How to Select Trailer Brakes with Enough Stopping Power

Question:

Hello, Can anyone tell me what would be the braking torque supplied by a 7inch drum brake? Im a graduate student and am using an 8inch wheel on a completely new forklift-like vehicle that Im developing as my research work. The axle rating is about 5100lbs and it uses an 18inch forklift tire18x7-8 with an 8inch wheel4.33R-8. The tire is rated for over 3000lbs. Since Im using the drum brake as just a parking brake, so I require a braking torque of ~370 ft.lbf. Please suggest if a 7inch hydraulic or electric drum brake with parking brake would be fit for the job or not. Thank you.

asked by: Anupam C

Expert Reply:

That sort of technical detail is not included in the specs for the trailer brake assemblies we sell. But in general using a set of brakes rated for the same weight as the axle capacity will provide adequate stopping power.

5200-lbs is a fairly common trailer axle weight rating and for this capacity the brakes specified are much larger, the 12 x 2-inch size such as # AKEBRK-7-SA, which is a pair of left and right electric drum brakes. The 7-inch brakes we offer are rated only to 2500-lbs.

Dexter Electric Trailer Brake Assembly with Parking Brake # 23-113 is this size and includes a parking brake.

expert reply by: Adam R