Thread: 3.5t trailer brake recommendations

Looking at building a 3.5t trailer and wondering if anyone has recommendations for a decent tandem braking/axle setup?

Quite a few manufactures out there, don't really want to have a ute mounted controller so was looking at the cable setups with disks or 4 drums. Are there any manufactures to avoid?

The cheap ass in me just says put 3.5t spring, axles and wheels on it with 2.5t hydraulic brakes but I want to do it properly for a big flatdeck tipper trailer. Cheers for any help.

If you register it as the TB class (3500Kg max weight) the WOF guys should ping you if you use a 2500Kg override hydraulic coupling on it. The main reason for the difference in the couplings is the rules state that the TB Class trailers must activate their brakes if they separate from the tow vehicle - and the 2500Kg override hydraulic coupling can't do that (the trailer basically leans on the towing vehicle which pushes the hydraulic piston, pressurizes the hydraulics which applies the brakes).

Usually on the TB class you will need all four wheels braked, you won't get the minimum rated braking effort from a single pair of calipers as far as I'm aware although things might have changed.

With these, you can get electric operated braking systems which have a battery on the trailer, a breakaway switch and run of the towing vehicles headlights for power and brake lights to activate the brakes, and normally have some sort of braking effort controller and an inertia controller on the trailer so the wheels don't lock up when it's empty and you hit the brakes. Electric don't like crap or water in them though, if you go near ironsands forget them! Most people run some form of controller in the tow vehicle though and electric over hydraulic or pneumatic over hydraulic, it just depends what you want either permanently fitted or a wireless controller that runs off the 12v socket. Redarc is one brand of gear, there are others out there and most are good.

Initial thoughts was get set like this but its not going to be cheap

https://trailparts.co.nz/product/10183/tk3500tbh/

Yeah, if you piece together a setup you can do it for a lot less basically welding up your own axles etc but the thing with that gear as a kit is it all turns up ready to go (as long as it fits your trailer).

If you a willing to shop about and haunt Trademe and Marketplace you can pick up used gear and rebuild it and come out well under that, but its a lot more hassle...

I converted a tandem to braked 2500Kg for a mate a while back, and all up not including my time it was less than $500 including the calipers, discs, coupling, connection kit, and a couple of bits I had to modify and fab up. WoF guys had no idea it was never braked, so I guess I did my job right.

I managed to get good second hand coupling and caliper sets (about 6 sets of calipers in a bulk deal and sold off everything that we didn't need which reduced the costs a lot). Got a hydraulic piping kit off Trademe for under a hundy, had a set of disc hubs ex a boat that were rusty as F that just needed the discs skimmed (which was actually a bastard of a job in my lathe) and the rest was my time. Improved the towing manners of the trailer no end, when it was unbraked it surged and shoved the towing vehicle all over the road and after fitting it with brakes it became a kitten. Solved all of the surging and shoving, as every time it leaned on the tow vehicle it lightly applied it's own brakes and settled back to where it should be.

Incidentally, the TB-class gear doesn't do that, it will still surge and shove given half a chance and that's part of the reason why most people go for the full electronic in cab controllers as you have a button to hit to manually apply the brakes on the trailer independent of the towing vehicle's brakes so if the trailer gets squiffy you can give it a quick tap to settle it back into line.

Originally Posted by No.3

Yeah, if you piece together a setup you can do it for a lot less basically welding up your own axles etc but the thing with that gear as a kit is it all turns up ready to go (as long as it fits your trailer).

If you a willing to shop about and haunt Trademe and Marketplace you can pick up used gear and rebuild it and come out well under that, but its a lot more hassle...

I converted a tandem to braked 2500Kg for a mate a while back, and all up not including my time it was less than $500 including the calipers, discs, coupling, connection kit, and a couple of bits I had to modify and fab up. WoF guys had no idea it was never braked, so I guess I did my job right.

I managed to get good second hand coupling and caliper sets (about 6 sets of calipers in a bulk deal and sold off everything that we didn't need which reduced the costs a lot). Got a hydraulic piping kit off Trademe for under a hundy, had a set of disc hubs ex a boat that were rusty as F that just needed the discs skimmed (which was actually a bastard of a job in my lathe) and the rest was my time. Improved the towing manners of the trailer no end, when it was unbraked it surged and shoved the towing vehicle all over the road and after fitting it with brakes it became a kitten. Solved all of the surging and shoving, as every time it leaned on the tow vehicle it lightly applied it's own brakes and settled back to where it should be.

Incidentally, the TB-class gear doesn't do that, it will still surge and shove given half a chance and that's part of the reason why most people go for the full electronic in cab controllers as you have a button to hit to manually apply the brakes on the trailer independent of the towing vehicle's brakes so if the trailer gets squiffy you can give it a quick tap to settle it back into line.

Putting my own kit together would be cheaper and I might do that anyway, would be easier if it was going to be 2.5t not 3.5t.

work mate has a large trailer boat with diesel engine. Was supplied with just override brakes on 1 axle, but the minute you add a tank of diesel plus some dive gear and everything else you get well over the weight for override brakes.
Being the sort of guy he is he had them upgraded to electric with a controller in the Ute.
What he has found is that with brakes on only 1 axle it eats disks quite quickly.
Z

Originally Posted by ZQLewis

work mate has a large trailer boat with diesel engine. Was supplied with just override brakes on 1 axle, but the minute you add a tank of diesel plus some dive gear and everything else you get well over the weight for override brakes.
Being the sort of guy he is he had them upgraded to electric with a controller in the Ute.
What he has found is that with brakes on only 1 axle it eats disks quite quickly.
Z

Won't help with being dunked as well, especially if it's salt water. That was what took out the disc hubs I used on the tandem, cheaper and quicker to replace the entire axle for a commercial workboat as the axle (duratorque) was rooted as well. I threw the rest in the scrap, but kept the hubs.

This is part of the reason that the heavy trailers are normally set up with both axles braked, most braked axles are either rated to 1850 or 2250Kg not the full 3500Kg. It means the controller ends up winding full on every time you hit the brakes rather than a more gentle application over both axles. Having said that, increased maintenance is probably cheaper than two axle sets at build time so it's a bit of a choice thing (also how many Kms do most boat trailers do???).

I have an Ifor Williams 3.5T plant trailer. So is all kitted up with what passes for standard in Europe as over ride brakes. But works on linkages that operate 4 x drum brake setups. With a cut away cable that puts all the brakes on if the trailer parts ways with the tow vehicle (or you forget to unclip the carabiner when disconnecting.....). Never waggles, and brakes very smoothly.

Originally Posted by XR500

I have an Ifor Williams 3.5T plant trailer. So is all kitted up with what passes for standard in Europe as over ride brakes. But works on linkages that operate 4 x drum brake setups. With a cut away cable that puts all the brakes on if the trailer parts ways with the tow vehicle (or you forget to unclip the carabiner when disconnecting.....). Never waggles, and brakes very smoothly.

I have the same but Brian James bloody fantastic bit of kit years of hard work with no issues at all.

Originally Posted by XR500

I have an Ifor Williams 3.5T plant trailer. So is all kitted up with what passes for standard in Europe as over ride brakes. But works on linkages that operate 4 x drum brake setups. With a cut away cable that puts all the brakes on if the trailer parts ways with the tow vehicle (or you forget to unclip the carabiner when disconnecting.....). Never waggles, and brakes very smoothly.

I've got one too, carries a 2.5T+ digger with utter reliability. The type is called a "Knott system" originating in Germany. If I had to build a new trailer I'd seriously consider wrecking a caravan or other euro trailer so equipped to obtain one (assuming they are not avaliable new here).

Originally Posted by Tentman

I've got one too, carries a 2.5T+ digger with utter reliability. The type is called a "Knott system" originating in Germany. If I had to build a new trailer I'd seriously consider wrecking a caravan or other euro trailer so equipped to obtain one (assuming they are not avaliable new here).

Looks like you can get the Knott System new in NZ. Seems you can get it through TWL as well

https://knottsolutions.co.nz/product...-kits&prod=688

Huh, very interesting. Thanks. I've had my Ifor 8 years, it's passed its wof first time every time and the only maintenance it's had is a set of tyres. It doesn't do big miles but is in use most days, my truck does about 15,000 km per year, I'd say the trailer does 5-7,000 Km per annum

My caravan has the Knott breaks 4 axle drums and breakaway cable set up. When purchased I had to replace all the breaks and bearings etc… did it my self.
Ordered parts off trademe (came from uk in under 1 week) and cheap.
The break shoes automatically allow for reversing with out any changes… great system

Yeah, they are good but have a slight (or maybe more correct a potential) disadvantage that the setup with the cables doesn't really like being dragged over areas with a lot of debris - but then to be fair not much really does. Just with the cable setup the cables can get caught up and either damaged or start partially applying the brakes on the affected hub. Ask me how I found that out...

Ive had mine bellied twice with big loads of posts and winched it out with no consequences but I was possibly lucky . . .