Can Hydraulic Disc or Electric Drum Brakes Be Added to Demco Tow Dolly

Question:

Will any of your break kits work on a demco tow dolly? Mine currently does not have any breaks and im looking to add breaks to it. Looks to have 14inch rims its a 1984 model year. looks to have 4 bolts behind the rims mounting to the frame of the tow dolly Thanks

asked by: Tom T

Expert Reply:

It may indeed be possible to add brakes, like the Titan hydraulic disc brake kit # T4843300 you referenced, to your tow dolly but a few things need to be checked. Generally it is preferable to use electric drum brakes on a tow dolly since their power can be adjusted by the brake controller that would be installed in the tow vehicle. A disc actuator requires the forward-momentum of the dollied vehicle to engage the brakes, and this would make it essential to match the actuator to the weight of the towed vehicle. I suggest you stay with electric drums for easier installation and lower cost.

You will need to have brake mounting flanges on your axle; it sounds like you may have found 4-bolt brake flanges on your axle. We offer electric drum brakes such as # AKEBRK-35L-SA and # AKEBRK-35R-SA for 3500-lb axles that fit this bolt pattern. You will also need to choose brake assemblies of the correct capacity for your dolly's axle weight rating. Hub/drum assemblies will be required also, a set that uses the same bearing/seal set as your current hubs. This is essential to ensure your new hubs fit your spindles. You'll also need to wire the trailer with an additional circuit for the brakes. This can be in any of several connector formats, such as a 5-way, 6-way or 7-way. The linked articles on adding brakes and on trailer wiring will be helpful.

It will be worth contacting Demco with your dolly model and VIN numbers for their guidance regarding addition of brakes to this product.

expert reply by: Adam R