How to Determine if 1989 Featherlite 2-Horse Trailer has Trailer Brakes

Question:

Hi there. I was curious to know if this horse trailer has brakes? I was unable to find a model number, but a photo is attached. I recently purchased it and have had a few issues listed below: When hauling, my 2006 Ford Expedition 4WD was having difficulty pulling it and it kept jerking forward and back on acceleration - as well as when there was rough road. My thought is that my hitch may not be level. Also, when hauling the rear axle tires were hot and the front were cool, so I am assuming the load bearing was not evenly distributed possibly from the hitch being too high. I am curious to know if there are brakes on this trailer as the jerking may have been due to the brakes being engaged when they shouldnt causing the rear tires to get hot. Lastly, do you know where I can find replacement parts for the rear hinges and the escape doors on each side? Thank you!

asked by: Jill

Expert Reply:

I don't have a way to determine if your trailer has brakes or not but it's pretty easy to determine this by checking out the backside of the wheel. I attached a picture that shows both styles of hubs. The one on the left is a brake hub and the one on the right is an idler hub. Look at the back of the wheels on your trailer and you'll be able to tell.

For the rougher ride quality I'd recommend making sure you have the correct hitch ball size as it sounds like you may have too small of hitch ball and the coupler is moving around on it. The coupler should say what size ball it requires and your hitch ball should say what size it is.

expert reply by: Jameson C