Having strong brakes on a trailer is important to safely tow a heavy load. These brakes must allow the safe stopping of a trailer, without causing any damage to the load. Today, we are witnessing many types of braking systems with a greater emphasis on disc and drum brakes.

This article explains the main benefits and features of disc brakes. Many people think that installing hydraulic disc brakes is too expensive compared to electric drum brakes. You should know that drum brakes have gained confidence over the years due to their efficiency at a relatively low cost.

Disc brakes are better suited for heavier trailers than for lighter trailers. Heat dissipation is created because a heavier trailer produces more heat when braking. Other benefits of disc brakes are ease of cleaning after mud immersion and better water dispersion when crossing water surfaces. That is why these brakes are preferred for boat trailers. They are resistant to rust because they do not contain metallic components. Plus, they have fewer components that can be damaged, making them more reliable than drum brakes.

If you own a trailer that belongs to the 2501-3500 kg category, you must change the old ones and install new disc brakes. If you are considering buying a heavier trailer, look for a disc brake trailer. Disc maintenance is an easy job because only one component needs to be replaced: the brake pads in the caliper. The pliers are used to squeeze pad pairs against a rotor, creating friction that slows the cylinder’s rotation. Vented rotors cool faster and hold braking smoother than a standard non-vented rotor. A great advantage of disc brakes is the possibility of automatic adjustment of the brake units. They self-adjust and the pads wear out. The system is becoming more responsive due to the increased number of individual drum brake units on a trailer.

The deceleration speed of the towing vehicle during braking and the mass of the trailer are two factors that affect the pressure difference. Therefore, a more loaded trailer will have a higher differential pressure between it and the tow vehicle. The bottom line is that when you are towing a lighter load, you should look for a better system at lower pressure.

It is obvious that the interest of hydraulic disc brakes in the trailer industry is growing; slow but safe.