Trailer Brakes

[NotyetMHCowner]

On our last TT, I was able to set the trailer brakes to where they would stop very quickly and hold the truck and camper when moving a few miles per hour. On our new fifth wheel, with the Ford integrated brake controller, I have it adjusted all the way to 10 (max) and I still feel like it isn't enough. If I let off the brakes and a complete stop, then pull the manual handle on the controller, it will take 3 to 5 feet to stop. Does this seem right?

I had read back when we first started camping, that you should drive around for several miles to get the brakes up to temperature. Then find a safe place to drive at about 25mph and pull the manual handle all the way. When the brakes start to lock up, then back it off just a little and now the brakes are set. But with the fifth wheel, I am not able to get it to really slam the brakes on like I thought it would at the highest setting. I am planning on taking off the tires to get balanced this weekend. While I am there, I am going to grease the bearings and make sure the brakes are adjusted properly.

Any thoughts?

[gearhead]

I haven't gotten the brakes to lock up on ours. I tried a couple times and quit trying. I'm running mine at 9.5 for some reason. I keep telling myself that I'll back it off in the rain, but I always forget.
When I hook up, I do the 5th wheel hitch pull test. Usually rolls about 1-2 feet before grabbing.
I wouldn't worry about it.
I do use a laser temp gun on the tires and drums when I stop for a break. Never noticed any temp issues.

[cw3jason]

From what I understand, on the self adjusting breaks, you need to manually squeeze the break controller 3 or 4 times to get them to adjust, then when you squeeze and hold they will stop your truck. A friend told me about this and I tried it and it does work. Kind of like pumping the breaks. They adjust and work fine after. Mine will hold on setting 8

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[bobbecky]

With the weight of the new rig, and having drum brakes, you will never get the brakes to lock up, regardless of what controller you have. It is good you are packing brakes by hand, the EZlube is pretty risky to use and not get grease on the brakes. Prior to pulling the drums, you should have new seals on hand. Your brakes are probably the forward self adjusting Dexter brakes, so, if they are working properly, you really don't have to adjust them, just make sure they are close to just getting the drum to clear the shoes, and within maybe twenty miles, using the brakes quite often, they will be fully adjusted. Trying to get the controller to use the drum brakes to stop, quickly, the trailer and the truck is asking a lot.

[GaryWT]

When I first got the 350 last year I did the same, moved it to the max 10 and it did not seem to work well. On one trip someone was following me and they told me the trailer brakes had locked up a couple times on the highway. I moved the controller down some. Last weekend I had to stop at a red light somewhat quickly and again, a smoke show when the wheels locked up. Currently I an at 6 and we shall see how that goes.

[Javi]

I run mine at 5.5 or 6.0 in dry conditions and 5.0 in wet and it will lock the trailer brakes on loose gravel and that there is gooder enough for me.. ;)

[NotyetMHCowner]

I adjusted the brakes today and they were pretty close. The right side was a little loose but the left side didn't need much of an adjustment at all. The bearings took over a tube of grease. Just as I thought, the factory put just a little grease on each bearing and called it good.

On a different note, I had my tires balanced and only one was good. The good one took 1 ounce while the others took 5 to 7 ounces. He said they checked the wheels and they are fine. He said it is the tires. I really hope we can get through this season with them because I don't really have it in the budget to spend $1k on tires.

[sander925]

Not sure if your truck allows you to change the effort of the controller. On my f250 you can adjust the gain. You can also adjust the effort of the controller. It is factory set to low, you can change it to medium or high. The manual says start with low. I haven't needed to change it but I am only pulling about 6500lbs.

[grampscamper]

I run my F250 at 7.0. I had it a little higher but during a panic stop last year I noticed my trailer brakes locked up. Mine is the same as Gearhead. It will roll a couple of feet when applying the trailer brakes manually and will hold truck and trailer.
My last 5th wheel I could run at 6.0. It worked fine at that setting. I would think every truck and trailer combination may be a little different.
I would find an open area where you can play a little with the controller setting.
Good luck.

[jje1960]

I've left it at the default (5.0) never really felt it necessary to change it, had to stop immediately many times....

[NotyetMHCowner]

I looked through the owners manual and it looks like I can only adjust the gain. I see no other adjustments. I don't believe the brakes are stopping enough. I might understand with the weight, that they would not lock up (even so I think they should with full voltage), but they should definitely stop abruptly. Luckily the truck (in tow/haul mode) is helping a lot, but I think the camper should have enough braking power to handle its own weight.

I have a few warranty items to get taken care of, so I may add this to the list and see what they say about it.

[C130]

I run mine around 5.5-6.5 and did the same on my F250. If I had too much gain set I could feel a jerking motion when I would brake heavily, especially if the roads were wet. Every time it would do this I would reduce the gain a little and it alleviated the problem. I can't ever see setting them at 9-10, my brakes would definitely lock up, at least on my F250 they would.

[gtsum2]

I run mine around 7 or 7.5. This is with factory ram brake controller and about 15k trailer weight

[NotyetMHCowner]

I am going to try to find some time to get the camper out to a large gravel area so I can "play" with the brakes. I want to travel about 20mph and pull the manual slide with it set to 10 and see if it makes a difference. I am concerned that something is just not quite right. The trailer brakes are working and helping to stop, but just not enough.

[NotyetMHCowner]

Well the brakes still do not perform like they should. I have the factory controller set to max (10) and was moving along at 20 mph and pulled the manual switch and it still doesn't try to stop hard. I guess the next step is to check the voltage at the trucks connector.

I have never pulled the emergency cord on any trailer I have. If I pull it, does it just go back into position without doing any permanent damage? I could try it in a parking lot, or maybe at the site I am at now.

[chuckster57]

If you pull the pin, it should go right back in. I do it to test the brakes after servicing them.

[NotyetMHCowner]

Ok, I may try it at my site before we leave on Sunday. The truck seems to stop it pretty good, but some of that is the tranny down shifting and holding it back. Im not sure how well it would work if I have to slam them on. I think the brakes should lock up or damn near lock when set on 10 and pull the manual switch, no matter how heavy the trailer is. They definitely work "some", but not enough, I think.

[sw342]

Well the brakes still do not perform like they should. I have the factory controller set to max (10) and was moving along at 20 mph and pulled the manual switch and it still doesn't try to stop hard. I guess the next step is to check the voltage at the trucks connector.

I have never pulled the emergency cord on any trailer I have. If I pull it, does it just go back into position without doing any permanent damage? I could try it in a parking lot, or maybe at the site I am at now.

If I am moving along at 15-20 mph and slide the manual switch it will slowly slow the truck and trailer down to a stop, but the integrated controller in my Ram was only set around 5 and not 10. I was used to my 22 foot Nash, which would lock the brakes if I did that and had the gain set too high. I have checked my brakes and they seem to be set per the Dexter manual with a slight drag with trailer wheels off the ground and spun.

As far as the emergency cord it will not hurt anything to pull it. I forgot to hook mine up before leaving a campground and heading for home. We pulled off the freeway at a rest stop to have lunch and went to the truck side to find a couple open lanes to put the slides out. As I turned into my parking spot the loop caught on something in the bed, pulled the pin and locked the brakes so tight I could not move. Stuck halfway into my spot and halfway blocking the road with trucks coming in behind me. I didn't know what happened at first. Got out and saw the cord had been pulled. Freed the loop end and put the pin back in and everything was good. Caught me by surprise that's for sure as the brakes sure worked good then.

[bsmith0404]

I have my controller set at 5.5. When I hook up and do a tug test the trailer does not lock up, but they will lock up in gravel just as Javi stated. I can feel the trailer stopping behind me when braking so I know they are working. All of that is good enough for me.

[cw3jason]

Just a note. If you have the self adjusting breaks, it takes several squeezes of the manual controler to get them adjusted, before they will lock the wheels. I have to do this before I give the 5ver a pull test.

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[NotyetMHCowner]

I do have the self adjusting brakes. I adjusted them when I had the wheels off, but they were just about right. I just think I need to test the voltage at the truck plug and go from there.

[SAABDOCTOR]

Are the trailer brakes adjusted correctly?

[SAABDOCTOR]

Sorry i just saw your last post i'll just go camping now

[NotyetMHCowner]

I adjusted them up until "heard"them dragging then back off slightly. That is the way I have always adjusted drum brakes. I believe that when they heat up, from braking, tire temperature, etc, they will expand and I don't want them"dragging"and creating extra heat. I may be wrong with this being a trailer and not a vehicle. I have heard they should be adjusted to slightly drag. But if they should be that way, wouldn't they automatically adjust to that level over time?

[jsmith948]

s. I believe that when they heat up, from braking, tire temperature, etc, they will expand and I don't want them"dragging"and creating extra heat.

When drum brakes get hot, the drums actually expand. This expansion is why drum brakes 'fade' to the point that you lose your ability to brake (the shoes can't put enough pressure on the expanded drums because, at this point, they are out of adjustment). That is the reason why cars and light trucks now have disc brakes. When the rotors get hot and expand the brakes don't fade away. Drum brakes fading away is why there are truck escape routes on many mountain passes. An inexperienced big rig driver using improper braking techniques can get into trouble in a hurry.:)

[NotyetMHCowner]

I pulled the emergency pin today before leaving our site and the truck just about could not pull the fifth wheel. So it looks like the brakes on the camper work just fine. I also pulled the manual lever while driving about 25 mph and it still doesn't stop very well, even set at max (10).

I think the next step for me is to check the voltage at the truck connector.

[NotyetMHCowner]

After pulling out of our site at the beach last week, the brakes were stopping a lot harder. I thought, finally, they are working properly. But after a few stops (going through the campground) they went back to normal. We did have some hard rain during the time the truck was sitting there. I am wondering if there is a bad connection, and maybe it made better contact for a few moments while being wet? I have got to get this figured out, as we are leaving for Yellowstone in less than 3 weeks.

When I pull the emergency pin, the brakes just about lock up. The truck could barely pull the fifth wheel. So that tells me that the brakes are working and adjusted correctly. I have the IBC set to 10 which is the max and I don't think that my 2006 model has the extra "boost" setting that the newer ones have. I have used the manual slider at idle speed, 20-25 mph, and highway speeds with no change. It works every time, just not applying as much braking power as it should.

[JRTJH]

If the brakes "lock up" on the trailer when you pull the pin, chances are that it's not a loose ground or a wire crimp that's not making good contact from the umbilical back. I'm making the assumption that your truck has the "factory installed" 7 pin trailer connector. If so, I'd first crawl under the truck at the rear 7 pin connector and unplug it there. It should be a "snap ring" type lock on the back of the mounted plug. Clean it well, lube it with some silicone grease (di-electric compound) and see if it is any better. Also spend some time cleaning/burnishing the contacts on your truck 7 pin connector and on the trailer connector. Use that same di-electric compound there once they are cleaned. If, by chance, you have a "tap-off" umbilical that runs from the rear 7 pin connector and is mounted in the bed of your truck, check that wiring carefully as well. If you do have two 7 pin connectors, you might want to "experiment" with the other one just to see if braking action is the same with both "truck end" connectors.

[NotyetMHCowner]

I do have 2 of the 7 pin connectors. I will try to experiment with the one on the bumper.

I agree that the trailer is probably fine because of the emergency pin locking them up. What puzzles me is that they always work, just not strong enough. I would think that if I have a bad connection, they would not work some times. I would also think that the lights would flicker from time to time, but I have never noticed that.

[JRTJH]

If you crawl under the back of your truck, you should see a "T" plug connected to the back of your bumper 7 pin connection and then the truck wiring harness (from up front) connected to the back of the "T". both of those connections can, over the years, leak just enough that corrosion has set up in them. It's easy to clean that out, use some copper wool to burnish the contacts, then plug it back together. (Don't forget the di-electric compound).

It doesn't take much corrosion on a brass contact pin to cause a significant reduction in voltage across the plug. If it's not there, I'd start looking at the wiring on the back side of each connector. A lot can happen to corrode wiring from 2006 to 2015. I'm pretty sure it's not a "major issue" or, like you said, it wouldn't be happening all the time. The consistency you describe, to me, indicates a bad plug or corrosion at the plug/terminal.

GOOD LUCK !!!

We are headed toward Yellowstone next week. I expect it will take us 2 or 3 weeks of "lazy cruising" before we get there and current plans will take us through Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Devil's Tower before getting to Yellowstone. My DW won't let me go to Sturgis for the MC ride, so I suppose I'll wind up staying south of there <sigh> :(

[NotyetMHCowner]

Great tips! I will get to those connections this week.

I wish we had that much time for this trip. We are taking about 2 and a half weeks for the whole trip. We are taking 6 days to get there with staying 2 nights in Omaha to go to the zoo. Them coming back through the north and staying 2 nights in Minneapolis for mall of America. Our daughters are coming along with us. I wish we had 2 or 3 months for this trip, but our jobs would frown on that. Haha

[NotyetMHCowner]

At idle, I am getting about 13.4 volts at my connector. I am also getting 13.4 volts at the junction box on the pin box. I am getting about 9.3 volts at the axles. I have an insulated under belly, so I don't know where the bad connection is. The wires look good when they disappear into the under belly in the battery compartment. I might try to take down some of the under belly, but I also have a leaking black tank valve that needs warranty work. It would be nice to get it in a dealer and back in less than 2 weeks (yea, right).

Where all does the brake wire go? It is the red wire in the junction box. Is the negative wire just bonded to the frame somewhere? If worse comes to worse, can I run a new wire from the junction box, tie wrapped down the frame rail and tie it into the wire at the axles? I hope to find the problem and get it fixed right, but we are not going to miss our trip to Yellowstone.

[jsmith948]

I'm sure the factory used the correct gauge wire for the length of the run:rolleyes:, but 4 volts is a big drop. Your idea of running an external wire, provided it is of proper size, should solve your problem. You should ensure that the wire is secured so that it can't get pulled loose while underway. The external, temporary 'jumper' would be a good way to troubleshoot and verify the problem lies in the wiring. Please keep us posted as to what you find.

[shiggs68]

The brake wire in the junction box should be a Blue wire coming from the cable. The Red wire from the cable should be your charge wire and will read 13+. Given that, I question if you are measuring the correct wires.

At the brakes, you should only see 7 to 9 volts. The Breakaway switch applies a full 12 volts from your trailer battery to make sure the brakes lock. If you can not lock then from your truck control but have 9 volts, I would say, your brakes need adjusted and you are looking for the wrong answer.


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[NotyetMHCowner]

I thought as long as the brake controller was set at its maximum setting, then full available voltage is applied to the brakes?

Some of the connections were a little loose, but nothing to bad. I did cut all the crimp-on wire nuts off and used twist-on wire nuts to make the connections better. When I was testing the voltage 2 days ago, I didn't even think of the house power still plugged into the camper, so that affected my voltage readings. Yesterday, I unplugged shore power and had only the truck connected and my supplied voltage was a little lower. I was seeing around 12.5 volts from the truck at the junction box at the pin box. The wire feeding the breakaway switch from the camper battery was reading more, about 13. At the first point at the brakes, it is now reading about 9.9 volts when set to 10. I get at least 9.5 volts at each of the magnets. Each magnet is drawing 2 amps on one wire and about 3 amps on the other one.

I think, since I fixed some of the connections, that the brakes will work a little better. But I would like to see much higher voltage at the magnets. Maybe I am asking too much.

On thing I noticed was about .6 volt from the negative wire to the frame of the camper. The negative does not attach to the frame anywhere except all the way back at the junction box at the pin box. I am thinking of adding a ground, to the frame, back at the axles. Thoughts?

[hankpage]

As shiggs68 mentioned ... If you have more than 10 volts at the magnets (from the controller not the break away switch) you have a problem with your controller. Pull your break away switch and then read voltage at the magnet, that is when you should see 12v+, not from the controller. And the blue wire coming into the junction box is from the brake controller. JM2¢, Hank

[shiggs68]

If you are not measuring the same current going into the magnet as coming out, then the magnet is bad. However, it is unusual the all magnets would have the same failure. Based on that, I would have to question your measuring methods. I still believe you are chasing the wrong thing. Your brakes just need adjustment.


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[Desert185]

Old thread. My brakes went intermittent, then failed. Bad wiring loom from the stock 7-pin plug to the aftermarket bed plug. Chinese wiring...

[dcg9381]

IF I commit to keeping ours - we're looking at a brake upgrade:
http://www.performancetrailerbraking.com/products

For 2-axle, 8 lug, 7k axles, we're looking at $1750.

Why consider it? The standard brakes on our 13-16k lb RV won't even lock up on gravel/rocks. They're new, fully functional, not grease spoiled... I assume it's just a limitation of how much magnetic force you an put on things. I've got a 2015 truck with a factory brake controller.

I understand disc and hydraulic (adapted to electric) a lot better than electric drum and the *advertised* reduction in stopping distance is impressive. Cutting stopping distance by 60-70% might pay off in a number of cases...

[notanlines]

If what you say is true about the brakes not locking the wheels in the gravel then the phrase you used "fully functional" is incorrect. I suspect you need to have your brakes and full braking system checked by a qualified technician. And if you believe some story about disk brakes decreasing your stopping distance by 70%, well maybe you should ask that technician what their opinion might be.

[CWSWine]

On my F350 I had a Gain Settings from 1-10 and in my Driver Information Control (DIC) I also had a low, medium and high settings for trailer brakes. The default setting of low is made for light trailers. I set the setting to high ( mine weights 14,000lbs) and there was a huge difference in braking and I could lock up the trailer brakes where on light would just barely slow the the 5er.

[dcg9381]

Same thing on the dodge. You've got heavy/light and gain. We're set to heavy and pinching the e-brake with an indicated 100% to the brake controller, you can feel the trailer slow, but it's only moderate...

Just had it safety inspected at the dealer, if that's worth any confirmation.

[gearhead]

My take on it.....I switched from Ford to Ram. Set the brake controller for heavy electric. The brakes would hold good when doing a tug test after hooking up. I had no issues on the first tow of 500 miles. Somewhere in all this I got paranoid about the brakes. When I repacked the bearings last year I had that grease zerk staring at me and gave it a few squirts. So I thought I would test the brakes at 30mph, and they didn't do much. So yeah, I pulled all 4 wheels and pulled the bearing nuts off and visually looked at the brake shoes. All were clean and the seal stayed in the hub. So I didn't blow the seals. Still a bit concerned about the brakes barely working at low speed. So I tried it at 50mph with the dashboard brake slide button with no truck braking. They worked great. All I can figure is the brake controller eases off at low speed to keep from jerking the rig at low speed in town driving.
My thoughts....

[CWSWine]

All I can figure is the brake controller eases off at low speed to keep from jerking the rig at low speed in town driving.
My thoughts....

I was told on a Ford F350 you have to be going faster than 20mph for the wheels to lock and I have tested this. Less than that it will just slow you down.

[NotyetMHCowner]

So, I hand packed all the bearings a couple of months ago. 2 of them had grease in them. I cleaned everything, adjusted the brakes a little tighter than I like, and they still do not work like I think they should. I think it is a voltage problem with mine, I guess. I was only seeing 9-10 volts at the magnets when I tested them last year. Im sick of it though. The brakes should work better than this. Im ready for disc!

[Nagrompj]

If your saying only 2 of your bearings had grease in them you have bigger problems than poor brakes. If your saying 2 of the brakes had grease on the shoes I would suggest replacing the brakes. Only chlorinated brake cleaner will completly clean brake shoes.

Reading your earlier post, you stated there was a voltage difference from the magnets to the junction box. Sounds like the wiring is to small for the amperage load of the brakes. Try heavier wire from the junction box to all 4 wheels. The factory will use the lightest wire they think they can get away with.

I have found that every trailer brake drum I ever checked is out of round, even on new axels. I swear it must be a law that every axle assembly must be dropped before it is put on a trailer. The magnet face of the drum also may not run true to the axle.
Around here I can get the drums turned true to the axel center for about $20 each.

On my current trailer I found all 4 brake plates were not installed correctly. From the factory the mounting studs were knocked out and bolts were used to install the plate. The bolts were to small and allowed the plate to be installed a 1/4" off center. The plate overlapped the centering bosses. The brakes drug just a little all the time so I always had brake fade.

If your brake are the proper size for the trailer, your brake controller is working properly, the brake are in good condition ( clean and grease free ), the wires are the proper size and the brake drum are true your brakes will work.

Remember new brake shoes are not the exact same radius as the drum and need to be broke in before they will work 100%.

I think your on the right path with the voltage drop but look at everything. You'll find it.

[NotyetMHCowner]

I cleaned the brakes with a lot of brake cleaner. I am satisfied they are clean.

I assumed the wiring was inadequate, but when I pull the brake-away switch, the brakes hold really well.

The confusing part for me, is my Ford Integrated Brake Controller. Apparently, this thing is smarter than a scientist! I am used to regular aftermarket brake controllers. When you slide the emergency lever over, it applies full braking power in relation to how high you have it set. My controller does not do this. It compensates a lot of variables into the equation for you. I think if I have it set to 10 (max) and slide it over, no matter the speed, I should almost be locking up the trailer brakes. It is not where near that much stopping force. If I am traveling 40-50mph, and slide the lever all the way over (set on 10), it would take at least 1/8 a mile to stop.

Now all that being said, I have only had to have maybe 2 hard stops while towing. Neither one was a "slam on the brakes" situation, but pressed them pretty hard, and it stopped really good. I think what I need to do, is next time I'm towing, be sure everything is secure in the camper and find an area where I can stand on the brakes and see how it does. It may be working like it is supposed to. I just think that the emergency lever should override any other parameters and give full braking power.

[Nagrompj]

I have the same controller as you (2008 F250) and I'll agree with your discription of the operation. That said, I had a deer run out 10 yards in front of me at 40 mph. I had no time to stop before hitting the deer but the trailer did lock up all 4 wheels. I was amazed how fast the truck and trailer stopped. Maybe Ford only wants the controller to stop the trailer with the emergency lever?? Who knows but it worked for me.

[dcg9381]

I was told on a Ford F350 you have to be going faster than 20mph for the wheels to lock and I have tested this. Less than that it will just slow you down.

Interesting, I never considered this. I always assumed that max braking at low speed was the same as max braking at high speed...

[JRTJH]

Interesting, I never considered this. I always assumed that max braking at low speed was the same as max braking at high speed...

Here's "Ford's take on how it works" (Right out of the owner's manual, BTW)

"• The trailer brake controller is equipped with a feature that reduces
output at vehicle speeds below 11 mph (18 km/h) so trailer and
vehicle braking is not jerky or harsh. This feature is only available
when applying the brakes using your vehicle’s brake pedal, not the
controller."

[dcg9381]

Ahh.. thanks. So when I actuate the controller, manually, and the truck indicates 100% trailer braking, it IS all the braking I'm going to get.

I assume you guys with 5th wheels - that factory brakes don't come close to locking up even at high gain?

[NotyetMHCowner]

I had heard that it was around 25mph. It doesn't matter because I have pulled the lever even at highway speeds. It always feels the same.

What questions the controller, and not the wiring, in my situation is that the brake-away switch holds the brakes very well. Same voltage, same wiring (in the camper).

[buckeyebobhockingcamper]

how do i determine if i have self adjusting brakes?2015 montana high country 310re

[chuckster57]

Pull a wheel and drum. If they are self adjusting there will be an adjusting cable. Non self won't have it:

http://www.lci1.com/self-adjusting-brakes#about

[JeffroM]

how do i determine if i have self adjusting brakes?2015 montana high country 310re

I actually just went through trying to figure this out myself. You should be able to pull the rubber plug out of the brake backing plate and look at the star adjuster. If the spring is on the adjuster, you have self adjusting. If the spring is bowed underneath the adjuster, they are manual adjustment. If you look at chuckster57's link, the first picture is of a manual adjustment brake. The second is a self adjusting type.

Now for my own question which may have been beaten to death. My brakes don't lock up on gravel. I have a '15 F-350 with the integrated controller. It is putting out 13.4V at the connection in the truck. In the pinbox it drops to 13.1V. At the brake connection with all brakes detached I get 13.1V. With 1 axle (2 brakes) it drops to 11.1V. With all 4 brakes attached I get 9.8V. Does this sound like normal voltage drop from the magnets or do I have another issue going on?

[NotyetMHCowner]

I have the same issue. I don't understand why the voltage drop is that much. I think the brakes should lock up, easily, on gravel even set less than maximum. Mine does seem to stop just fine when I brake pretty hard. I just wish the brakes would stop better under normal braking. I feel like I'm using the trucks brakes much more than the campers brakes.

I am curious what you find out about the voltages

[Desert185]

If your saying only 2 of your bearings had grease in them you have bigger problems than poor brakes. If your saying 2 of the brakes had grease on the shoes I would suggest replacing the brakes. Only chlorinated brake cleaner will completly clean brake shoes.

Reading your earlier post, you stated there was a voltage difference from the magnets to the junction box. Sounds like the wiring is to small for the amperage load of the brakes. Try heavier wire from the junction box to all 4 wheels. The factory will use the lightest wire they think they can get away with.

I have found that every trailer brake drum I ever checked is out of round, even on new axels. I swear it must be a law that every axle assembly must be dropped before it is put on a trailer. The magnet face of the drum also may not run true to the axle.
Around here I can get the drums turned true to the axel center for about $20 each.

On my current trailer I found all 4 brake plates were not installed correctly. From the factory the mounting studs were knocked out and bolts were used to install the plate. The bolts were to small and allowed the plate to be installed a 1/4" off center. The plate overlapped the centering bosses. The brakes drug just a little all the time so I always had brake fade.

If your brake are the proper size for the trailer, your brake controller is working properly, the brake are in good condition ( clean and grease free ), the wires are the proper size and the brake drum are true your brakes will work.

Remember new brake shoes are not the exact same radius as the drum and need to be broke in before they will work 100%.

I think your on the right path with the voltage drop but look at everything. You'll find it.

When I was a kid doing brake jobs at the local gas station (when drum brakes were the norm), we always turned the drums and arc'd the shoes. I'd like to at least have the shoes arc'd to the drums whenever I have to replace them. Does anyone provide this anymore?

[CWSWine]

What do you have your trailer brakes set for in you DIC? I think there is a light - medium and heavy settings or something like that. My defaulted to the lowest setting and after increasing to the highest setting I could lock up the tires on gravel at 7.5.

[jsmith948]

As a rule, I take it easy on the brakes. I tend to let off the throttle early and apply light pressure when braking for a normal stop. I was also concerned that the trailer brakes didn't seem to be putting much drag on the trailer. I kept playing with the settings and ended up with the brake controller set on 10 - seemed to be working okay. We were traveling through Sonora one afternoon when a driver felt the need to pass and then cut back in front of us just as the light changed. I had to apply the brakes with a great deal more authority than normal and was rewarded with blue smoke from the trailer wheels. As it turns out, the integrated brake controller on our Ford senses the amount of pressure applied to the brakes and applies the trailer brakes accordingly. We now run with the controller set at 7 to 7.5. No more lock-ups. Don't know if this is what is happening to the OP or not - just food for thought:)

[Tom N OH]

To the OP, have you performed the brake burnishing procedure as described in the Dexter Axle manual? We have the same 5er & I was also concerned about the lack of braking until we were on a longer trip about a month ago. I decided to try the burnishing procedure & it made a HUGE difference! I can now drag the tires on gravel quite easily & on pavement with a hard application. Still keep my 2012 F250's factory brake controller set on 10, though. Here's the PDF of the Dexter manual. Burnishing procedure is described at the bottom of page 16.

http://www.dexteraxle.com/i/u/6149609/f/600-8K_Service_Manual/Electric_Brakes.pdf

[NotyetMHCowner]

What do you have your trailer brakes set for in you DIC? I think there light - medium and heavy settings or something like that. My defaulted to the lowest setting and after increasing to the highest setting I could lock up the tires on gravel at 7.5.


What is DIC? My truck is a 2006 so I don't think I have any further adjustments with my controller. I have read everything I could find about it hoping there was an additional setting. Is the "light, medium, hard" settings just for the newer trucks?

[Tom N OH]

Yes, 2014 & up, I believe.

[Desert185]

To the OP, have you performed the brake burnishing procedure as described in the Dexter Axle manual? We have the same 5er & I was also concerned about the lack of braking until we were on a longer trip about a month ago. I decided to try the burnishing procedure & it made a HUGE difference! I can now drag the tires on gravel quite easily & on pavement with a hard application. Still keep my 2012 F250's factory brake controller set on 10, though. Here's the PDF of the Dexter manual. Burnishing procedure is described at the bottom of page 16.

http://www.dexteraxle.com/i/u/6149609/f/600-8K_Service_Manual/Electric_Brakes.pdf

Filed in GoodReader for future reference. :thumbsup:

[jje1960]

I've left it at the default (5.0) never really felt it necessary to change it, had to stop immediately many times....

Just this year we have noticed a degradation in the brakes, however after using them on the last trip they came back to what we considered 'normal'. I suspect that the electrical contacts just needed time working to get back to normal. We currently only use the trailer in the summer for a few trips.

[Titan Guy]

I have been following this thread for some time and because there are so many variables, there is just too much to try to address in a post.
A couple of things. With electric brakes there are so many moving parts, potential wiring and controller issues, it is difficult to adequately troubleshoot a problem.
With disc brakes, we minimize all the moving parts and eliminate wiring issues from the junction box to the wheels. So when we troubleshoot a problem with disc brakes it's the brand of actuator, voltage from the controller to the junction box and the specific controller Year, Ford, GM, Ram Integrated and aftermarket controllers all operate a little differently and remedies are different but can easily be fixed.
My installers have installed over 200 disc brake systems, so there isn't much we haven't encountered.

[Timon]

There are several conversions kits for moving from drum to disk using electric over hydraulic. What I'm wondering if there is one that does electric over hydraulic disc with ABS?