Anyone upgrade brake wiring - does it improve braking?

spike99 wrote:
For all my boat, utility and RV trailers, I always remove their factory sequential "inside axle tube" wiring and replace with safer / much better STAR design using thicker 10 gauge wiring. IMO, this should be minimum factory build on all trailers. Perhaps one day it will be. Is there a difference? YES. If doing axle re-position or other suspension maintenance, I'd convert to STAR design at same time. It's well worth it..

Factory default (before): - click here -

After:

Did the same thing on my 30' fifthwheel toyhauler. Night and day difference in braking ability after it was done. Before mod - could barely skid tires on gravel with brake controller on high boost and high gain. After mod - no need for high boost or gain settings plus brakes work very well. The icing on the cake was the MaxBrake controller.

C Schomer wrote:
I thought about that but 2-14s = the same currant capacity of 1-10 and I eliminated the drop from the 18 ga in the axle. I now have full voltage and perfectly equal V/As to each magnet. What's better than that? Craig

While the 2x14 ga might give the same current capacity it how ever does not compare to TWO 10 ga pairs.

On top of that is eliminating any and all unneeded splices and even wire path. My first TT had not one or two splices but THREE factory crimp splices IN THE WEATHER (all connections at the splices were shot). That was before it ever made it to the axle splices, seems the factory decided to use up the odds and ends laying on the floor with my TT.

The goal here is to IMPROVE reliability along with braking power.

Newer vehicles with IBC can and will rebel with bad wiring, often giving false disconnects.

My point however is if you went to the trouble of running new 14 ga wire just for one side it would not have been any more trouble just to run new 10 ga for both sides... Each to his own though...

I thought about that but 2-14s = the same currant capacity of 1-10 and I eliminated the drop from the 18 ga in the axle. I now have full voltage and perfectly equal V/As to each magnet. What's better than that? Craig

C Schomer wrote:
My 14-2 ran down the lt. side and the rt. brakes were wearing much less cuz of the drop thru the tiny wire in the axle tube. I ran another 14-2 down the rt. side so both side get the same voltage. It helped knowing it's done right more than it helped the braking. Craig

While you can simply run additional 14 ga wire it really is more worth the effort to scrap the original 14 wire and upgrade to 10ga or even 8ga wire. It REALLY makes a difference. Besides you are already running new wire, why not fix it the right way.

My 14-2 ran down the lt. side and the rt. brakes were wearing much less cuz of the drop thru the tiny wire in the axle tube. I ran another 14-2 down the rt. side so both side get the same voltage. It helped knowing it's done right more than it helped the braking. Craig

Thanks everyone for your input. Sounds like a good mod to make. Unfortunately tonight scraped up a car in the parking lot so will have to pay for the damages I'm afraid. So sounds like this mod will have to wait again.

Haven't done it on the FW but upgraded the Tri-Axle 18k# GVWR gooseneck horse trailer wiring to 8ga, STAR configeration, and outside axle wiring runs. Made a huge difference in stopping that heavy SOB. The FW brakes currently work fine so haven't bothered yet but first good excuse and I'll do it too.

I like this distribution network - this would be worth the effort for me...

Roy Ken

NOTE: Actually I have already run 3/4-inch FLEX PVC conduit down the inside of one frame across the rear axle and back up to the fron running along the other frame... Shown in BLUE here... This was to protect my 12VDC wiring from being drug off when back off the beaten roads in the underbrush on my trailer. I added the BRAKE runs inside the the conduit already but didnt do any beefing up of it...


Would be pretty easy to install some outside two cond 10-gauge boat wires to the brake magnets... Might have to install one more PVC junction box... I like the idea of running the GROUND wiring as well. Mine is only running the POSITIVE wire from the 7-way Brake junction Box... Ground is frame ground.

GDETRAILER - My POPUP only has two BRAKE MAGNETS so my setting is 5-6 on my brake controller - plenty of adj room. With four brake magnets I can see where it would help more...
...

For all my boat, utility and RV trailers, I always remove their factory sequential "inside axle tube" wiring and replace with safer / much better STAR design using thicker 10 gauge wiring. IMO, this should be minimum factory build on all trailers. Perhaps one day it will be. Is there a difference? YES. If doing axle re-position or other suspension maintenance, I'd convert to STAR design at same time. It's well worth it..

Factory default (before): - click here -

After:

Our former moderator LAdams did just that. You can see his excellent post, complete with installation pictures here.

Here is another one done by our own master pictorial essay instructor JBarca. :B

Both of them report much improved braking performance plus more reliable service from their brakes.
Barney