Where To Place Braked Axles On a Triple Axle Trailer

Question:

What is the best placement of braking axles when mixing idlers and brakes?

asked by: Dan H

Expert Reply:

In regards to a triple axle trailer, if you are using a tubular axle with leaf springs then you will want to install brakes on the rear two axles. The reason for this is that with leaf springs, the rearmost axles will be pushed into the ground due to the transfer of weight via the equalizers therefore these axles will experience the most efficient stopping power.

If you will be using a square axle with torsion springs then you will want to install brakes on the front two axles. The reason for this is that with torsion springs, the forwardmost axles on the trailer will bear around 60% of the trailer's total weight. There are no equalizers in a torsion springs setup so more of the weight will remain on the front two axles while braking therefore this will provide the most efficient stopping power.

Please note that most states will require a certain number of braked axles dependant on the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the trailer so you will need to look into this before building your trailer.

expert reply by: Conner L