What Info Is Needed to See if Trailer Can be Converted to Disc Brakes

Question:

My trailer came with 8 lug 16.5inch wheels, I would like to convert the axles from drum to disc, as it currently has non-functional drum brakes. What do I measure to determine the correct conversion kit? Some part of the spindles? Can it be determined by the installed bearing numbers? The axles and trailer have no labels on them at all. The axle crossmembers are box steel, and are welded below the level of the spindles to give more clearance to a boat, so I dont know if the crossmembers are original to the axles so I probably shouldnt measure the thickness of the crossmember to determine what axles are on it.

asked by: Jesse C

Expert Reply:

You are on the right track for determining what disc brake components you'd need to convert your trailer to disc brakes. You'd either need to know the bearing numbers or the dimensions of the spindle where the bearings ride. If you check out the attached help articles you can see a guide we put together for adding disc brakes to a trailer like yours.

There isn't a way to determine this based on the dimensions of your axle setup.

expert reply by: Jameson C