Electric brake testing on old trailer

[sailorman]

Reg, I know the drums are 10 ", plate is 4 bolt, haven 't measure spacing or hole diameter. Haven 't measure drum depth to match shoe width. I 'm planning on Dexter self adjusting 10" x 2 - 1/4" backerplates. By " measure within 1/8 in. ", do you mean drum depth should be 2 - 3/8 " ? Would a deeper drum matter ? Would like to use original drums not to be on the cheap, but to not spend money where it isn 't needed.

Thanks for the heads up on plate bolts. I got a lot of time ( retired ) and bought some soaker stuff today. I plan on breaking nuts before I jack trailer so I don 't have to spend too much danger time under while jacked .

 

[sailorman]

These are all reasons I only run Disc Brakes on my trailer now. I till have drums on my 18' car hauler but the Disc are so much more effective and easy to work on just like with a car.

Chris

What would it take to go disc brakes ?

 

[sailorman]

Just want to thank everyone for offering me great info. !!! It is priceless and I do appreciate any and all feed back. TBN knowledge is more valuable and vast than all the encyclopedias in the world. Because of the friendly help I am a smarter man than yesterday !!

 

[Reg]

What would it take to go disc brakes ?

FIRST thing it takes is KNOWLEDGE that your axles won't put you over 102" (-:
Unfortunately that is the case with one of my trailers, else it would have disks on it NOW !
I have been into it fairly deeply, it would be MAJOR reconstruction surgery to hack the axles down, refit the air ride suspension "stuff" AND be sure that nothing would foul the wheel wells.
Yeah, I would like to, but...
(-:
I ain't going to get measured for wheels that would VERY OBVIOUSLY poke out another couple of inches on BOTH sides.
Getting towed/removed from a weigh station for that would require all sorts of overwidth permits - then the co$ts of slimming it down again.
It is the overall axle lengths that would violate, not the tires and rims or I would try to get reverse dished rims on there.

 

[sailorman]

I know ya 'll like pix so here 's the camper in question in case it helps with the brake questions. Body measures 6' 8" wide, 11' long, 6 ' high. Add 3 ' for tongue. And as soon as I get passed the brake project I 'll start a new thread under project forum :thumbsup:

 

[Diamondpilot]

What would it take to go disc brakes ?

I can get a whole kit for about $350 but you would need new wheels because I am sure they do not make them with the lug pattern you have now.

Cost would be prohibitive.


Chris

 

[sailorman]

No, he wants you to measure the width of the shoes to the nearest eighth of an inch. The standard widths come in 1/8" and 1/4" increments, 1 7/8", 2", 2 1/4", 2 1/2" etc.

Thanks for the rely .

yes I understand what you are saying, but it doesn 't matter to me if new brake system matches old if that 's what you 're getting at unless, of course, it does matter for reasons I don 't understand. I 'm just trying to figure out is if my old 10 " drums with whatever their depth is will work with a brand new backing plate with shoes that are 2 - 1/4 ' .

I know I 'm having trouble being clear due to my lack of area knowledge :confused2:, apologies.

 

[Reg]

Thanks for the rely .

yes I understand what you are saying, but it doesn 't matter to me if new brake system matches old if that 's what you 're getting at unless, of course, it does matter for reasons I don 't understand. I 'm just trying to figure out is if my old 10 " drums with whatever their depth is will work with a brand new backing plate with shoes that are 2 - 1/4 ' .

I know I 'm having trouble being clear due to my lack of area knowledge :confused2:, apologies.

No need for ANY apologies, we're all here to help each other - you can pass along other knowledge, pay it forward or somesuch (-:

At least ONE reason that you probably want to stay with the original shoe width and drum depth;
Spindle length, i.e. the space you have available from the shoulder for the inner bearing to the threaded portion where the castle nut fits on.

I have a trailer with 3 3/8 wide shoes, but if I tried to put the corresponding drums from THAT trailer onto the one that has 2 inch wide shoes the outer bearings would be (about) another 1 3/8 out and the chances of getting a spindle nut on - and a cotter pin through the castle nut to hold it ??? ... slim to none (-:

 

[sailorman]

Thanks Reg. Somewhere in my mind I was thinking in that direction about the spindle nut and length stuff. Just couldn 't put into words. That 's why I was concerned with drum depth. Seems clear now that even if I replace everything I better try to do a size match to the original to avoid problems with spindle nut and spindle length. With any luck at all, I may be sleepin' in the camper within say, oh, the next 12 hundreds years :laughing: But what else does a retired guy have to do ? I don 't like fishin'

 

[adjusterr]

Sailorman: Google "Trailer Parts Superstore", they have complete Dexter 10" electric brake assys for $23.00, you cant clean rust off for that price. Good Luck.