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Old 05-02-2019, 12:21 PM   #1
jmlocklin
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Trailer Brakes

What is the best way to adjust the brakes on my Sprinter 29bh? On my last trip it seemed that I could feel the trailer brakes apply a split second before the truck brakes. When I came to a red light, I put on the brakes a little hard and must have locked the brakes on the trailer. After the smoke cleared, everything seemed to be fine and no other issues for the remainder of the trip. What do I need to do check before heading out again? Thanks for any help given.
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Old 05-02-2019, 12:28 PM   #2
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What kind of brake controller do you have? What is it set on? Maybe you have it set too high.
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Old 05-02-2019, 12:28 PM   #3
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What brake controller do you have and what’s it set at?
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Old 05-02-2019, 12:29 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
What kind of brake controller do you have? What is it set on? Maybe you have it set too high.

Typing at the same time!!!
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Old 05-02-2019, 08:36 PM   #5
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I am not sure about controller. Truck is Ford 250 and display shows 10% gain, but I have no idea what that means. In the truck there is a slide control, but I don't know what it does. When I put on the brakes, there is a line on the display that I think shows the trailer brakes, but not sure. Sorry to appear so ignorant, but I am.
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Old 05-02-2019, 08:54 PM   #6
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What year is your Ford? Do you have an aftermarket brake controller or factory installed one?

Aftermarket brake controllers use a proportional motion-based pendulum as its way of adjusting braking effort of the trailer.

Modern day Integrated brake controllers (factory) are integrated into the truck's braking system and detect braking effort from the TV and instantly transfers that proportional effort to the trailer brakes. IBCs are more responsive and refined.

After market controllers tend to have a few more adjustments to driving characteristics, ie freeway vs local stop and go. My Tekonsha Prodigy 3 had to be dialed in a bit more when installed on my former TV as the trailer was secondary to braking. I finally got it right after reading the instructions and watching a few YouTube videos.

With my current RAM, there was not much fussing with the gain setting. It's set at 7.5 in all driving conditions and performs better than the Prodigy. That's just inherent in the integrated design.
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Old 05-02-2019, 09:29 PM   #7
jmlocklin
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2017, factory equipped.
My main concern had to do with the brakes locking the tires and the smoke and rubber smell, but maybe that is what they were supposed to do when I slammed on the brakes. The truck tires never locked down like the trailer tires. My other concern is would that cause damage to the tires and do I need to check something before the next trip.
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Old 05-02-2019, 11:20 PM   #8
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My 2015 F250 has the brake controller. The slide control is to activate the trailer brakes independently of the truck brakes.
I don't remember what the gain is on my truck and I'm presently 12,000 miles from it! As was described to me, Set the gain control such that at about 25 MPH, if you squeeze the slider all the way, you can feel the brakes, but they don't lock the wheels.
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Old 05-03-2019, 12:38 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmlocklin View Post
2017, factory equipped.
My main concern had to do with the brakes locking the tires and the smoke and rubber smell, but maybe that is what they were supposed to do when I slammed on the brakes. The truck tires never locked down like the trailer tires. My other concern is would that cause damage to the tires and do I need to check something before the next trip.
Are you smelling "smoke and rubber' when you do stop in a normal controlled manner? This should not be happening.

A good way to test the function of your brake controller is to squeeze the manual slide control lever slowly when traveling at a given speed. You should immediately feel the trailer gently pull against the truck's momentum decreasing your speed. As you squeeze the manual lever further, the braking force becomes more abrupt. You should be able to lock the trailer brakes completely if the lever is squeezed tightly.

If the trailer wheels are locking very quickly, lower the gain on the brake controller to a level that offers up a smooth predictable stop. If all that is felt are the trucks brakes, then move up on the gain.

Also, another way to check function of each trailer brake while connected to the TV is to lift up each side of the axle (1 axle at a time) and rotate the wheel. There should be slight audible drag of the pads on the brake drum. This is normal.

If the wheel does not spin easily and there is resistance, you may have to adjust the brake shoes from behind the backing plate. That also applies if there is no drag at all.

If the appropriate drag is present, have someone press the tow vehicle's brake pedal (or squeeze the brake controllers manual override lever) while you spin the elevated tire. The spinning wheel should stop.

These steps will confirm your brake controller is behaving properly. If the only time you're witnessing smoke and brake smells is when the braking is hard and abrupt (emergency avoidance), I would say this is expected and normal.
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Old 05-03-2019, 04:04 AM   #10
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All the above is good info, but this may be a good time to read your trucks owners manual.
Sounds like you have your trailer brake controller set too high.
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Old 05-03-2019, 04:34 AM   #11
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I have a 2017 F250, my gain is set at 5.
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Old 05-03-2019, 05:11 AM   #12
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The gain required depends on the weight of the trailer, road conditions, the configuration of the brakes, etc. The gain setting for one configuration will not necessarily be appropriate for another.

As I understand it, you should not be able to lock up the trailer tires when testing using the manual application lever in the brake controller. The instructions for my controller say that you should drive at a specific speed (25 mph, if I remember correctly) and then smoothly apply the manual application lever until fully deflected. The gain should be adjusted just below the point where the tires lock up.

Note that this gain setting will change with different conditions, such as loading of the trailer, road conditions, etc., so you should keep that in mind. For example, if it starts raining, you may want to consider reducing the gain setting a little.
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Old 05-03-2019, 05:20 AM   #13
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Check brake linings and drums just to make sure, check to see if adjustment is needed.
Take it on a smooth, traffic free road if possible and check for proper gain. Remember when adjusting that the trailer doesn't have ABS, trailer brakes may lock even though truck doesn't. I do check for a fairly hard brake to see how trailer tracks and brakes at a near hiway speed.
I adjust my mirrors to check for lock up while stopping, of course making sure road is clear.
My gain is set at 4.5 on my TV
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Old 05-03-2019, 06:19 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
All the above is good info, but this may be a good time to read your trucks owners manual.
Sounds like you have your trailer brake controller set too high.
If your controller is set to 10 I'm pretty sure it is set too high causing the problem you are encountering. It can be really dangerous in wet/slippery weather. Mine (Ram) is adjusted via the electronic control display. I'm not sure how yours is. As was mentioned, look it up in the owner's manual and test different settings until you get to a point where it doesn't lock up but gives you good braking ability on the trailer.
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Old 05-03-2019, 06:39 AM   #15
Logan X
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I have a 2017 F250, my gain is set at 5.
I wasn’t trying to suggest the OP should set his gain to five, I was only trying to point out that 10 was probably way too high. I agree with the above stated methods for setting the gain.

To set the gain, use the +- buttons on the brake controller.
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Old 05-03-2019, 06:50 AM   #16
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Just an added thought: Our integrated brake controller is set at 8.5. We pull a 10,000# trailer. The brakes will behave differently depending on your driving style. If you are "easy on the brakes", i.e. let off on the fuel and apply the truck brakes gently, the controller seems to put less power to the trailer wheels as opposed to "braking hard". Everyone's driving style is different. I guess I'm the guy you hate to follow because I let off the fuel a quarter mile or more before the stop sign. Under "normal" conditions, I tend to use the truck's brakes sparingly. I have to set the brake controller higher, it seems, to "feel" the trailer brakes.
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Old 05-03-2019, 07:47 AM   #17
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I feel like a gain of 10 is the max for a ford factory controller? I think mine is in the 8.5 range though it is a smaller trailer I am sure.

The owners manual describes how to set it up. It can be a challenge to find enough clear road for the procedure, but I found it to work well, at least with my setup.

I would start there.
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Old 05-03-2019, 07:57 AM   #18
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First and foremost before you pull the trailer read the ford manual, so you get an understanding of the function of the brake controller and it's settings. Then ask questions. If you do not understand the manual information, that's Okay, but after reading it you may not need help.
Sounds like most of us givings settings or advice may not help much since you have no understanding of the system.
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Old 05-03-2019, 10:27 AM   #19
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I agree, whatever you do, READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL before you adjust/use the trailer brakes.

From what I've read, the OP has not yet adjusted his brakes properly. It looks like he has gone from "brake effort 1 through 10" but has not adjusted the "brake mode" which is a 3 phase level of braking power...

Essentially the Ford brake controller has 30 "brake effort" settings, not the 10 that the OP has said he tried. The OWNER'S MANUAL gives step by step instructions on how to adjust the brake controller and it's far more detailed than "set it at 1-10 and it'll work".....

This is one "perfect example" of the old saying, "RTFM"......
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Old 05-03-2019, 12:19 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsmith948 View Post
... I guess I'm the guy you hate to follow because I let off the fuel a quarter mile or more before the stop sign. Under "normal" conditions, I tend to use the truck's brakes sparingly. I have to set the brake controller higher, it seems, to "feel" the trailer brakes.
At the risk of a tirade from a member here that seems to regularly take issue with my driving style, I'm with you on this too. I always leave myself a good braking distance to the vehicle in front of me to avoid those hard stops where possible. I was taught "Defensive driving" in high school (do they still do that?) and a big part of that was leaving a safe distance to the vehicle in front of you.

Another aspect of that was an emphasis on only using the left lanes for overtaking. This is something that I wish driving schools would teach here in Oz. Australian drivers are terrible for driving in the passing lanes, particularly trucks in city traffic. OK, rant over. Now the guy on my ignore list can chime in.
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