Electric Trailer Brakes on 25,000 Pound Trailer are Weak

Question:

i have a trl with 2 16k rockwell axles this trl is about 25k lbs, i have replaced shoes and magnuts and have cut out all the scotchlocks but they just dont stop very well still. i have 11.5 volts at the brake wire stud on j biox with brakes applied and 10v at the farthest away brake right rear i have checked some of my other trl and they only have 9v or so and work fine. i was thinking about running all my grounds straight to the frame at each wheel would this be ok to do. thanks.

asked by: David C

Expert Reply:

Ideally the magnet ground wires should be attached near the magnets so attaching them to the frame at the wheels would be a good idea. Just make sure there is enough slack to account for the movement of the suspension.

You may need to adjust the brakes. Electric brakes have an adjustment wheel at the back, bottom of the assemblies. Use a screwdriver to turn the wheel until the pads are adjusted out and you have a slight but constant drag of the pad on the drum when the wheel is turned.

Also, make sure that the brake controller output is set high enough. On a trailer that weighs 25,000 pounds, you will likely need an aggressive power output setting on the controller.

It is also possible that the magnets themselves need to be replaced. You can visually inspect the magnets and if you can see the copper windings coming through the magnets will need to be replaced. To further test the magnets you can follow the help article I have linked.

expert reply by: Michael H