Installing Electric Brakes on a Trailer...

Daryl LBZ · June 6, 2013

Has anyone ever installed electric brakes on a trailer that never had any to begin with? My buddy at work has a good deal on a decent size tandem axle trailer that I would like to buy. I mainly want it to use to haul wood, but I will be cutting wood on my Wife's parents ground on the mountain, and to get up and down from there it is a VERY steep hill. I think without brakes once the trailer is loaded it will just push me down the hill which will not make for a very fun ride. I would prefer to just buy a dump trailer, but I think even with adding brakes to this trailer it will still be cost effective.

NEFisher11 · June 6, 2013

It can be done but the biggest question is are the axles on the trailer ment to have brakes? If not you are looking at replacing the axles just to add the brakes to the trailer. Is this trailer even built heavy enough to carry the amount of wood you want it to? Can't imagine it being to heavy duty condisering it dosne't have trailer brakes on it to began with and it being a tandem already.

Daryl LBZ · June 6, 2013

It can be done but the biggest question is are the axles on the trailer ment to have brakes? If not you are looking at replacing the axles just to add the brakes to the trailer. Is this trailer even built heavy enough to carry the amount of wood you want it to? Can't imagine it being to heavy duty condisering it dosne't have trailer brakes on it to began with and it being a tandem already.

It should take brakes from what I have seen as long as it has a backing plate welded on the axle you can add brakes to it. Its a pretty big trailer, I'd say it's atleast 12ft long which makes me wonder why it doesn't have brakes on it. It looks to be pretty heavy duty with how think the framing of it is. I was told it doesn't have brakes on it, but I haven't looked for myself yet either.

NEFisher11 · June 6, 2013

I would find out if it has any weight ratings then also. Is it homebuilt or did he buy it somewhere? What are the axels rated at also. Sounds like your going to load it up pretty heavy. I have a 6x10 trailer that is a single axle and is rated for 3k but has a3500lb axle under it. Anything rated for over 3k needs to have brakes by law. It sounds like a nice trailer just need to find some more info on it.

Daryl LBZ · June 6, 2013

I would find out if it has any weight ratings then also. Is it homebuilt or did he buy it somewhere? What are the axels rated at also. Sounds like your going to load it up pretty heavy. I have a 6x10 trailer that is a single axle and is rated for 3k but has a3500lb axle under it. Anything rated for over 3k needs to have brakes by law. It sounds like a nice trailer just need to find some more info on it.

His father in law bought it off of someone who used it as a snowmobile trailer, but as heavy duty as it is built it couldn't have been made for that reason only. I would say that each axel is atleast a 3500lb axle.

Since it's his father in laws trailer maybe it already has brakes, and my buddy just doesn't know about it? I'll have to take a closer look at it and find out. I know when I pulled it that there wasn't any brakes that were actually working, but that doesn't mean their not on the trailer already.

Daryl LBZ · June 9, 2013

Ok I have an update. I looked the trailer over today, and it already has electric drum brakes on it, but they aren't hooked up. He told me they would need taken apart, cleaned, and re-wired which is no big deal. It needs more lights on it anyhow so I would just rewire it all at one time. The axles look like they are from a boat trailer. The framing of it is actually pretty heavy duty, and it must be a homemade trailer. It's longer than I thought too at 17ft, and the deck sags some. My dad said we could cut some length off, and stiffen it up, along with the axles. We can do all the work ourselves, and I think it would be a nice little project. Here's a picture

kstruckcountry · June 9, 2013

That should be fun, take all the bearings apart and check them, it would suck to see a wheel roll off when you're going down the road...

Daryl LBZ · June 9, 2013

That should be fun, take all the bearings apart and check them, it would suck to see a wheel roll off when you're going down the road...

Yes sir it sure would. Depending on how rusted up everything is I'll probably just buy new brake assemblies as needed. I can get them with bearings already packed with grease for $57 a piece.

grampadirt · June 9, 2013

Nice trailer

If you have access to a welder you might consider welding on some ''eyes'' or some sort of steel loops to have tie down points for the wood.

Almost looks like I see ''bearing buddies'' on the axles

Daryl LBZ · June 9, 2013

Dad has an arc, and a mig welder so we should be good there. I also have some fold away D-Ring hooks that install into the deck of the trailer that I never used so they would go on too. I will probably redo the deck with treated 2x6 boards to give it more strength too.

marksoldtowne · June 27, 2013

hi

Information about procedure for installing the electric brake first you must remove your existing hub.lift your trailer on support.gently tap a screw driver behind the lip & pry the grease dust cap off.under this cap you will see a large nut along with either cottor pin or small metal chip.then remove it.then install electri brake & make sure the outer bearing is greased and put inthe hub then the washer and then nut,tighten the nut.