Converting Trailer from Surge Brakes to Electric Brakes

Question

Question:

i have a trailer that is currently fitted w/ 2 sets of surge brakes. my new chevy truck has a controller built in. what will it take to convert my trailer?

asked by: will

0

Expert Reply:

First you will need to remove the old hydraulic equipment. Remove the surge coupler or actuator, remove all the lines, and finally remove the brake assemblies. If you have 10 inch diameter hub and drums, you may need to replace those as well. If you have 12 inch hub and drums, you can re-use them so long as they are in good shape.

You will install your new electric brake assemblies, like part # 23-105 and part # 23-106. The magnets have 2 wire leads, one for ground, one for power. It does not matter which wire you use for which function, they are non-polarity specific. The two power wires will need to be run up the length of the frame and connected together. Ultimately they need to connect to the brake controller output wire on the 7-Way on the truck. I have added a link to a wiring page that shows which pin serves which function on a seven way.

Hubs need to be re-installed or replaced. This would also be a good time to clean and check bearings and make sure they do not need to be replaced. I have added links to a bunch of videos that show how to do these things.

You will need a new coupler and this all depends on the frame of the trailer. I have added a link to a page with all of our couplers on it.

This should get you started for now. You will probably have more questions later, so feel free to write back and we will do our best to get you set up.

expert reply by: Patrick B

0

Answer 1

You can convert surge brakes to an electric over hydraulic braking system. To do this, you will need an electric over hydraulic actuator and a brake controller. For an electric over hydraulic actuator, I recommend looking at the Carlisle HydraStar…

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Answer 2

Traditionally, trailer manufacturers did not use electric brakes on boat trailers because the brake magnet wiring and trailer wiring did not always have the best insulation or water protection. These days, more and more manufacturers are using…

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Answer 3

Hello Lonnie. We do offer a wiring harness and brake controller that will work on your 2019 Audo Q7. I am assuming your Audi currently has no trailer connector of any kind, and if this is not the case just let me know. There are two wiring kits you…

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Answer 4

Hey Larry, yes we do have a grease seal replacement for what you have with the part #29031. This has the outer diameter you mentioned of 3 inch and also has the correct inner diameter of 1.875 inch.

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Answer 5

Okay let's get started here with the suspension for your 2012 Skyline Koala 27CDS with 3,500 lb Axles; for the first part regarding your equalizers and suspension upgrade kit, so long as your current equalizer is spaced 6 inches (or close to it -…

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Answer 6

Some hub/drum assemblies can accept either electric or hydraulic brakes and some can only accept one or the other. It has to do with the amount of space inside the drum itself. The Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly, #8-257-5UC3, is designed for electric…

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Answer 7

In order to switch from your electric brakes to a disc brake system there are several things you will want to consider. It is true that the disc brakes will provide better braking for you, although converting can require an involved installation.…

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Answer 8

Wheel bolt patterns are defined by two numbers: the first being the number of lug nuts and the second being the diameter of the circle the lug nuts are arranged in. So a 5 on 4-1/2 bolt pattern is 5 lugs arranged in a circle that is 4-1/2 inches in…

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Answer 9

You're not going to have any problems mixing Dexter and Lippert components on trailer axles over 10k-lbs in the same manner as below 10k-lbs as long as the measurements on the replacement parts are the same- i.e. bearing sizes are the same, etc..…

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Answer 10

The Demco Hydraulic Brake Actuator - Drum - Black - 8" Adjustable Channel Center - 8,000 lbs #DM8759122-30 you were looking at measures 3" between the two front holes, 9.5" between the second and third hole, and 12.5" between the…

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Answer 11

Hey Paul, since you are going to need to use a DeeMax mounting bracket for the mounting of the calipers so that it lines up properly with the rotor you are best off getting the DeeMax 3,500 lb disc brake kit part #DE42FR instead of just the rotor and…

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Answer 12

If your trailer has 7 wires running all the way back to the brakes, then yes, you can tap into the existing wiring. Each of your new brakes will have two wires for the brake magnet. One wire is for 12 volt power to the brake magnets and the other…

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Converting Trailer from Surge Brakes to Electric Brakes

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