Parts Needed To Upgrade to Hydrualic Disc Brakes On Tandem 7,000LB Trailer Axles

Question

Question:

I am building a trailer that will haul a 12,000 lb load and currently I have two 7,000 axles that I fitted with your electric brakes on both axles. My question is how much weight will a 12 electric drum brake handle by itself? The tow truck will be right at its max towing capacity so I will be relying on the trailer brakes to do most of the stopping. Just wondering if I should go to a triple braking axle or convert to hydraulic drum or disk

asked by: Lane B

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Expert Reply:

While the 12" Brakes # AKEBRK-6 are going to be sufficient for stopping your trailer the best option is to upgrade to a hydraulic set of disc brakes. The Disc Brakes will run cooler as they do not hold heat like drum brakes ensuring your brakes work when needed. The Hydrastar Disc Brake Kit # HSE7K-T1 will contain nearly everything you will need to convert to the stronger disc brakes. It includes new rotor/hubs with bearings, grease seals, calipers, brake lines, mounting hardware and a hydraulic actuator.

The only other parts you may need are an Actuator Adapter # HBA-CAM if you are using a factory brake controller which is not compatible with electric over hydraulic brakes. A 10 AH Breakaway Battery # 3802311 if you only have a 5AH battery. Bearing Oil # XLPROLUBE and Caps # HYD27FR for all 4 hubs.

expert reply by: Bud M

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Answer 1

In order to convert a 2017 Heartland RV Bighorn Fifth Wheel from electric drum to hydraulic disc brakes I recommend using the Hydrastar Disc Brake Kit part #HSE7K-T1. This is a mostly complete kit that has everything you need from the disc brakes to…

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Answer 2

The part #HSE7K-T1SO comes with rotors that slip over idler hubs and the #HSE7K-T1 instead comes with rotors that are integrated into hubs. So it's totally different applications based on the style of hub that the trailer has.

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Answer 3

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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Answer 4

The manual lockout on your Atwood 85778 surge brake coupler is there so that you can back up the trailer without the brakes locking up on you. Yes you can safely tow your trailer with the broken manual lockout, you just have to make sure you…

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Answer 5

Hey Richard, thanks for reaching out! The Dexter DX7.5 Drop-N-Go Brake Actuator #099-175-00 is a great option for a replacement actuator because it's a direct replacement for the common Model 60 actuators that were popular in the '90s.…

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Answer 6

To determine the size of the brake assemblies you need you have to measure the depth and width of the hub drum on the axle like what you see in the picture I attached. The most common size is 2-1/4 inch wide like the #T4071600-500 that you…

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Answer 7

Traditionally, trailer manufacturers did not use electric brakes on boat trailers because the brake magnet wiring and trailer wiring did not always have the best insulation or water protection. These days, more and more manufacturers are using…

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Answer 8

There really isn't a particular maximum trailer weight that is used to determine when brakes need to be added to both axles of a tandem axle setup. While I do still recommend checking your local laws, I am also not aware of any general laws that…

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Answer 9

To find the load capacity for your axle you should look on the trailer VIN plate or sticker that lists the VIN number. The weight rating of the axle should be listed on that same plate or sticker. Also, the axle could have a tag or plate on it that…

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Answer 10

The recommended lug nut torque for your 7,000lb axle depends on a few factors like wheel size, stud size etc. Check out the attached photo which shows the torque specs for a variety of applications. I see you were looking at the Dexter Nev-R-Adjust…

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Answer 11

To determine the size of the hub assembly you need to purchase you have to determine which bearings are in the old assembly. If the old assembly has L44649 inner bearings, you would use the hub you chose #8-258-5UC1. If the inner bearings are marked…

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Answer 12

Even though I cannot comment specifically on the grease you used because I am not familiar with it, I can tell you the best grease for trailer bearings is a a grease with a rating of GC-LB, which just means it is made to withstand very high…

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