Why do trailer brake shoes cost so much?
Another post that talked about his oddly cracked brake shoes got me thinking about maybe changing mine out this spring. After doing some checking I've discovered how expensive those darned things are!...
Forum Discussion
fj12ryder wrote:
Very true, but if you think about how many wheels/brakes are out there for that brake shoe. It's a common size for all Dexter 5200, 6000, and 7000 lb. axles. That has to cover a whole lot of trailers/wheels. But the other size of the coin, how often do you hear people talk about changing the brake shoes on their trailer? I would imagine most people own their trailer for quite a few years and have never changed brake shoes. Mine is 7 years old and this is the first I've considered it.
Keep in mind, your average car does something like 12-15,000miles per year. I think I saw where RVs average something like 3,000miles per year. So right off the bat, it's 1/5 to 1/4 as often to replace them.
Then most RVs avoid city traffic. 500 miles of stop & go city traffic vs 500 miles cruising on a rural freeway is likely 1/100th the wear.
Economy of scale issues still hold up very well as an explanation.
I agree with the others, for the amount of hassle saved, it's well worth just buying the assembly.
