Brakes: Electric or Disc?

[carlosg]

I tow a 16' boat that weighs about 1,000 lb plus trailer, I would like to add brakes to it...ANY SUGGESTIONS???

 

[NYBo]

Surge brake kits are relatively inexpensive, and contain everything you need. Discs are better than drums.However, your axle must have brake flanges. What are you towing with? Brakes may not be necessary.

 

[GA_Boater]

And what size rims are on the trailer. Drums or discs have to inside the wheel rim unless you have some strange offset.

 

[carlosg]

NYB:
The axels do have flanges, presently I'm towing with an '06 Tacoma, 4dr, longbed

GA_B:
Rims are 14"

 

[smokeonthewater]

Depends on how much you want to spend and what you prefer...

Personally I HATE surge brakes with a passion and LOVE my electric drum brakes.... Sure electric over hydraulic disc would be even better but for me the cost vs benefit doesn't work out....

It's gonna be a judgement call on your part based on your priorities.

 

[carlosg]

Depends on how much you want to spend and what you prefer...

Personally I HATE surge brakes with a passion and LOVE my electric drum brakes.... Sure electric over hydraulic disc would be even better but for me the cost vs benefit doesn't work out....

It's gonna be a judgement call on your part based on your priorities.

Do you boat on salt or fresh water, that's my biggest concern because I mostly go to the ocean and was told that the electric may be a no, no... but I agree with you for price and ease of installation.

 

[dingbat]

In theory, The electric part is fine, assuming they are sealed. The problem is the drum mechanism.

My first trailer came with drum brakes. 1/2 way thru season, drums locked up on the way home. Beating a frozen drum of an axle on the side of a busy highway is no fun. I've put kodiak disk on very trailer since and never looked back

 

[smokeonthewater]

Yeah salt water and steel drum brakes may be a bad combo... Some folks have said they painted all the components and got good service but the only salt I see is on the road so I have no experience w dunking in salt.

 

[WIMUSKY]

You may want to rethink if you really need trailer brakes. I don't think you do..... Do you have a tow package? I believe your rating is around 6500#..... Usually a rig that size doesn't have brakes....

 

[Illinoid]

I have 4 trailers with electric brakes that I drive on the heavily salted Chicago area roads. I think the salt concentration after a big snow is much higher than the ocean. I usually get one to two years on a trailer before replacing the shoes. It is important to lube the pivot of the arm the magnet hangs on or it can seize up and the brake will not release. I remove all the wheels and inspect them every year summer and adjust them every winter.

 

[bruceb58]

Personally, I hate drum brakes with a passion and wouldn't on purpose put them on a trailer wether they be electric or hydraulic but it seems to me you don't need brakes with such a light load.

I love my Kodiak disk brakes. When the drum brakes go south on my pontoon trailer, I have a set of disks already to put on.