I just bought a used trailer with brakes on both axels. I spent the weekend rewiring everything because the wiring was a mess. The brakes were not working either. Now the brakes work but not real well. I have the Tekonsha P3 controller and when I manually apply the full voltage to the brakes when trying to adjust them, I can only get one brake to lock up at full voltage. The brake pads are all good and everything looks to be in the same condition (a little rusty) as the one brake that locks up. Any ideas why the other three brakes are not working as well as the one I can lock up? Is there an adjustment that I can make in the brake itself?

I appreciate any help of suggests you can provide as I have run out of ideas of what to try other than to start replacing magnets.

The brakes need to be adjusted!! look to see if their is a slot on the bottom of the backing plate. If it does, use a brake spoon or flat blade screwdriver, adjust the brakes tell they drag slighty!! If no aduster slot, you will have to take the drum off to adjust. After you get them adjusted you may have to use them for awhile before they work right. electric trailer brakes adusted too loose will lock up easy. good luck.

What's inside http://dexteraxle.com/i/u/1080235/f/6-8k_cat_4-07/12x2_in._Brakes.pdf

And how to adjust and inspect, page 2 http://i.b5z.net/i/u/1080235/f/Instruction_Sheets/059-045-00B.pdf


If it's new to you, simply pull the spindle cap, cotter pin, washer, and nut, then remove the drum and wheel assy to see what's going on. Seasoned brake assy's tend to have the lining fall off, the actuator levers gall into place, and the adjusters freeze from corrosion. Before spending a lot of time and effort, most LOADED E-brake assy's are under $65 and include magnets, shoes and hardware. All you'll need then is grease, grease seals, and cotter pins to finish and restore your trailer's brakes.

Which way do I turn the adjustment? Do I push the brakes out or pull them in (if that makes sense). I tried it tonight and pushed them out several turns but it did not seem to help any.

This trailer set for several years I think and it looks pretty rusty in there. It may be to rusty for them to work properly although there is a lot of brake pad left. I hate to buy new if I can get mine to work.

I have 7k axels, where is the cheapest place to look for prices for a brake kit?

Not sure on prices, etrailer.com would be a start. Being you rewired and the pads are good, maybe the magnets aren't working. Check the face (bolt pattern area) inside the drum. Is it rusty or grooved? Then the magnets are not activating properly. Do you have a good ground?

Which way do I turn the adjustment? Do I push the brakes out or pull them in (if that makes sense). I tried it tonight and pushed them out several turns but it did not seem to help any.

This trailer set for several years I think and it looks pretty rusty in there. It may be to rusty for them to work properly although there is a lot of brake pad left. I hate to buy new if I can get mine to work.

I have 7k axels, where is the cheapest place to look for prices for a brake kit?
Expanding them is the way to adjust.
Redneck-trailer.com is where all my trailer brake junk comes from, lowest prices around.

This'll help identify http://www.redneck-trailer.com/2009/C/C3-C8.pdf

Not sure on prices, etrailer.com would be a start. Being you rewired and the pads are good, maybe the magnets aren't working. Check the face (bolt pattern area) inside the drum. Is it rusty or grooved? Then the magnets are not activating properly. Do you have a good ground?

I have checked the magnets, they are working. I can hear them hum when I apply the brakes. I can also see where they have rubbed the drum. It may be so rusty in there that when the magnet grabs, other things aren't moving like they are supposed to. The ground is going back through the RV connector and is also grounded to the trailer.

Expanding them is the way to adjust.
Redneck-trailer.com is where all my trailer brake junk comes from, lowest prices around.

This'll help identify http://www.redneck-trailer.com/2009/C/C3-C8.pdf

I turned it quite a bit, how do you know when to stop?

I turned it quite a bit, how do you know when to stop?
Same as a car drum, 'til the tire won't hand spin anymore, THEN backoff 8 notches.
Once again, if you have to ask, simply remove the wheel and drum as an assembly and inspect. It's amazing the neat things that you'll see or find in there.

X2 Heymccall has you on the right track!

You need to remove all the wheels -- the bearings should be repacked before you tow it! :D

Same as a car drum, 'til the tire won't hand spin anymore, THEN backoff 8 notches.
Once again, if you have to ask, simply remove the wheel and drum as an assembly and inspect. It's amazing the neat things that you'll see or find in there.

Unfortunately, I have to have it apart to make the adjustment. There is a slot on the back of the back plate but the springs are in the way so I can not get to it.

I see a lot or rust in there! I may take the pressure washer to it and see what I can blow out of there.

That drum is HEAVY!

Thanks for your help.

Unfortunately, I have to have it apart to make the adjustment. There is a slot on the back of the back plate but the springs are in the way so I can not get to it.

I see a lot or rust in there! I may take the pressure washer to it and see what I can blow out of there.

That drum is HEAVY!

Thanks for your help.
The spring rides against the adjuster to prevent vibrations from backing it off. Using an adjuster spoon, simply lift the spring as you engage the teeth on the adjuster.

As for the drum being heavy, AGAIN, jack that axle off the ground, remove the dust cap, cotter pin or lock assy, followed by the nut and washer and outer bearing, and then REMOVE the tire, wheel, and drum as an assy.

How heavy can it be??? I just "inspected" one of mine with 215/75R17.5 18plies, and it wasn't that bad.

And, maybe I'm a little slow, BUT in post #4 you typed I tried it tonight and pushed them out several turns but it did not seem to help any.
yet in this post you typed Unfortunately, I have to have it apart to make the adjustment. There is a slot on the back of the back plate but the springs are in the way so I can not get to it.
What am I missing????????

Brakes are the second single most important safety item on any vehicle. You're the 1st.

Sorry, I should have said the trailer springs are in the way so I can not get to the slot on the back plate to make the adjustment. The trailer springs block the slot. I have to remove the tire and the drum each time. It just takes a bit of time to do.

I sure thought my tires/rims felt heavy. These are the biggest tires on steel 16.5" rims I have ever seen on a trailer. These are every bit as big as the 315/70 r17's on my truck and maybe wider. Or, maybe I am weak!

I don't think I will get around to messing with the brakes tonight but maybe by the weekend I will have it done.

I was able to do some work on the brakes this weekend. I took the pressure washer and blew all of the rust out of there, it cleaned things up pretty well. I oiled all the joints, cleaned and repacked the bearings and adjusted the brakes. I put everything back together and they still don't work any better than they did.

I can see where the magnets are rubbing the side of the drum and I applied something metal to them to verify they are all working. Is it possible that maybe they have lost some of their magnitizm or maybe they have been replaced at some time and the person didn't put the right size magnet back on?

The magnets are round but when I looked online for replacement magnets for 7k axles, they have been more oval shaped. Is there a way to test to verify the magnets are the right size?

Thanks,
Jason

Trailers with oversize tires take a lot more force to stop, just like a truck with oversize tires. Most trailer brakes are marginal at best! IMHO

They use electro magnets and are not magnets without power to them. The only test I know of is to hold a piece of metal to them while the power is activated.

They make an offset brake spoon that also has bend in it to adjust the trailer brakes---- or you can make one from a screwdriver by heating and bending it.

Maybe I am expecting too much from them then. I don't know what the trailer weighs but I know it is very heavy. Maybe the brakes will never stop it well. That is what I am trying to find out because I sure don't want to spend $300 on a complete brake kit just to find out that it was no better than what I had.

My father in-law has a huge 5th wheel camper and he said he can lock the brakes up on it. That was what I was going by with mine. I figured it should weigh more than my trailer unloaded.

When I apply the manual override on the P3 brake controller and do not touch the truck brakes, I would expect the trailer to stop the truck a lot quicker than it does. Again, maybe I am expecting too much.

In a gravel parking lot, you should be able to lock the trailer brakes up using the manual overide.

Each round magnet is now replaced with an oval one. It is merely a production update. It should be the same style on each side of a single axle.

The magnets can be tested with an ohmmeter for resistance of less than 4.0 ohms (I can get an exact number if necessary). They are essentially a near dead-short and most failures of the magnets involve an "open" circuit within. Bad and there will be no continuity of the wiring through the magnet. They really don't lose their magnetism.

Where the magnet rests on the actuator arm, it has a spring behind it and should "float". Failure to "float" will result in poor brake application at that brake, as the magnet must reach (and grab) the drum's inner face for friction.

With the drum off, manually swinging the actuator arm should result in the spreading of the shoes at the top pivot point. And release of the arm should result in complete retraction of the shoes.

And trailer brakes do grab harder once warmed up (not a lot, but a little harder).

Does a P3 controller have a "number of axles" switch like my Tekonshas (mine have a L-M-H switch on the side).

In a gravel parking lot, you should be able to lock the trailer brakes up using the manual overide.

Each round magnet is now replaced with an oval one. It is merely a production update. It should be the same style on each side of a single axle.

The magnets can be tested with an ohmmeter for resistance of less than 4.0 ohms (I can get an exact number if necessary). They are essentially a near dead-short and most failures of the magnets involve an "open" circuit within. Bad and there will be no continuity of the wiring through the magnet. They really don't lose their magnetism.

Where the magnet rests on the actuator arm, it has a spring behind it and should "float". Failure to "float" will result in poor brake application at that brake, as the magnet must reach (and grab) the drum's inner face for friction.

With the drum off, manually swinging the actuator arm should result in the spreading of the shoes at the top pivot point. And release of the arm should result in complete retraction of the shoes.

And trailer brakes do grab harder once warmed up (not a lot, but a little harder).

Does a P3 controller have a "number of axles" switch like my Tekonshas (mine have a L-M-H switch on the side).

One point to add, if the magnets are moving correctly, the inside of the hub should be shiny from the magnet rub.

One other thing to do, in the event the brakes are glazed over is to run a bit of sandpaper in the hub at a 45* angle. You can also run it over the shoes to rough them up a bit.

I almost forgot about deglazing drum brakes. :)

Good luck and let us know.