How to Add Trailer Brakes to a Home Made Trailer

Question:

looking to convert my single solid axle triler into a mobile food vending business. Im not sure of my weight but I will have a 150 gal water tank and a generator on board. It is now just a solid axle with hubs attached and about 12 feet long made from mild steel. How involved will I have to get to add brakes to this? Thanks

asked by: Johnny A

Expert Reply:

If your trailer axle has spindles with mounting flanges, # TRU74FR, on them then the conversion to electric trailer brakes should be fairly easy. You will need electric brake assemblies, # 23-26, sized properly for the trailers gross weight loaded and ready to travel. You will also need trailer hub and drum assemblies, # 84546UC3, sized properly to match the trailer spindles, wheel bolt pattern and the brake assembly selected.

If your spindles do not have mounting flanges you will need to use brake mounting flanges, # 4-35, sized properly for the spindles you have and have them welded to the spindles.

Once you have all of these components you should be able to install the electric brakes on your axles with little trouble. The brake assemblies have two wires and since they are powering a magnet you just need to ground one of the wires and hook the other to the brake feed from the trailer connector.

The items referenced above are for clarification of which parts you will need and are not recommendations for your trailer. You will need to select parts properly sized for your trailers axle and gross weight. If you would like to send some details about the axle, equipment your trailer will be carrying and the amount of weight it will be required to carry I would be glad to make a more specific recommendation.