Wheels On Braking Axle Sit Slightly Farther Out Than The Non Braking Axle. Is This Normal?

Question:

After trailer drum brake to disc brake conversion on rear axle of tandem axle boat trailer, the rear wheels appear to be about 1 further out than the front wheels on the idler axle. Laying a straight edge on rear wheels to front wheels also shows the same results. Have you ever heard of this situation and is there cause for concern? I have checked all other measurements and all appear to be the same for each axle. Thank you.

asked by: Tommy T

Helpful Expert Reply:

It sounds like you are using a slip on rotor for your disc brake conversion. This will cause the wheels on the braking axle to sit slightly farther out than the wheels on the non-braking axle. This is due to the thickness of the rotor, which is is usually about 1/2"-3/4" or so. This is not going to be a cause for concern and there will not be any adverse effects. Some folks may use wheel spacers in this case, but we do not recommend doing that as they can be unsafe. You can go about towing like normal.

expert reply by: Jesse M