Replacement Drum and Disc Brake Kits for Tandem Axle Boat Trailer Used in Salt Water

Question:

I have a 7000 lb Wellcraft 262 Fisherman on a tandem axel trailer with old inoperative drum brakes on the front axel only. I want to replace the old rusted out drum brakes for a stainless kit including actuator for 2inch ball like your T48443100 kit. I ask for stainless since I use this rig in salt water. Can you please advise me on this request?

asked by: Bill W

Helpful Expert Reply:

We can help you with new brakes for your tandem-axle boat trailer that is used in a salt water environment.

We offer both electric and hydraulic drum brakes. Electric brakes are more and more supplied as the OEM equipment on boat trailers. This is mostly due to their lower cost and generally far simpler installation than hydraulic brakes. However, we do not have any drum brakes of either type with stainless steel construction.

We DO have disc brake kits with stainless components and these naturally are priced accordingly. Kodiak kit # K2HR526DS, for instance, is rated for a single 6K axle and has both stainless and dacromet-plated parts. I linked two articles concerning electric drum and hydraulic disc brake setups for trailers. These give you a good sense for whole process and parts requirements.

If you choose to just replace your old rusted hydraulic drums we can help you there too. Please refer to the linked page showing replacement hydraulic drum brakes. You'll want to check the sticker on the axle to confirm the weight capacity so you can select a pair of matching left and right drum brakes such as # AKFBBRK-7. This set of 12 x 2-inch free-backing hydraulic brakes is rated for 5200- to 7000-lb axles. Similar anti-corrosive brake kit # AKFBBRK-7-D features a dacromet coating, ideal for corrosive environments.

expert reply by: Adam R