Replacement Brakes for Sailboat Trailer With 3500 lb Single Axle

Question:

Hello! I have a 1998 approx! Macgregor 26X sailboat single axle trailer and I am pretty sure it is a 3,500# capacity from what Ive been able to find online. It currently has drum surge brakes in extremely poor condition. I would like to redo the entire brake system from actuator to pads and maybe wheel hubs too if suggested or they look in bad shape?. I plan to remove the wheels and possibly take apart the whole system in the next day but am wondering what info I need to sort before ordering a system from you. I want to keep it surge not electric but am interested in switching to disc if its not too much of a pain or expense. Can you provide the following info?- -the sticker with trailer info is worn and unreadable. How do I determine weight cap accurately? -How do I determine which system to use on this trailer. Do you sell suitable kits that would have all parts required? Ive seen some on your site but not completely sure they apply to this trailer. -Can you send any measurements I can take to facilitate ordering a complete system from you guys? Im looking forward to tackling this project and appreciate any help you can send my way. I will also include any pix requested on subsequent posts if you need anything specific... Thanks!! Ben H

asked by: Ben H

Expert Reply:

A 3500 lb axle would typically use a L68149 inner and L44649 outer wheel bearing and the hub would have a 5 on 4-1/2 inch bolt pattern so you'll want to confirm that by pulling a hub and getting the reference numbers off the cages of your existing bearings. If this is what you have, then you do indeed have a 3500 lb axle and the parts I recommend below will be based on that assumption.

If the above is true, you'll have 10 inch brake assemblies, and I'd recommend # 40716-15 galvanized brake assemblies. These brake assemblies are free-backing which means after some initial resistance, the brakes will automatically release when you back the trailer so you won't need to mess with a reverse lockout. If your hub/drums are still in good shape, there's no reason you can't reuse them but if the surface the pad rides against is grooved or pitted, I'd recommend replacing those as well. I'd recommend the galvanized 10 inch brake drum, part # AKHD-545-35-G-EZ-K. The hub will work with both electric and hydraulic brake assemblies, is compatible with the bearings mentioned above and has a 5 on 4-1/2 inch bolt pattern.

For a surge coupler, I'd recommend the Demco # DM8609101 which is compatible with drum brake systems on trailers weighing up to 8000 lbs. The coupler fits a 3 inch wide channel trailer tongue and is compatible with a 2 inch trailer ball.

If you wanted to go with a better performing disc brake system here's what I'd recommend (once again assuming you have a 3500 lb axle). For a hub/rotor/caliper kit, I'd recommend the Titan # T2HRCM10DAC kit which features a Dacromet plating that provides good corrosion protection for fresh or saltwater use. For a brake actuator, use # T47457207K from Titan.

If you have different bearings and/or a different wheel bolt pattern let me know and I can make alternate suggestions for you.