Navy7797

I just got my 1st 5er toy hauler 32 ft, so now its time to get it all fixed up.
1st thing I need to do is improve the brakes. I adjusted the shoes till they just rubbed the drums and that helped but they still won't lock up on pavement only on dirt and not all of them. Shouldn't they be able to lock up on dry pavement like a smaller trailor? Can the magnets in the drums become weak ? The shoes are old (2001) but still have about 1/2 the thickness. My controller locks up my 6x12 cargo trailor at 2 on the scale and it goes all the way to 9 with the 5er and no lock up. Not enough amps maybe ? It felt ok under normal driving conditions but you never know what can happen in front of you at any minute.
Also what tires are you guys running, I blew 2 bringing it home , they had a load range of E and were built the 34 week of 08, maybe just to much sitting around ? It sat for over a year. Replaced all of them with new ones.
Any thoughts are welcomed.
thanks gordy

rich

yea the magnets can get weak.

Jeff in TD

Regarding drum brakes, if you adjust them out until they drag, they may not be adjusted out far enough.

Run the adjuster out until it becomes very difficult to turn the tire/wheel forward by hand. This will center the shoes in the drum. Then back the adjuster off until the tire/wheel spins freely, plus about another 3/4 of a rotation. You will likely still hear scuffing, as the magnet skiffs along the armature.

I would highly suggest repacking the wheel bearings with some good synthetic grease that meets NLGI GC-LB, and new seals.

Both Dexter and Al-Ko have very nice downloadable pdf manuals for free.

Under "Service Information" select complete service manual.

http://www.dexteraxle.com/products___literature

And here, just click on "Owner's Manual".


http://www.al-kousa.com/

It is worth it to save both to your hard drive.

A really good brake controller, like the pressure proportional type (Max Brake, and Brakesmart) really make towing and stopping a lot more pleasant and smoother.

WestTN

You don't really want the brakes to lock on pavement. That leads to jackknifing. It also leads to LONGER stopping distance.

Jeff in TD

Yeah, I presume he turned the controller on max briefly just to make sure the brakes work.

Tire wise, I had one explode on the 30' 5th wheel I used to have. They were 15" trailer tires. After that, I saw that the tire mfg recommended running them at max PSI at all times. I'd been running around 73 psi since they weren't heavily loaded, and after I started keeping them at 80 psi I never lost another.

My current rig had 16" LT Wranglers, load range E. I replaced them due to age (all 7 stock tires were present, so they must have done well). I went with 235/85 16 Geostars in load range G. Overkill I'm sure, but having tires running well under their load capacity is probably worth a few extra bucks.

I can't run them at their max 110 psi, as the wheels are only rated for 80 psi.

Dieselbuilder

The other thing to look at is not just brake drum surface but magnet surface to see it's not grooved so bad as they will not grab to apply the brakes and if the magnets are grooved to bad they need to be replaced. at that stage it's cheaper to buy backing plate assemblies as they are cheaper way to go,you still need to have both surfaces turned on the drum

Navy7797

Thanks for the input guys. No I don't want the brakes to lock up, but I do like to feel the trailer pulling back on the truck some when I OVER adjust the controller. Right now at full seting it seems to be just enough to slow normally.
I have yet to have to stop in a hurry, I hate the "I being pushed down the road feeling "
I think I'll install new shoes and turn the drums just enough to clean the surface, they have no grooves, maybe glazed a little.
My controller puts out 9-10 amps at full manual position is that enough ?
The hauler weights 8k dry, 12300 max.
Thanks again

etn550

Not sure how your numbers relate but the controllers ability to relay max current and the wiring harness resistance can sometimes limit braking capacity. Strong controller and big wire.

Jeff in TD

Magnets for 10 and 12" drums should draw 3.0 amps at 12 volts (each magnet). Each magnet should read around 3.2 ohms on a meter. While you are at it, you might check to make sure there is no continuity between either lead on the magnet, and the body of the magnet (verify no short to the housing/ground).

If the drums aren't chewed up and the diameter is OK, to me it would be a waste to replace them. If they are glazed, you can hit them with some crocus cloth, or a course brush on a drill motor. (wear a respirator).

Likewise with the shoes, they can be cleaned up with crocus cloth. I like to avoid sand paper, as bits of abrasive are prone to come off.

It sounds to me like the controller might not be applying full voltage, or there may be a poor connection at the plug or the trailer's wiring.

It would be useful to take a voltage reading at one of the magnets when applying the brake fully.

Navy7797

Thanks Jeff, I'll check out the ohm's and voltage of the brakes mags.

Rednax

Upgrading to disc brakes is worth every penny. Less maintenance, more reliable, better performance.

In the meantime, consider upgrading to DEXTER Self-Adjusting brakes:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/23458294.cfm

And, upgrade wiring:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/23470880.cfm

Truck power supply upgrade:

("JELAG" on TurboDieselRegister.com, a fleet business owner with DODGE one-tons and a variety of trailers):

"We tow several trailers and have run a 8 gauge wire from the battery to the trailer connector in place of the factory 12+ wire... we've also installed an 8 gauge ground... at the truck battery we have a 40 amp fuse.... from the male trailer plug we've used the same gauge wiring to power the battery and keep it charged...

On all our trailers we draw off the trailer batteries with a group of relays... using the 12+ as power to the relays and run clearance, turn, and backup lights from these relays... we have 50 watt bulbs for backups on the trailers...

We use the power from the truck through the trailer connector as the trigger for the relays....

Since I own several trucks and several trailers this was a task... but in the long run we've had fewer problems.

If you look at the actual diameter of the wire going to the factory connector I can't see how it can carry the kind of current they expect in a modern trailer... power to the battery, lights, etc...

We've had problems with trailer brake circuits in the past with some of the wiring going through the axle from one side to the other.... the wire can chafe on the inside of the axle and cause high current and blown fuses... so on all our trailers we have a trailer junction box, and wiring to the trailer axles that is outside the tube....

We also use non-insulated butt connectors and shrink tubing.... we buy from Del City - Wiring Products and Professional Electrical Supplies a clear heat shrink tube that has an adhesive on the inside like what is used on water wells... this is a waterproof connection....

We understand and use ohm's law and the use of a digital meter...

Your brake controller should be fine... its the connections that worry me...."

roughstock

One thing to look at is the pivot arms that the magnets ride on. Some times, the point where they pivot, loose their grease and seize up, espically on trailers that sit for long periods of time. some will freeze up completely, others will have a small amount of travel and will let you think u have brakes, but u will have very weak brakes.
That has been a problem for some camper trailers, that only get used a few times in the summer then sit for 8 months till is time for summer vacation again.

johnh

i have a 28 foot fiver i bought new in 98, i never was able to lock up the brakes....the weight of the trailer is too much