ordered brakes today

[shine]

I ordered electric brakes for my 16 foot tandem trailer from etrailer.com for $380 for all four wheels. Got tired of living on the edge. I'll reply and tell you how the install went, when I get it done.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Not a hard job. I would recommend you get a few plastic junction boxes with covers from you local hardware and some flex conduit to make it a professional job.

If you have any questions just PM me. I am sure E-Trailer will give you good instructions. If not check this site.

installing electric brakes on your trailer

Chris

 

[rdln]

Hmmmm...channel locks, now there's a pro.

Dexter axle website also has some trouble shooting and such

 

[rimshot]

I have two 3500 lb axles on my trailer and only the rear has brakes. Can anybody tell me just what I need to add brakes on the front axle? The trailer is only a couple years old and came from the factory with one axle only braking.

rimshot

 

[bullsram]

To add brakes to the front axel you will need the backing plate with brakes and magnet attached, the drum, inner seals and bearings and the bolts to mount the backing plate. That should be all ya need... Bull

 

[Diamondpilot]

Bull is right

You can get a complete kit from Dexter sent to your home for just about $150 through R&P Carriages. You first need to make sure your axle has the brake mounting flange. Its a square piece with 4 holes. You also need to know your lug pattern of your wheels.


As for using channel locks what does that matter? The nut is only supposed to be hand tight to about 10 FT LBS.

Chris

 

[rimshot]

Bull is right

You can get a complete kit from Dexter sent to your home for just about $150 through R&P Carriages. You first need to make sure your axle has the brake mounting flange. Its a square piece with 4 holes. You also need to know your lug pattern of your wheels.
Chris

====================
Thanks Diamond and Bull.

I just checked and this trailer is a 2008 USCargo model 6516TA. It was called a car hauler and is a straight open trailer. It appears as though provided the atttachment plates are there as suggested by Diamond, that the top two units on this page would work:

Trailer Brakes - etrailer.com

or

http://dexteraxle.com/10__brake_assemblies


Should I confirm by inspecting these axles to make sure they are by Dexter and how would you determine that.

rimshot

 

[radioman]

Bull is right

You can get a complete kit from Dexter sent to your home for just about $150 through R&P Carriages. You first need to make sure your axle has the brake mounting flange. Its a square piece with 4 holes. You also need to know your lug pattern of your wheels.


As for using channel locks what does that matter? The nut is only supposed to be hand tight to about 10 FT LBS.

Chris

umm - I clicked on the pic and I see a eerie thing. there is a partial finger in the picture on the left hand side.. I hope that wasn't intentional!

 

[Diamondpilot]

====================
Thanks Diamond and Bull.



Should I confirm by inspecting these axles to make sure they are by Dexter and how would you determine that.

rimshot

It does not make a difference what the axle is, the brakes are all universal. Like I said before you can get the kit shipped to your home for $150 or so though my normal supplier. It includes everything like lug nuts, grease seals, bearing races, ect.

I never noticed the finger. I wonder if that is what it really is???

Chris

 

[careyo63]

Noticed it also before the replys. It's kind of blury on my screen so it's hard to tell.Does it look like a finger Yes! Could it or does it look like a? Best call it a finger.

 

[rimshot]

Bull is right

You can get a complete kit from Dexter sent to your home for just about $150 through R&P Carriages. You first need to make sure your axle has the brake mounting flange. Its a square piece with 4 holes. You also need to know your lug pattern of your wheels.
Chris

=============================

R&P will indeed supply the job. He quoted me $119 for the complete kit including bearings, brake shoe assemblys, drums. studs and bolts + shipping. Thanks for the tip. UPS probably won't be nearly so accomodating.......(smile)



rim

 

[Diamondpilot]

=============================

R&P will indeed supply the job. He quoted me $119 for the complete kit including bearings, brake shoe assemblys, drums. studs and bolts + shipping. Thanks for the tip. UPS probably won't be nearly so accomodating.......(smile)



rim

It will not be that bad. He is about 1 hour out of Chicago so I usually get these kits sent to my home in Indiana for about $25/$30

Chris

 

[sklunk]

RE: Finger in Pic

Are you guys talking about the picture below?

If so, that is NOT a blurry finger. It's the handle of the channel-locks (that red "rubber-dip" stuff that is on most pliers). They are laying on the top of the leaf springs. You can see most of the one handle, and just on the left edge of the picture you can barely see the other handle.

 

[Diamondpilot]

RE: Finger in Pic

Are you guys talking about the picture below?

If so, that is NOT a blurry finger. It's the handle of the channel-locks (that red "rubber-dip" stuff that is on most pliers). They are laying on the top of the leaf springs. You can see most of the one handle, and just on the left edge of the picture you can barely see the other handle.

Man, you have good eyes. You are 100% correct, its the Channel Locks.

Chris

 

[sklunk]

Man, you have good eyes. You are 100% correct, its the Channel Locks.

Chris

Not good eyes, just a really BIG monitor!

 

[MikePA]

Not good eyes, just a really BIG monitor!

Another explanation could also be your mind didn't go where other minds did.

 

[careyo63]

Another explanation could also be your mind didn't go where other minds did.

Like my wifes We were looking at it on a monitor that she uses for Graphic reproduction. She is the office manager so it's a professional model that she uses at our office at home. She also opened it with a graphics program. Looking at it and laughing again and the explanations.Thats Awful big for one handle pliers. . We sure had a good laugh.

Carey

 

[Iowachild]

I have two 3500 lb axles on my trailer and only the rear has brakes. Can anybody tell me just what I need to add brakes on the front axle? The trailer is only a couple years old and came from the factory with one axle only braking.

rimshot

Not to hyjack the post or anything, but in Pennsylvania any trailer registered over 3000 lbs. gross requires brakes on all axles.

 

[rimshot]

Thanks for starting this thread, shine. Your thread inspired me to take the plunge and install my front axle with brakes. I bought the trailer with two 3500 # axles and only the rear had brakes. A look at the emachines video and the instructive pages at RandPcarriages.com and I knew that the job was a piece of cake.

I ordered two 5 on 4.5" drum and brake kit from R&P for $119 + $37.00 shipping and the ups brought it to my doorstep three days later. The trailer was in my extra garage so at least I had a nice dry rig to work on with a dry floor. Brakes are installled and it's wired and they work too.

Now my tractor trailer stands ready to haul my CK20 with twice the stopping power it has had thus far. Thats a measure of safety money can't buy. I don't know how much it would have cost me if I had to hire it out. But for about $150.00 for the kit and my labor I can cross this one off the list. Thanks for the thread and thanks to all the posters for their helpful comments.

rimshot

 

[Diamondpilot]

Thanks for starting this thread, shine. Your thread inspired me to take the plunge and install my front axle with brakes. I bought the trailer with two 3500 # axles and only the rear had brakes. A look at the emachines video and the instructive pages at RandPcarriages.com and I knew that the job was a piece of cake.

I ordered two 5 on 4.5" drum and brake kit from R&P for $119 + $37.00 shipping and the ups brought it to my doorstep three days later. The trailer was in my extra garage so at least I had a nice dry rig to work on with a dry floor. Brakes are installled and it's wired and they work too.

Now my tractor trailer stands ready to haul my CK20 with twice the stopping power it has had thus far. Thats a measure of safety money can't buy. I don't know how much it would have cost me if I had to hire it out. But for about $150.00 for the kit and my labor I can cross this one off the list. Thanks for the thread and thanks to all the posters for their helpful comments.

rimshot

I usually charge $250 to add brakes to a second axle. Its about a hour job for me in reality once I get the trailer on my lot. Sometimes more time sometimes less. I have done it in 20 minutes once because the guy brought the trailer over and had it on stands with the wheels already off for me. I have a bearing packer and all that at hand ready to go. Either way you saved yourself a good $100 to $150.

Chris