Trailer Brake Maintenance Tips

An essential part of staying safe on the road and reaching your destination efficiently are your trailer brakes. Since they can help take the pressure off your tow vehicle brakes, they’re a crucial part of your entire mobile unit, so you should try to not take them for granted. If you ignore your trailer brakes and forget to maintain them properly, you could end up with a very expensive, complicated problem on your hands. 

At True Value Trailers & Power Equipment, we want to help you avoid frustrating and spendy problems so we’ve listed some tips that’ll help you keep your trailer brakes in peak working condition. 

If you’d like more help, come talk to one of our experienced professionals at our dealerships in Penrose and Florence, Colorado. We proudly serve all of Pueblo and Colorado Springs and have a wide selection of trailers for sale. 

Types of Trailer Brakes

To know how to take proper care of your brakes, you need to know more about them. Your trailer probably has one of two brake types: electric or surge. Electric ones employ an electric connection that sends a signal from the tow vehicle brakes to the trailer brakes to tell them when to stop. So when you press your pedal brake, the signal reaches your trailer brakes, activating them at the same time. 

Surge brakes are activated when you slow down your trailer and get a forward jolt. When the system senses that the trailer is shifting forward, the brakes are automatically activated so the trailer doesn’t end up pushing into the back of the tow vehicle. These brakes are good for those who spend a lot of time around water because you won’t have to worry about your electrical systems getting fried. 

Brake Inspection

The best way to stay on top of your brake situation is to perform regular inspections, no matter the type of brakes you have. You should inspect every part of the brake system to look for any signs of damage or wear and tear. This includes the drums, shoes, shoe return springs and the hardware. Fix any signs of corrosion, any parts grinding together or any shoes or drums that have worn too thin. 

Compare both sides of the braking system to ensure that both sides are wearing evenly. If there is uneven wear, this could mean that you’re loading your trailer incorrectly. It could also indicate that there is something wrong with your hitch or there’s some other issue that you need to fix.

Specific Problems

Different brake systems can be checked in different ways. When checking your braking system, think of its defining factors. For example, for electric brakes, you’ll need to check the wiring and connections to ensure there are no breaks or frays. If you’ve got surge brakes, try and push your trailer to see if the braking system activates. If it doesn’t, you might have an issue with the brake fluid or the master cylinder or wheel cylinders. 

Regular Maintenance

Regular inspections should be performed on a yearly basis or every 12,000 miles. If you don’t use your trailer often, inspecting your brakes should be a priority before every trip. If your trailer spends more time sitting than moving, take it out for a spin every two or three months. This way, all the parts will get some exercise and you can avoid experiencing the malfunctions that arise due to disuse. 

If you follow these tips, you should be able to avoid having problems with your braking system. However, if you’d like professional help to keep your trailer brakes running smoothly or to fix an issue you can’t take care of, head to True Value Trailers & Power Equipment in Penrose and Florence, Colorado. We welcome all our patrons from Pueblo and Colorado Springs!