Trailer Brakes

[hatstomper]

Picked up the new unit yesterday, finally. Tried the brakes in the yard and they seemed soft or almost non existent. Played around a bit at a large truck turnaround and I can only feel a little, very little trailer brake with the controller set a 10 (highest). It does not hold the unit at a stop. When I hook up the Driver Info Center tells me the trailer is hooked up and I do have all my lights.

Any ideas?

Be damned if I want to run around with over 10,000lbs behind me with no brakes.

[OldCoot]

I would immediately head back to the dealer and have him investigate the problem. I suspect the brakes need adjusting tighter. The magnets inside the brakes can only move the mechanism a certain distance and if the shoes are not adjusted properly, they are not being forced against the drums. A major problem that requires a small amount of time for the dealer to correct. It will take him longer to get the jack & jackstand out, jack each wheel up than it will to adjust the brakes. Max time should be less than an hour start to finish. Being the impatient person I am, if he stalls, I would tell him I will wait for it to be done, because I will not tow it home or anywhere else in this condition.

[donn]

Try adjusting the brakes. BTW they are not self adjusting. So you will need to do it about once a year at least.

[LadyWindrider]

If it is new, and it were mine, I would measure the voltage getting to the brakes. This will have to be done at each wheel. One person under the trailer with a voltmeter, and the other in the truck cab, not using the foot pedal, but holding the manual override until the reading says 10, or whatever the max is. That should give you close to 12 volts on the brakes, which is enough to lock the wheels. If there is no voltage, then trace that problem. Otherwise look at adjustment.

Now with that said, some trucks came with a towing package, but relays and fuses to make it work were in the glove box, and not installed in the truck. May want to check your truck owner's manual bout the brake fuses and battery charge relay for the towing package, if you have these, and have them installed.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by donn

Try adjusting the brakes. BTW they are not self adjusting. So you will need to do it about once a year at least.

donn some units now are coming with self adjusting brakes .
altho his may not be its possible that they are .