Mobile trailer brake service for owners across Sydney metro. Mechanical override, electric drum, electric over hydraulic, full hydraulic. We diagnose, repair and replace at your driveway, yard or worksite. Brake inspection from $220 single-axle, $350 dual-axle.
Most owners do not know which brake type their trailer has until something fails. The repair and the parts depend entirely on the type. Here is the rundown of what is on Australian trailers and how we service each.
Found on most older trailers and many newer single-axle box trailers up to 2000kg ATM. The coupling is built into a sliding mechanism. When you brake the tow vehicle, the trailer pushes into the coupling, the slide compresses, and that mechanical movement applies the trailer brakes through a cable. Simple, robust, almost zero electrical components. Common failure points: the slide mechanism seizes, the cable stretches or breaks, the brake shoes inside the drums wear out.
The standard on most caravans and medium trailers from about 1500kg ATM up. An electromagnet inside the brake drum is energised by a brake controller in the tow vehicle. When you brake, current flows through the trailer plug to the magnets, which pull a lever and apply the brake shoes. Common failure: magnets wear out, the wiring inside the drum fails, brake controller stops sending signal, or the shoes wear.
A modern variation where an electric brake controller signal drives a small hydraulic actuator on the trailer. The actuator then operates hydraulic brakes (drum or disc). Combines the responsiveness of hydraulic with the simplicity of electric control. Common on newer caravans, boat trailers and plant trailers above 2.5 tonnes ATM.
Less common but used on some plant trailers and boat trailers. Like mechanical override but with a hydraulic master cylinder inside the coupling, sending fluid to brake calipers or wheel cylinders. Common failure: master cylinder seal failure, brake fluid contamination, line corrosion (especially on boat trailers).
If you have an electric brake trailer, your tow vehicle needs a brake controller. The controller decides how much electrical signal goes to the trailer brakes when you brake the tow vehicle. There are two common types we install and tune.
Time-delayed controllers are simpler and cheaper. They apply a preset amount of trailer braking after a short delay. Set-and-forget but less responsive. Common brands: Hayes, Tekonsha Voyager, Husky Liberty.
Proportional controllers use an internal accelerometer to apply trailer braking proportional to how hard the tow vehicle is braking. More expensive, much smoother in use, easier on the brakes long-term. Common brands: Tekonsha P3, Redarc Tow-Pro Elite, Husky 31298.
We supply and install both types, and we tune them properly for your specific tow vehicle and trailer weight.
Stop using the trailer immediately if any of these apply:
Trailer brake failure on a busy road, with a loaded trailer behind a vehicle, is one of the worst situations on Australian roads. The repair cost is small. The cost of a brake failure crash is enormous. We hold same-week availability for trailer brake work and next-day for genuine emergencies.
In NSW, any trailer with an ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) over 750kg must have brakes on at least one axle. Trailers over 2000kg ATM must have brakes on all wheels. Anything under 750kg ATM is allowed to be unbraked but most owners still fit brakes for safety and resale value.
Yes, if you tow a trailer with electric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes. The tow vehicle does not have one factory-installed in most cases. We install and wire-in brake controllers for $240, supplied separately or supply-and-fit with the controller included.
Depends on use. A box trailer towed twice a year might run brake shoes for a decade. A boat trailer launched weekly might need new shoes every 18-24 months because saltwater accelerates wear and corrosion. A plant trailer in daily commercial use might need them annually. The pre-rego inspection is the natural checkpoint for most owners.
In most cases yes, but it is a significant job. The axle has to support brake drums (some unbraked axles do not), the wheels need to clear the drums, and a brake controller plus wiring needs to be installed. Practical for medium trailers being upgraded. Often easier to just replace the unbraked axle assembly with a braked one. We can quote either approach.
Yes, for trailers that warrant it. Disc brakes are common on newer high-end boat trailers, off-road camper trailers, and some plant trailers. They are more expensive than drums but resist corrosion better and need less maintenance. Conversion from drum to disc usually only makes sense if you are also replacing the axle.
Almost always brake shoes contacting the drum because the return springs are weak or the brakes are out of adjustment. Sometimes corrosion in the magnets is causing them to partially engage at rest. A brake service will fix it.