What Ohms Should Trailer Brake Magnets Be?

Question

Question:

When I have my brake controller connected and I apply my brakes, the trailer brakes grab regardless of the gain setting. I checked the ground and its good. I checked the resistance at each brake and one reads 2.0 ohms and the other reads 2.8 ohms. Single axle.

asked by: Patrick F

0

Expert Reply:

Assuming that when you tested the resistance of the brakes you were testing the two wires on each magnet and getting 2.0 and 2.8 ohms the magnets on your trailer are not working correctly and will need to be replaced.

For 7" brakes you should get 3.8-4.0 ohms, and for 10-12" brakes you should have 3.0-3.8 ohms.

If the brake shoes themselves are good you can replace just the magnet using 7" # AKBRKR-M7, 10" # AKBRKR-M10, or 12" # AKBRKR-M12.

If the shoes are needing replacement as well you will need to go with 7" braking assembly # AKEBRK-2, 10" # AKEBRK-35-SA, or 12" # AKEBRK-7-SA.

I included videos for the products mentioned for you to take a look at.

expert reply by: Samuel C

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Answer 1

If the brake magnet is worn to the point that the windings are visible then you know it's time to replace the magnet. However, magnets can also fail without the visible signs of wear. Check out the FAQ article I attached on testing brake…

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Answer 2

If you have a 7-Way on both your trailer and tow vehicle you will first want to make sure that you have a brake controller, like the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 #90195. A brake controller is what is used to send power from the tow vehicle and tells the…

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Answer 3

There actually is no real difference. They have the same dimensions, fit the same applications, and are both double lip seals. Our part number for the 10-36 is the #RG06-070.

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Answer 4

Without knowing what brake controller you have I will venture to guess that the OL code you are seeing is an over load code. The OL or overload error code indicates a short in the brake output circuit. Start by examining the trailer connector. Make…

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Answer 5

I would check the magnets for wear before going on to test them with a meter. If the magnets show abnormal wear or if you can see the windings beginning to show through the friction surface of the magnet then they will need to be replaced. To further…

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Answer 6

When a trailer with electric brakes is connected to a vehicle that has a brake controller that brake controller is sensing the draw of the brake magnets by sending back a small amount of voltage on the blue wire. The brake controller also get's…

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Answer 7

For your Hopkins LED Breakaway Switch part #HM20059 the led indicator should only be lit when the breakaway pin is pulled, and should be solid. When the pin is inserted and the trailer hooked up it should not be on at all. If you do not have the…

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Answer 8

If you didn't have a battery used with your breakaway system there'd be nothing to power the brakes in the event of a disconnect so you couldn't use just a switch like the part #FA80-00-2040 by itself. You'd instead need to use a…

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Answer 9

In regards to the Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit part #20400, there are only two wires with the black being power so it should be run to the positive battery terminal and the blue being brake output so it should be run to the…

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Answer 10

On this page (typically below the product links) there is a helpful link section that will have the install instructions fo the Hopkins Breakaway kit part #20400 that you referenced. I also attached an install video that shows the kit installed as…

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Answer 11

Trailer brakes can definitely wear faster depending on the style of driving and the terrain, but that sounds like excessive wear. You should get way more than 3,000 miles out of a set of brakes. With your axles you must be using the 4,400 lb…

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Answer 12

The ohms of your brake magnets are fine but what is most likely going on is your Curt TriFlex #C51140 has an internal problem. Sometimes just unplugging it and plugging it back in fixes it as that resets it but other times the controller needs to be…

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What Ohms Should Trailer Brake Magnets Be?

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