if you can let me know, thanks!

Kevin C.

10/15/2024

@Dennis If the magnets are worn out then that can cause issues with stopping power but those brakes definitely need to be retired after 20 years. The etrailer Electric Trailer Brakes # AKEBRK-7-SA would be compatible replacement but I would definitely change out your hub/drum assemblies as well. The inside of the drums gets worn in by the brake assembly and is most likely not perfectly round anymore. If the brake shoes aren't making even contact with the drum you'll get a weak response. Manufacturers technically want you to replace the both the brakes and hubs/drums at the same time exactly for this reason so we'll need to figure out your bearing and seal combination to find the right replacement. Are there any part numbers stamped into the face of the hub?

Helpful Links

tv-install-etrailer-trailer-brakes-2019-grand-design-reflection-150-fifth-wheel-akebrk-7-sa.aspx