Trailer Brake Maintenance

Staying safe on the road while you’re towing relies on having functional brakes to keep you safe. Your trailer’s brakes help to relieve some of the pressure and take a load off of your towing vehicle by helping your trailer to come to a complete stop. Because you’re so used to them, you may begin to take them for granted, but it’s essential to their continued function that you properly maintain them.

Lone Star Trailers of Lacy-Lakeview is here to help you with all of your trailer maintenance tasks, including servicing your brakes. Read our list of tips below to keep your brakes functioning perfectly!

Types

Before you begin, it’s important to understand what type of brakes your particular trailer setup has so you know how they work and what might need fixing. The two primary styles are electric and surge. Electric brakes rely on a connection between your towing vehicle and the trailer so that the trailer brakes can get a signal when it’s time to stop. This means that when you push the brake pedal in your car or truck, your trailer brakes are simultaneously activated.

Surge brakes, on the other hand, are triggered by the jolt that surges through your trailer as you slow down. The system senses the trailer’s forward motion and activates the brakes to prevent it from careening into the back of your towing vehicle. If you spend a lot of time around water, having surge brakes can protect you from dealing with a fried electric circuit.

Inspection

The best way to keep your brakes maintained is to inspect them on a regular basis. Check every part of the system from your towing vehicle all the way back to seek out any signs of disrepair. This means examining the shoes, drums and shoe return springs in addition to any hardware. 

Make sure nothing is grinding together and that no corrosion is occurring. If you discover that your brakes are wearing unevenly when you compare the left and right sides, this may mean you’re not balancing the weight in your trailer properly or that your hitch is maladjusted.

Frequency

Check your brakes in this manner at least annually or following every 12,000 miles of travel. You don’t want to drive on poorly-functioning brakes. These check-ups are especially necessary if you don’t use your trailer very often. You may want to take your trailer on a drive every three months or so in this case, just to make sure every part stays limber and functional. This will help you avoid any problems that relate to a lack of usage.

While it’s important for you to do these tasks at home to ensure that your brakes function well, it’s also sometimes necessary to have a professional take a look at the entire brake system. You may be able to make some minor repairs, but an expert can quickly diagnose any problems and get to the root of them quickly, saving you valuable time. Some repairs may even require specialized tools that you don’t have access to. 

Does your current trailer need parts or servicing? Contact our service department so our trained trailer mechanics can help you out with any necessary repairs, including ordering necessary parts! We can help you get all your trailer maintenance done so you can get back to work quickly.

Visit our dealership in Lacy-Lakeview today to check out our full stock of new and used trailers for sale. We also offer financing to help you get exactly what you need. Lone Star Trailers proudly serves the Texas cities of Waco, Temple and Round Rock.