brake magnets

[625fireman]

i am having trouble with my trailer brakes...... I pulled the magnets out and hooked them directly (one at a time ) to the controller and they pull into a plate of steel but I can pull them off with some effort, but they will not grab hard enough to make the brakes work. Are my magnets too weak or do I need to look at something else???

 

[trouttrooper]

I would say chances are the magnets are fine. Make sure your grounds are all good and you don't have any cracks or breaks in the hot wires running to the brakes. If you don't have good grounds then you won't get much power to the magnets. Also make sure all the moving parts aren't rusted up.

Also, not to sound insulting but make sure the gain on your controller isn't on the lowest setting.

Is this a recent problem or has it been like this for awhile?

 

[625fireman]

All moving parts are freed up just did all that. I just put the controller in the truck. I have had the trailer for 10 years know never used the brakes before. Now I am using the trailer weekly I really need to use the brakes. The gain and ramp are at the highest setting. When I had the mags out I wired them to the trailer plug and controller worked them fine I was just wondering how hard I sould have to pull on them to pull them off by hand, because they wont grab the drum hard enough to engage the brakes. Grounds should be OK I just rewired the trailer. The mags pull off about as hard as 6x9 speaker does.

 

[trouttrooper]

Do you have access to another truck with a controller to see if it's a trailer or truck issue??

 

[JiFaire]

The magnets NEED to slide some, otherwise your wheels would lock. There should be enough leverage on teh cam to fully engage the brakes when power is fully applied, though.

Make sure you have enough amperage going TO and FROM the controller, and (as has been mentioned) that your grounds are good.

 

[dmaxx3500]

are the brake shoes adjusted up so theres not alot of play?

 

[625fireman]

Sorry didn't keep up on this. I took the wheel assem. apart again and talked to the local trailer sales guys...... They said the problem was prolly the the drum face where the mags grab. He said to clean them up good and give it a try.........Viola wire wheel on the the drums and we are good to go. Thanks for the input everyone.