Comparing Cost of Replacement Brake Parts vs. Complete New Drum Brake Assemblies

Question:

I am new to the RV world but quite handy with a wrench and am familiar with drum and disc brakes as well, I have a 2016 Heartland North Trail Caliber its a 32 foot tow behind it weighs around 7300lbs I need brake shoes for it, our friend told us about etrailer just today and since they purchase all theyre items from you we figure you guys must be doing something right, any help would be greatly appreciated and hopefully you have the ones I need Thank you

asked by: Frank V

Expert Reply:

Thank you for giving us a chance to help you out with the brakes on your travel trailer, and thanks also to your friend who steered you our way.

We do sell all sorts of individual brake replacement parts such as shoes, magnets, springs, etc but most often our customers prefer to replace their complete electric drum brake assemblies. The cost of a complete new electric drum brake is often not much more than the cost of even just a few individual parts. Replacing the complete brake is MUCH easier too, requiring only mounting the new brake to the flange and connecting the two magnet wires. And then there is the matter of safety.

When you factor in the safety benefit of installing a complete new set of brakes, with 100-percent new parts, it truly becomes a sensible option to just get new whole brake assemblies. Despite your technical knowledge and abilities to do the work, I recommend complete replacement of the brakes.

All you need to do is confirm your axle weight rating to let you select a pair of brakes. I linked our main page for replacement electric drum brakes; simply click on your axle capacity to see brakes with the appropriate stopping power for that axle. A 3500-lb axle is quite popular on travel trailers and we have options such as self-adjusting brake set # AKEBRK-35-SA. You can usually find a sticker or plate right on the axle beam that tells you its weight rating. Just match that and take note of the hub/drum dimensions (please see the linked photo) and brake flange mounting bolt pattern and you can find what you need on the linked page.

If you care to tell me your axle rating, drum dimensions and brake flange bolt pattern I will be happy to tell you what options you have.

expert reply by: Adam R