Brake problems

Adjust the brake shoes.

You can check the brakes by using the emergency brake switch instead of the truck umbilical.

Don't leave the pin out for any long length of time but if you carry a compass around to the axles, and if the magnets are powered, it should swing the compass needle. If you have the wheels off the ground, you can also turn a wheel to check shoe->drum contact.

As was mentioned, adjustment is key to good brake operation.

BTW, the Ford brake controller is an inertial controller, i.e. truck needs to be moving for the brake pedal to send power to the umbilical.

If manually applying the brakes via the lever on the the controller makes them work satisfactory, then that suggests the controller itself isn't working right in its normal mode.

You say new install so the first things that come to mind are, brakes not broken in, not adjusted correctly, axles installed backward. Trailer brakes do very little if they are rotating backward. Brakes have to be seated in for a few miles with a number of stops and readjusted to do much.

I just adjusted up brakes and I called Dexter who said they need to break in but u have me wondering about axles being backwards, I installed with the tags facing back like my old ones, have to check into that, also Dexter said Truck has to be moving before brakes will work but the lever brake will work anytime? I didn't know that. Is there a way to tell about the axles without taking off the hubs?
Thanks for the reply.

wvbike_99 wrote:
. So jacked up wheel and lever will stop wheel but when brake petal is applied nothing, moved to next axle and same result?

not supposed to. IF the brake controller is an inertia based controller. The TV, and TT have to be moving for the brakes to be applied thru the brake pedal. Now if it is a Prodigy, and you have the boost set to 3. The brakes will apply for a instant, until the BC figures out the TV is not moving, then it will release.

The lever of course over rides, and sends power to the brakes. But the TV pedal won't. An inertia controller senses how fast the TV is decelerating, and sends the correct amount of power to the TT brakes to mirror the TV deceleration. No TV deceleration, No power is sent. No brakes needed.

When I operate my brakes going backwards, they grab HARD even with the lightest brake input. I think you will know it if they're that way.

Now if it is a Prodigy,

I had a Prodigy on my last truck so I thought they would stop the wheel when I had it jacked up, I have adjusted the brakes tighter and am hoping when they get a few more stops on them they will be ok, Thanks for the help from all of you.

westend wrote:


BTW, the Ford brake controller is an inertial controller, i.e. truck needs to be moving for the brake pedal to send power to the umbilical.

No the Ford controller is not a stupid inertial controller, it senses brake fluid pressure so that the trailer brakes does what you foot wants them to do. Ford did program the controller so that it provides very little braking at very slow speeds to prevent jerking. The trailer brakes need to be tested while driving.

For proper adjustment and operation of Ford brake controller READ YOUR OWNERS MANUAL.