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The automotive-grade pads on these automatically adjusting brakes offer lasting effectiveness. 12" x 2" Assemblies have rust-resistant, e-coated backing plates to protect from debris. Fits 14.5" to 16.5" wheels.
Features:
Specs:
Quick Tip: There's really not a whole lot to getting new drum brakes. If you've confirmed that all of the specs listed above line up with what you need for your trailer, you can be pretty sure these will work for you.
The pads on these trailer brakes are made of the same friction material that you might find on a car's drum brakes. In fact, the material is SAE-N certified. So, not only does it provide high-performance braking, but it's environmentally friendly, too! With these brakes, your trailer will be good to go on any road throughout the United States and Canada.
The superior quality of these pads is also due to the fact that they're bonded to the shoes, not just nailed down. Riveted brake pads will always give you a screeching reminder to replace your brake shoes. That's because the rivets will scrape against your drum as the friction material wears down. You won't have that noisy problem with bonded brake pads. You'll also get a little more friction pad contact because there aren't any cutouts for rivets. And more friction means more stopping power.
These pads are also tapered, which should help to prevent any broken, crumbly bits of material from rotating inside the drum as the pads wear over time. Brakes without these tapers are more likely to create a jarring braking experience that could cause the brakes to stutter and lock up.
With typical electric brake assemblies, you need to manually adjust them every now and then to make sure you're getting the shortest stopping distances every time you tow.
With self-adjusting brakes, though, you'll always have peak stopping power - simple as that! As the brake pads wear over time, a tensioning cable will automatically keep the pads in alignment so they'll consistently make contact with your drum when you brake. You won't have to do tedious manual adjustments anymore.
A lot of resources have been invested to ensure that these brakes meet the requirements for certification set by the QAI and CSA . Basically, these certifications tell you that these trailer brakes are well built and safe for use on the road. They've been tested for braking performance under real-world conditions to provide the most realistic scenario for the everyday tower.
Once you get these brakes installed, you'll need to break them in. First, find a long stretch of road or a big, empty parking lot. Once you're there, set your brake controller to its maximum setting and get moving. Speed up to about 40 mph and brake to slow to about 20 mph. Repeat this 15-30 times. The goal is to get the brake shoes and magnet properly seated into your drum. You'll know you've done that when it feels less jerky (and more consistent) each time you apply the brakes.
Note: The brakes will be very hot after doing this, so after every 10 stops you'll want to wait about 10 minutes to let the brakes cool off before continuing. If you don't, you might cook and crack the pad material.
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (1681 Customer Reviews)
The automotive-grade pads on these automatically adjusting brakes offer lasting effectiveness. 12" x 2" Assemblies have rust-resistant, e-coated backing plates to protect from debris. Fits 14.5" to 16.5" wheels.The items arrived in a timely manner however when unpacked there was virtually no filler among the items one tube of grease was crushed and the brake assemblies were scratched up. Luckily the seals were not damaged. Everything worked out but still disappointing as I’ve made numerous purchases from etrailer and had not had this issue before
Kit was as advertised and relatively easy to install. The only issue I see is the very light gauge wire coming from the brake assembly: while it’s probably sufficient for the amps pulled by the the brake magnets, it was difficult to splice to my 12ga trailer brake wiring (and some “experts” recommend 10ga trailer wiring). Would be great to supply gel filled multi-gauge splices with the break kits.
This is a huge savings for anyone that needs to replace their brakes. I saved about 1k vs what the local RV shops were going to charge for new brakes and to grease my wheel bearings. Both are jobs I felt comfortable doing after watching etrailer and YouTube videos. The brakes are literally 5 nuts and 2 wires. After installing the brakes I did a test drive and burnished the new shoes per videos. It’s the last step and the easiest step.
The packaging of this order was extremely poor. Two of the brake assemblies had to be put back into position, multiple chips to the brake pads and one of the wires had been smashed to the point it had to be cut out and spliced. All of this damage was due to the fact that the brake assemblies were free to move in the extra large box they were shipped in. The piece of paper that was in the box was a sad attempt at packaging material.
I have not attempted to install the replacements at this point.
Jenny N.
6/6/2024
I would day with there being chips in the brake pads, I would lean towards replacing them. We will be reaching out to you to see what you would like to do. Please keep an eye on your email.
I Was happy to receive the box with my brakes. However, the box was ripped on one side to the middle of the front. Once we opened the box the brakes were surrounded by paper for protection but not in the middle. That is, in between the brakes thus damaging, chipping one of the brakes. Because we needed them right away, they were installed. They work well. My suggestion for future deliveries of heavy parts such as ours use better protection on each part to avoid any damage. Thank You
I sent a question to etrailer.com Re: brake assemblies for my 1964 Airstream RV. I got a prompt response explaining how to measure the old brakes on the trailer to correctly size the brakes I needed. Finding the size allowed me to research the hub & bearing assemblies I also needed. I ordered them all with confidence they'd fit. Installed the self adjusting Electric Brake Assemblies along with the Hub kit with bearings, All parts fit together perfectly. Thanks George.
Ernie T.
8/15/2018
I’m very satisfied with the Brake and Hub Assy’s. I purchased from you guys. I recently had a question regarding Lug Nut Torque on the Hubs. I couldn’t locate any info on the instructions that came in the Boxes nor could I find this Info on the website. I looked in the FAQ’s area & also on the parts info page for the parts I bought. I like finding the Info myself, Usually after hours. I ended up having to call you guys. I talked to Sammie at Customer Service, She didn’t have the exact but did know where to get it. She sent me the Torque Chart with the Torque settings for the Hub and Wheel Type I have. I think that this Info Should be included in the box with the new Hubs and Lug Nuts, Plus easily found on the website. Your Videos and Tips are a Great Extra Plus for us DIY’s like me. I Appreciate Your effforts!! Thanks Again,
I would have to say that the self adjust drums were a nightmare! They actually wore completely out in less than 6 months with one assembly completely and literally exploding. They seemed to have been over adjusting themselves. They never really gave any real noticeable stopping power. I will never have another trailer with drum brakes. We had to have those brakes warrantied out and we upgraded to the disk brake conversion which is a night and day difference! We love the disk brakes that we received from etrailer!
Jenny N.
4/13/2022
I suspect that the brakes were not seated when they were installed which can cause the brakes to seem weak until they are worn in. This in turn may cause you to over brake with which wear out the brakes quicker. When installing new brakes, both manual and never adjust, you will want to drive the trailer out into an open area, like an empty parking lot. Get up to around 40 MPH and apply the manual override on your brake controller. Make sure the brake controller is set high enough where it will fully engage the trailer brakes. Do not hit the brake pedal during this time, as you want to slow down your vehicle and trailer with only the trailer brakes. You will most likely have to do this about 20 to 30 times to properly seat the brakes. When you feel like your brakes are properly seated, pull over and check for signs that youre done: a bit of smoke is normal and your brakes should be very hot. The brakes should read 350-400 degrees with a temperature gun If you do not see these signs then repeat until the brakes are properly seated.
The customer service was Great. Delivery was fast. However the four break assemblies were shipped without individual boxing/padding in a 2ft X 4ft x 6” box. One of the assemblies had a 1/4”chip out of the edge of a break pad and on another assembly, a break shoe became dislodged from it’s upper seat. With such strong springs, these assemblies must have been really thrown around should have been individually boxed or padded. I was able to correctly position the break shoe.
Slow shipping, expect to get this on the very last day they quoted. Around 10 days. It took a long time to leave the warehouse. Actual shipping was about 3 days. The box was damaged and shoes were out of place. It takes a pretty good hammer whack to properly reset the shoes meaning that UPS must have a 30 foot conveyor drop or similar to help destroy contents and boxes. Ok, so no need to adjust the self adjusters but how does the initial adjusting occur. Personally, I had someone apply the brakes and rocked each wheel back and forth while clicking and braking improved. Never did figure out how to manually adjust them through either one of the port holes at the bottom of the backing plates with all the brake tools that I have. Nothing in the instructions about initial adjustment. 10,000 lb camper, 12x2 brakes and the braking is marginal but better than the worn out shoes. Not very helpful to avoid an accident or pe/destrian. My 10x2 brakes on my 9100 lb camper can skid tires on pavement.
These brake assemblies were an exact duplicate of the originals I was replacing. If you zoom on the pictures I took the two right side ratchet assemblies are knocked loose due to the shipping being dropped, no fault of the etrailer. The sturdy shipping box came in very handy for kneeling on while working on the brakes as you can see I’m working in the area with gravel all around the wheels. This is my second purchase from etrailer and both purchases have arrived quickly and worthy of their price.
Marcus
7/11/2021
It has taken one of the bothersome maintenance jobs from the check list I had to do to have my 5th wheel road ready.
We had a catastrophic brake failure on one wheel on a recent trip. These were an exact fit on our Dexter axles. Ordering was easy and shipping was quick. Installation was very straightforward. I think these are better quality than the originals.
These are outstanding backing plates and brakes setups. I ordered four of these for my 1997 Sunnybrook fifth wheel. Everything is preassembled! All I had to do was adjust the brakes a little to get the new hubs over them and that was all. Five nuts to remove and replace. Great product!
Terry M.
5/18/2018
The Drums, Bearings and Backing plates I installed from your company have worked GREAT! I have not had a single issue with their operation. I even accidentally ordered the incorrect seals, and that was handled perfectly! Thanks so much for carrying and supplying QUALITY parts and having excellent customer service!
We just completed a six wheel complete electric break replacement project with parts purchased from etrailer. The installation was very straight forward and everything worked perfectly out on the road. Will definitely be doing business with them again.
Good value for the $. Exact fit and fast shipping. Stopping power a little bit lower than original Dexter Brakes
Jim J.
5/31/2024
These brakes are a great value. It takes a while to break them in, but after that they offer the same stopping power as the OEM brakes.
Who knew lack of forward progress could be so satisfying.
After being pushed around by my new trailer, from a highly respected manufacturer, I sought help. First from a repair shop and then a friend with some experience working on trailer brakes.
When he pulled the first drum, we were both shocked. It was covered in bearing grease. Turns out the rear seals on all four wheels had been blown out and the drums were coated in grease along with the backing plates and brake shoes.
i ordered new self adjusting trailer brakes from etrailer, and the my buddy and I got dirty. Several cans of brake clean and scuffed knuckles later, My new trailer now stops like a new trailer.
I can't thank etrailer and my buddy enough.
After a year and a few thousand miles, my new trailer brakes just seem to be getting better. Thank for this solid product and, as always, great service.
Box was damaged in shipping. Brakes pads were shifted off the pivot stud. Realigned. Looks like they're ok. I won't know for sure until they're installed and operating. Still an excellent so far. Good price, and fast shipping.
Christopher
5/5/2024
Adjusted brakes about two months after installation and all are working good. Just make sure the magneto wire clamp is secured to the brake arm
after a number of UPS delays the package arrived, weather cooled today so I started the install. The brake assembly look great, but two of the seals either started out bent or didn’t like sharing the package with the heavier brakes. One was more of s figure 8, and other had a bent lip. I’ll see if a local shop nearby has replacements.
The brake assemblies look good. I have not yet received the hub/drum assemblies. the packaging for the brake assemblies is totally unacceptable. the cardboard box was two and one half times larger than appropriate and had one piece of paper stuffed in to hold the contents in place. when I lifted the box I was sickened to hear the product roll from one end of the box to the other. Luckily there was little damage except for paint. Hopefully the hub/drum assemblies are packaged better.
I bought this item a year ago. etrailer was the only supplier that had the brakes with the automatic adjuster. As my trailer was originally equipped with this option, I wanted to replace it with an identical set-up. The original brakes were not worn but heavily rusted and did not provide the performance required.
The new brakes from e-trailer were reasonably priced, quick delivery, an exact match, and installation was just a few bolts and a couple of wires. My order was quickly processed and the customer service was great. My brakes automatically adjust and now stop my 10,000 lb trailer on a dime. I have owned them for a year with zero issues. Five stars all around. I would recommend this item to anyone looking for a great brake setup for a heavy trailer.
Thanks etrailer!
I will give this 5 stars as everything showed up before the expected date given when I ordered. Great prices, fast shipping. The fact that one box of backing plates was ripped open on one side is on the shipping company. Everything was inside the box even though it was ripped open on one side. A few of the adjusters were displaced in transit and had to be put back into place. Everything looks good, and fits together nicely. I have already checked. My only complaint in this whole transaction was that when I asked questions prior to ordering parts, I never received a response.
All in all I am quite pleased with my purchase.
Thank you.
Easy install and the quality seems good. They don’t brake as hard as I’d like but they do assist. I’d buy again
They don’t seem to be self adjusting. I did an initial adjustment and have had them on for a year now and they don’t seem to grab very strong. I have these on a tandem axle flatbed and all four engage but I can’t get the tires to drag on gravel even with the settings all the way up. I just redid all the wiring on my trailer and ran new lines, all soldered, and still no improvement. It’s possible it has something to do with my tow vehicle (2500 Cummins) but I have it set to “heavy electric” and it’s not engaging. The old brakes I replaced actually worked better than these ones.
Brooke M.
12/20/2023
Based off the info you gave, it sounds to me like it might be a bedding issue. Before you start that process, though, you want to make sure that your brakes are adjusted loose enough that you can turn your wheels by hand but tight enough that they arent able to freely spin. Once that is done, take a look at step four of the attached article. It will walk you through the bedding process.
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Parts were just as they said in the listing. They shipped out right away and I wasn't even ready to put on because they shipped so fast.
Thanks e trailer.
I'll be back
Etrailer sent me an email regarding a one year follow up on ordering these trailer brakes. All I can say is that it has worked so well I don't even remember ordering it or which trailer I have it on!
Arrived two days later than promised. Packaging was inadequate, two of the four assemblies had the brake shoes out of position due to handling, or the package being thrown. Otherwise they seem to be OK. No installation instructions in the package. Not yet installed. Packaging seems to be the main complaint for others as well.
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Brooke M.
8/21/2024
That certainly is disappointing I am so sorry; that grease gets everywhere and damaged brakes arent super useful anymore. I will get a return or refund started for you. Be on the lookout for an email!