The following guide answers the question: Which trailer brake option is right for you?
There are many different types of trailer brakes on the market today. Before deciding what type of brake is the right choice for your trailer, read this article. Not all trailers need brakes, but some trailers do require brakes by law, so it’s important to do your research before deciding which option is best suited for you.
Types of Electric Trailer Brakes
According to cars.com, electric trailer brakes are the most common type of trailer brake. They’re most commonly found on travel trailers and work trailers. Electric brakes are connected to your vehicle’s brake system. This means that they’ll stop at the same time you hit your vehicle’s brake pedal.
Electric drum brakes
Drum brakes are the “standard” trailer braking system in the flatbed and utility trailer industry. Electric drum brakes are controlled by an in-cab controller that comes standard on many of today’s trucks. Drug brakes are a good option for regular general-use towing, but if you plan to use your trailer for long hours every day, electric over hydraulic brakes may be a better option for you.
Electric over hydraulic brakes
Electric over hydraulic brakes provide stronger brake pressure than electric brakes and therefore are used on larger, heavier trailers. This type of brake typically has disk brakes but can use drum brakes as well. It’s important to note that not all brake controllers work with electric over hydraulic brakes. Before pursuing electric over hydraulic brakes, check to see that the controller is compatible.
Surge Brakes
Unlike electric brakes, surge brakes are separate from your vehicle’s brake system. They detect when your vehicle is slowing down and then begin to slow down the trailer. With surge brakes, you must slow down and brake steadily, because it can take a few seconds for the surge brakes to detect a slow speed and activate to work to slow down your trailer.
Hydraulic Brakes
Hydraulic brakes dissipate heat more evenly, so they tend to last longer than electric brakes. Heavy load haulers find that they’re more powerful and have the ability for a more controlled stop. According to Trailers Plus, hydraulic brakes use the force or momentum of a slowing tow vehicle to apply the brakes on a trailer. As the tow vehicle’s brakes are pressed, there is force applied to a hydraulic cylinder located on the hitch that activates the trailer brakes. The quicker you slow down your tow vehicle, the more pressure is applied to your trailer’s brakes.
A major downfall of hydraulic brakes is that you do not have independent control over the brakes. Pressure is only applied to the brakes when there is pressure applied to the hydraulic cylinder from the slowing of the tow vehicle. This causes issues when trying to backup a trailer.
Emergency Brakes
If your trailer has brakes, it will also always have an emergency brake. Trailer emergency brakes are used if the trailer becomes disconnected from the vehicle.
Contact the Trailer Experts
No matter what brakes you decide on, our team of trailer experts at BlueSwift Axles is ready to help! Whether you choose a type of electric brake, surge, or hydraulic brake, we’re here to answer all of your questions. Browse our inventory of trailer axle brake kits and let us know how we can make switching out your brakes a smooth ride!
We’re on a relentless pursuit for the highest quality brands while still providing you the lowest possible price.
Electric brakes are one of your trailer’s top safety features and come installed on tandem axle models. While not a requirement in all states, trailer brakes are an extended insurance policy to protect yourself, your gear and others while on the road. But here’s the important piece of info: you can’t operate your trailer brakes without first installing a brake controller.
Trailer brake controllers vary in the number of brakes they can power and other types of functionalities. But to simplify the conversation, there really are just two main types of brake controllers to choose from: time-delayed (or stable state) brake controllers and proportional ones.
Time-Delayed Brake Controllers
This system functions on pre-determined braking capacity that is set by the user and is based on the weight of the trailer plus the weight of the anticipated cargo. The amount of braking force and timing can be adjusted with a “sync” switch available on most time-delayed brake controllers.
When the pedal of the tow vehicle is compressed, a predetermined amount of braking capacity that the user sets based on anticipated load weight is sent back to the trailer. If the sync is set too low, the tow vehicle will do the majority of the braking. Conversely, if the sync is set too high, the trailer will provide the majority of the braking power. This pre-fixed, less-responsive system typically causes uneven wear on tow vehicle and trailer brakes but is the most affordable option and perfect for the occasional tow.
Proportional Brake Controllers
The more expensive of the two options, proportional brake controllers trigger the pressure of the trailer brakes at the same ratio as the tow vehicle. The main benefit to this control system is that it provides the least amount of wear and tear on both the towing vehicle’s brakes and the trailer’s brakes. It’s also the fastest and most responsive system that you can install and, in this way, it’s also the safest.
Here is the basic breakdown of the two types of brake controllers, their similarities and differences:
Overall Similarities
– Wiring for installation is the same.
– Trailer brakes’ signal can be manually overridden by user with both controllers.
– User can adjust the maximum braking power depending on the weight of load.
Overall Differences
– Cost; proportional controllers are more expensive.
– Braking power varies between the two controllers. Proportional controllers provide a smoother experience and have less wear and tear on brakes than time-delayed controllers that administer a preset amount of force.
– Time-delayed controllers typically don’t require calibration and can be installed anywhere. Proportional controllers have self-calibrating models or need to be calibrated. They must be installed in a specific way and tend to be larger in size.
– Proportional controllers are the safest and most responsive braking system you can install.
– Time-delayed controllers are for the occasional user and proportional ones are best for the heavy trailer user. They operate better under various conditions and produce less wear on tow and trailer brakes.
When you order a Complete Trailer, know that you’ll need to arrive with your brake controller already installed in order to utilize your brakes if required in your state. Here are some other tips from a previous post on what you’ll need to have ready to go when you pick up your trailer.
Still have more questions about brakes and controllers? Give us a call and our service pros will troubleshoot with you.