My brakes only work well when reversing

[guyrien]

Episode 5 of the Great Brake Saga

Recall I bought a 2013 1640 Rockwood LTD. It's a small 1300 pound popup with just 7 inch diameter hubs and small electrical brakes.

Both sides shorted out and thanks to this group I replaced both magnets.

Test #1 - I jack up each wheel separately and apply the brake controller at 100% after getting the wheel to spin. They not only stop the wheel within 0.5 second, I can't tun either wheel forward even with both hands.

Test #2 - I pull the trailer with my dolly and apply the brakes. I feel resistance but can pull through it fairly easily and get the wheel going again.

Test #3 I push the trailer with my dolly (i.e. trailer going in reverse) and apply the brakes. I feel resistance and CANNOT push the trailer backwards despite leaning hard into it.

The only caveat is when I pull I am on a slight (2 degree) inclination downhill.

Do I need to adjust the brakes more or is there something wrong with the brake set up that they work great in reverse but not when going forward.

 

[guyrien]

I will add. I did find this old post from 10+ years ago with the same problem.

I can confirm that my brakes are on the correct side.

Brakes only work in reverse????

I have my new running gear installed. Only problem is the brakes work MUCH better in reverse. With the controller on max (13 volts), from a 15 MPH roll the trailer will just barely stop the truck in about 150 yds. But in reverse, the truck can't move the trailer at all, no matter how much...

www.popupportal.com

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

Duplicate post?? - we had another long thread on the much the same subject recently (weak electric braking)

 

[guyrien]

Thanks Andrew. Can you give me a to the post you think is most relevant to mine? When I did a search. The only poster that I came up with is the one I linked to in my second post

 

[johneliot]

Trailer brakes were never meant to stop a tow vehicle. Just the trailer. If you’re using a dolly to push the trailer and the brakes stop the trailer, they are doing what they should do. Let’s talk physics!

https://www.etrailer.com/question-134087.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqdd12k8NVBjGE1d_L-Q-c1b61ewiLq60ancpFhqUYHGApVn9Mb

 

[guyrien]

@johneliot Thanks for the response. Maybe I wasn't clear. When I push the trailer in reverse (with the dolly) the brakes stop the trailer and I can't push any more. But when I pull the dolly forward the brakes engage and I can feel them but then I can still pull the trailer forward fairly easily. Why would the trailer brakes be more effective in reverse?

I also should emphasize again I'm applying the brakes by holding down the manual brake button in the Curt app but I'm not sure why that's an issue.

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

guyrien - you were perfectly clear. It seems like a very odd situation.

 

[johneliot]

I assume that they were originally working fine before they shorted out. Is that correct?

 

[Central Coaster]

Though I can not explain it in technically correct jargon, trailer (and all) shoe-and-drum brake shoes, are designed to work in the forward direction. The way I recall it is that they have a fulcrum and spring set up that pushes the shoe against the drum at an eccentric angle, thus preventing one end of the shoe from binding on the drum surface. I may not be explaining it correctly, however, the crux of the matter is that when spinning the wheel in reverse, the shoes will almost always bind. Only adjust brake shoe wheels, turning the wheel in the forward direction.

A side note, as other posts have pointed out, do not expect trailer brakes to stop or even heavily slow a moving tow vehicle and trailer combination. They are not designed for that or they would be much larger than your tow vehicle brakes. Like massive! The most important check to know if your trailer brakes are adequate and properly set with the controller is to drive the combination a few miles (maybe 10 or 15) in normal tow situations. Then, pull over and "feel" the temperature of the wheel center hub and the wheel and tire. They should be warm, but NOT too hot to touch. And, of course, do NOT touch any parts with your hand UNTIL you have verified (with the back of your hand, close to the wheel) that they are not too hot touch.

 

[brettstoner]

The amount of braking force your trailer can generate is a function of its condition, size of brakes, and weight on the axle. How did the drums and shoes look? Were the shoes and/or drums glazed at all? If so replace them. Hook up trailer to truck and fully apply the brake controller. What is the amps and voltage at each brake magnet? You should be getting around 2.5 amps for 7" brakes per side and full 12v. Make sure the wiring is at least 12 gauge to ensure it can carry sufficient amps. Make sure brakes are properly adjusted. (Jack up wheel, crank it down until wheel is very hard to turn by hand, then back off until you have a slight drag). Then go burnish the brakes by making 20-30 light to moderate brake applications from 40 mph down to 20 mph. Don't get them hot and don't do them back to back. Give a little bit of time to cool down between applications. Goal is to embed the friction material from the brake shoes into the drum without overheating it. If you have auto-adjusting brakes they may adjust as well.

 

[dbbyleo]

Oops

 

[guyrien]

Though I can not explain it in technically correct jargon, trailer (and all) shoe-and-drum brake shoes, are designed to work in the forward direction. The way I recall it is that they have a fulcrum and spring set up that pushes the shoe against the drum at an eccentric angle, thus preventing one end of the shoe from binding on the drum surface. I may not be explaining it correctly, however, the crux of the matter is that when spinning the wheel in reverse, the shoes will almost always bind. Only adjust brake shoe wheels, turning the wheel in the forward direction.

So you solved the "problem" I mentioned in the title right? It seems my brakes are not adjusted so not gripping when moving forward but my default grip great when going backwards.

A side note, as other posts have pointed out, do not expect trailer brakes to stop or even heavily slow a moving tow vehicle and trailer combination. T

Sure, but my Test #2 is unusual isn't it. Should I really be able to pull thru the brakes with a dolly? How much resistance should I feel when pulling with a dolly? If it helps, I'm what Arnold Schwarzenegger would call a "girlie man"

 

[Sjm9911]

They are not ment to stop the TV or dolly, they are just to slow the weight of the camper to keep it off the TV backside. Addtionally, if it comes off the hitch it will slow the camper untill it stops. Pull through means your pulling it on a downward slope. Yes, I can easily see small breaks on a 1500 lb pop up not able to stop you. Try it on the TV. Stop with and without the breakes engaged. At a slow speed. You will see the difference.

 

[bluespruce]

If you haven’t gone through the burnishing/break in procedure and the brakes haven’t been adjusted and readjusted then you aren’t done with the install yet. But, you’ve passed the first test which is the brakes getting current and activating.

I had brand new breaks on a brand new trailer I built. They did not work well on the first test drive. Very concerning to me. Then I readjusted them and found a YouTube trailer guy that explained burnishing and adjusting. Followed that procedure and now they work great.



And his video on burnishing brakes



You are on the right track. Just a few more steps to go.