Troubleshooting Electric Brakes Putting Out Appropriate Voltage, Amperage, Ohms  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Thank you for taking the time to thoroughly test your electric brakes.

I looked up the specs for your 2007 Fleetwood Gearbox 5th wheel trailer but I wasn't able to find the specs on the axle(s) capacity or drum size. Based on the 14,300 lbs GVWR I would assume we're dealing with 12 inch brake assemblies. If that is what you have then it sounds like your brake magnets are well within the specs for proper function. Although, I'm not sure what you mean by "12 volts going to brakes and 1.4 coming out". If you mean that at 12 volts, you're getting 1.4 amps for 1 set of brakes, then it would indicate the leads are bad on the magnets and they would in fact need to be replaced.

You mentioned you've already adjusted your brakes. Just to be sure, they should have a slight dragging on the hub when properly adjusted. I attached an installation video that shows the adjustment process around the 4:40 minute mark.

The only other thing is to visually inspect the hub/drum and brake pads. On the inside of the drum you are looking for any scoring on the surfaces. Look closely at the shoe surface and the armature (where the magnet sits). It's easiest to just run your finger over the surfaces to feel for any grooves. If everything feels smooth, your drums don't need to be replaced. If you notice scoring or grooves in the surface, you will need to replace them.

I have also included a video that shows how to inspect your hubs/drums around the 1:30 minute mark.

Let me know what you find. I'm happy to either recommend replacement hubs/drums or pads (depending on your specific size) or continue to troubleshoot.

expert reply by: Carla M

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