Parts Needed to Add Electric Drum Brakes to Trailer Axles

Question:

I have two trailers that I routinely use. 1 16 foot flatbed two axle 5,000 each axle one axle has electric brakes which DO work and my tow vehicle has a brand-new controller 2 10 foot flatbed single axle 3,500 lb no brakes My question is this: On the 16 foot trailer that has brakes already on one axle, would part number AKEBRK-7L-SA be able to add to the 2nd axle which currently has no brakes on it. AND Is there a way to add brakes to the 10 foot trailer that has no brakes at all on its single axle? Thank you very much.

asked by: Mr. J

Helpful Expert Reply:

If the second 5K axle on your tandem trailer has brake mounting flanges in place then you can bolt on compatible electric drum brake assemblies of the appropriate size. Typically a 5K axle will have 12 x 2-inch brakes installed, like # AKEBRK-7L-SA (left) and # AKEBRK-7R-SA (right). Both use a 5-bolt mounting pattern. Wiring in the second pair of brakes is simple enough; either brake magnet wire can be used for ground or hot since they are non-polarized.

On the trailer without brakes you'll again need to ensure there are brake flanges on the axle. if not you'll need to have them welded on by a qualified welder who has the correct equipment, or you can swap out the entire axle for a new kit that includes the axle beam with flanges, hub/drum assemblies and brakes. We offer such 3500-lb kits. shown on the linked page, such as # e43SR.

We also offer electric drum brakes for 3500lb axles which are the 10 x 2-1/4-inch size. Do note typically these use a different 4-bolt mounting pattern.

You can refer to the linked article for more on adding electric drum brakes to a trailer.

expert reply by: Adam R