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The automotive-grade pads on these automatically adjusting brakes offer lasting effectiveness. 12" x 2" Assemblies have rust-resistant, e-coated backing plates to protect from debris. Fits 14.5" to 16.5" wheels.
Features:
Specs:
Quick Tip: There's really not a whole lot to getting new drum brakes. If you've confirmed that all of the specs listed above line up with what you need for your trailer, you can be pretty sure these will work for you.
The pads on these trailer brakes are made of the same friction material that you might find on a car's drum brakes. In fact, the material is SAE-N certified. So, not only does it provide high-performance braking, but it's environmentally friendly, too! With these brakes, your trailer will be good to go on any road throughout the United States and Canada.
The superior quality of these pads is also due to the fact that they're bonded to the shoes, not just nailed down. Riveted brake pads will always give you a screeching reminder to replace your brake shoes. That's because the rivets will scrape against your drum as the friction material wears down. You won't have that noisy problem with bonded brake pads. You'll also get a little more friction pad contact because there aren't any cutouts for rivets. And more friction means more stopping power.
These pads are also tapered, which should help to prevent any broken, crumbly bits of material from rotating inside the drum as the pads wear over time. Brakes without these tapers are more likely to create a jarring braking experience that could cause the brakes to stutter and lock up.
With typical electric brake assemblies, you need to manually adjust them every now and then to make sure you're getting the shortest stopping distances every time you tow.
With self-adjusting brakes, though, you'll always have peak stopping power - simple as that! As the brake pads wear over time, a tensioning cable will automatically keep the pads in alignment so they'll consistently make contact with your drum when you brake. You won't have to do tedious manual adjustments anymore.
A lot of resources have been invested to ensure that these brakes meet the requirements for certification set by the QAI and CSA . Basically, these certifications tell you that these trailer brakes are well built and safe for use on the road. They've been tested for braking performance under real-world conditions to provide the most realistic scenario for the everyday tower.
Once you get these brakes installed, you'll need to break them in. First, find a long stretch of road or a big, empty parking lot. Once you're there, set your brake controller to its maximum setting and get moving. Speed up to about 40 mph and brake to slow to about 20 mph. Repeat this 15-30 times. The goal is to get the brake shoes and magnet properly seated into your drum. You'll know you've done that when it feels less jerky (and more consistent) each time you apply the brakes.
Note: The brakes will be very hot after doing this, so after every 10 stops you'll want to wait about 10 minutes to let the brakes cool off before continuing. If you don't, you might cook and crack the pad material.
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (1579 Customer Reviews)
The automotive-grade pads on these automatically adjusting brakes offer lasting effectiveness. 12" x 2" Assemblies have rust-resistant, e-coated backing plates to protect from debris. Fits 14.5" to 16.5" wheels.Box was damaged in shipping. Brakes pads were shifted off the pivot stud. Realigned. Looks like they're ok. I won't know for sure until they're installed and operating. Still an excellent so far. Good price, and fast shipping.
The brake assemblies look good. I have not yet received the hub/drum assemblies. the packaging for the brake assemblies is totally unacceptable. the cardboard box was two and one half times larger than appropriate and had one piece of paper stuffed in to hold the contents in place. when I lifted the box I was sickened to hear the product roll from one end of the box to the other. Luckily there was little damage except for paint. Hopefully the hub/drum assemblies are packaged better.
I sent a question to etrailer.com Re: brake assemblies for my 1964 Airstream RV. I got a prompt response explaining how to measure the old brakes on the trailer to correctly size the brakes I needed. Finding the size allowed me to research the hub & bearing assemblies I also needed. I ordered them all with confidence they'd fit. Installed the self adjusting Electric Brake Assemblies along with the Hub kit with bearings, All parts fit together perfectly. Thanks George.
Ernie T.
8/15/2018
I’m very satisfied with the Brake and Hub Assy’s. I purchased from you guys. I recently had a question regarding Lug Nut Torque on the Hubs. I couldn’t locate any info on the instructions that came in the Boxes nor could I find this Info on the website. I looked in the FAQ’s area & also on the parts info page for the parts I bought. I like finding the Info myself, Usually after hours. I ended up having to call you guys. I talked to Sammie at Customer Service, She didn’t have the exact but did know where to get it. She sent me the Torque Chart with the Torque settings for the Hub and Wheel Type I have. I think that this Info Should be included in the box with the new Hubs and Lug Nuts, Plus easily found on the website. Your Videos and Tips are a Great Extra Plus for us DIY’s like me. I Appreciate Your effforts!! Thanks Again,
They don’t seem to be self adjusting. I did an initial adjustment and have had them on for a year now and they don’t seem to grab very strong. I have these on a tandem axle flatbed and all four engage but I can’t get the tires to drag on gravel even with the settings all the way up. I just redid all the wiring on my trailer and ran new lines, all soldered, and still no improvement. It’s possible it has something to do with my tow vehicle (2500 Cummins) but I have it set to “heavy electric” and it’s not engaging. The old brakes I replaced actually worked better than these ones.
Brooke M.
12/20/2023
Based off the info you gave, it sounds to me like it might be a bedding issue. Before you start that process, though, you want to make sure that your brakes are adjusted loose enough that you can turn your wheels by hand but tight enough that they arent able to freely spin. Once that is done, take a look at step four of the attached article. It will walk you through the bedding process.
Helpful Links
I would have to say that the self adjust drums were a nightmare! They actually wore completely out in less than 6 months with one assembly completely and literally exploding. They seemed to have been over adjusting themselves. They never really gave any real noticeable stopping power. I will never have another trailer with drum brakes. We had to have those brakes warrantied out and we upgraded to the disk brake conversion which is a night and day difference! We love the disk brakes that we received from etrailer!
Jenny N.
4/13/2022
I suspect that the brakes were not seated when they were installed which can cause the brakes to seem weak until they are worn in. This in turn may cause you to over brake with which wear out the brakes quicker. When installing new brakes, both manual and never adjust, you will want to 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. Make sure the brake controller is set high enough where it will fully engage the trailer brakes. Do not hit the brake pedal during this time, as you want to slow down your vehicle and trailer with only the trailer brakes. You will most likely have to do this about 20 to 30 times to properly seat the brakes. When you feel like your brakes are properly seated, pull over and check for signs that youre done: a bit of smoke is normal and your brakes should be very hot. The brakes should read 350-400 degrees with a temperature gun If you do not see these signs then repeat until the brakes are properly seated.
Good value for the $. Exact fit and fast shipping. Stopping power a little bit lower than original Dexter Brakes
These brake assemblies were an exact duplicate of the originals I was replacing. If you zoom on the pictures I took the two right side ratchet assemblies are knocked loose due to the shipping being dropped, no fault of the etrailer. The sturdy shipping box came in very handy for kneeling on while working on the brakes as you can see I’m working in the area with gravel all around the wheels. This is my second purchase from etrailer and both purchases have arrived quickly and worthy of their price.
Marcus
7/11/2021
It has taken one of the bothersome maintenance jobs from the check list I had to do to have my 5th wheel road ready.
The customer service was Great. Delivery was fast. However the four break assemblies were shipped without individual boxing/padding in a 2ft X 4ft x 6” box. One of the assemblies had a 1/4”chip out of the edge of a break pad and on another assembly, a break shoe became dislodged from it’s upper seat. With such strong springs, these assemblies must have been really thrown around should have been individually boxed or padded. I was able to correctly position the break shoe.
eTrailer shipped promptly and the brake kit was a perfect fit. Have bought from them before and will continue.
Donald
1/27/2024
I inspected the brakes during my annual maintenance last week and they looked very good after towing my camper across the US last year. Im very pleased with them.
These are outstanding backing plates and brakes setups. I ordered four of these for my 1997 Sunnybrook fifth wheel. Everything is preassembled! All I had to do was adjust the brakes a little to get the new hubs over them and that was all. Five nuts to remove and replace. Great product!
Terry M.
5/18/2018
The Drums, Bearings and Backing plates I installed from your company have worked GREAT! I have not had a single issue with their operation. I even accidentally ordered the incorrect seals, and that was handled perfectly! Thanks so much for carrying and supplying QUALITY parts and having excellent customer service!
Items arrived on time. Packaging was tough for these items. One of the brake assemblies came apart probably during shipping. I have enough knowledge that I was able to put it back together and all assemblies fit well on my camper. Haven't tested it out yet as it is still winter here in NY. Hopefully brakes will work well.
Five star. shipping was slow. Product was great 14 K 14 plies under 2000 pounds independent suspension. Low fast and sassy. Yep that’s how I build them.
They were an exact replacement for the brakes on our 2019 Solitude 5th wheel. The replacement was an easy DIY and we have been more than satisfied with the product and it's performance since install. The transaction was quick and simple. Thank you
Who knew lack of forward progress could be so satisfying.
After being pushed around by my new trailer, from a highly respected manufacturer, I sought help. First from a repair shop and then a friend with some experience working on trailer brakes.
When he pulled the first drum, we were both shocked. It was covered in bearing grease. Turns out the rear seals on all four wheels had been blown out and the drums were coated in grease along with the backing plates and brake shoes.
i ordered new self adjusting trailer brakes from etrailer, and the my buddy and I got dirty. Several cans of brake clean and scuffed knuckles later, My new trailer now stops like a new trailer.
I can't thank etrailer and my buddy enough.
After a year and a few thousand miles, my new trailer brakes just seem to be getting better. Thank for this solid product and, as always, great service.
Ordering and shipping were seamless and quick. Assembly was a piece of cake! All drum brakes should be this easy! The only point I have is it appears the assemblies were banging together during shipping which damaged two wires on the one assembly. It was an easy fix with some shrink tubing. Maybe better packaging would help eliminate this in the future
The price was great but after 100 miles one of them failed. The spring broke and the pad wore down to the metal and damaged the new Hub and drum I Replaced with it. I was on the road miles from my home and had to have a local shop pull it off and charge me for a whole new assembly. The other three I replace with this one worked great. I trailed 3,000 mile with no other problems. These are made in China and I took the chance. One bad one out of four not bad but it failing on my trip was a pain in the rear. Cost to repair just this one brake assembly and new hub/drum on the road was $[XX].
I bought this item a year ago. etrailer was the only supplier that had the brakes with the automatic adjuster. As my trailer was originally equipped with this option, I wanted to replace it with an identical set-up. The original brakes were not worn but heavily rusted and did not provide the performance required.
The new brakes from e-trailer were reasonably priced, quick delivery, an exact match, and installation was just a few bolts and a couple of wires. My order was quickly processed and the customer service was great. My brakes automatically adjust and now stop my 10,000 lb trailer on a dime. I have owned them for a year with zero issues. Five stars all around. I would recommend this item to anyone looking for a great brake setup for a heavy trailer.
Thanks etrailer!
The order I received was not what I ordered. I was supposed to get 3500lb brake kit but I got the 7000lb assembly. I called customer service and Paula is shipping me the correct assembly parts. Maybe my order will be correct the second time.
Sorry for the delayed response, but I did not want to write until I was ready to give my purchase an "Excellent" rating. Although happily it has ended that way, it did not start well.
In short, the loaded backing plates were installed without incident on a 1967 Airstream before hitting the road on a camping trip. At some point, the brake controller gain was boosted after deciding something was wrong. It blew a fuse.
I was able to reassess my initial installation today. A wire from the last backing plate I checked was pinched hard enough to short between the new backing plate & axle flange to short to ground.
It is all good now, and my antique classic stops on a dime. I have enjoyed every part I have bought from etrailer; keep up the Excellent work!
Tom
I have made six cross country trips in my RV now and trust these brakes. They are good parts and obviously trust them with my RV and my families safety.
The product is excellent the handling of the product by UPS damaged one of the brake assemblies, but etrailer has told me they are going to send another brake assembly to replace the one that was damaged by UPS overall very satisfied with etrailer
Dealing with Lori was great. However, UPS shipping was a huge disappointment. One box had obvious water damage with components falling out. If I were home during delivery I would have declined. This is unacceptable, etrailer and I deserve better service!
Good quality and perfect fit. I wish they came with the 5 bolts to hold them on, the bolt die as fast as the brake assembly.
Excellent replacement for standard non-adjusting brakes and actually easier to install since they adjust themselves! Have towed about 2,000 miles and no issues.
William
12/4/2023
No complaints! Have another trailer that Ill do the same. Nice not having to adjust brakes cause it can be a pain!
I like the way these are made, the spring is around the adjuster and will allow them to be truly self adjusting, the Dexter model has the spring under adjuster and will not let them adjust. The set was easy to replace and adjusted.
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Christopher
5/5/2024
Adjusted brakes about two months after installation and all are working good. Just make sure the magneto wire clamp is secured to the brake arm