The Electric Brakes on a Tandem Axle Gooseneck Trailer Work but Not Well

Question

Question:

Ive got a 2004 24foot Kaufman Gooseneck trailer with two 7K axles, single tires on each hub. The electric brakes work but not well. I have a Brakesmart brake controller in my 04 6.0 F350 and it works my other two goosenecks fine. A buddy of mine has a newer 6.7 with the factory Ford controller and it didnt make a difference on the braking power. A guy I know told me to lift the side of the trailer up, spin the tires and have somebody press the brake button in the vehicle. Each tire would stop when doing this which means the brakes are working but when you actually hook it to the truck it becomes a different situation. You can tell the brakes with a load try to work but just dont have that great stopping power or lockup ability if you had the gain all the way up. Running the gain all of the way up now, its really hard to tell the brakes are working when you press the brake button on the controller in. You might feel a little grab but that is it. Ive also adjusted the brakes and that hasnt made a difference. The brake shoes do look good though and do not seem wore that bad. My 04 Ford doesnt have the greatest of brakes anyway since they made them better on the 05s and up, but it causes me to rely on the truck braking more when trying to stop with a load when pulling the trailer. I would use the trailer more if the brakes worked better to pull my lighter loads so if you have any ideas or pointers, then that would be great because I am at a loss. Thanks

asked by: Charlie K

0

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you have done quite a bit of troubleshooting already. Before we dive any deeper, I would recommend checking all of the ground connections for the brake assemblies. Make sure each brake assembly is grounded to a clean bare surface on the trailer frame. A weak ground connection on any of the assemblies can cause problems. I would also test the electric brake wire to make sure you are getting full voltage to the brake magnets. Your brake controller should be putting out about 12 volts, but by the time it reaches the brakes, it may be more like 11. If you have low voltage, like 5 or 6 volts, then that would be one possible cause of your problem. The brake magnets need more voltage.

Another area I would look at is the brake magnets themselves. Look at the face of the magnets. If you see any of the copper windings, it may be time to replace them. I have attached a help article that explains how you can test the brake magnets to make sure they are working properly.

If the brake magnet looks worn, I would also recommend checking the armature surface on the hub (see photo). If the armature surface is worn to the point where you see grooves or other issues, you may want to replace the hubs because they will wear down the new brake magnets.

If you do not already have them, a few tools that I would recommend for troubleshooting is a multimeter, like part # PT89ZR, and a circuit tester, like part # PTW2992. If you are not able to solve the problem or find the problem after following these steps, let me know what you come up with and we can take further steps.

expert reply by: John H

0