BRAKES ON FIFTHWHEEL

He is a very highly recommended trailer expert so not sure what the problem was but he called me back and I am going there for adjustment of the brakes and for 4 new shocks, I noticed one was leaking so want all new. He balanced the tires(the guys who put them on 2 years ago did not balance them so things were bouncing around the back end of the rig, now smooth as silk but not having the brakes grab as I am accustomed to was disconcerting. Hopefully I have not burned up my truck brakes.

westend wrote:

Roger10378 wrote:
The brakes should have been adjusted correctly when installed, and you should have been told that they would need readjusting after a short trip. New brakes will always need a readjustment after they are burnished. I wouldn't have taken it on that long of a trip before the readjustment.

X2, this is your problem, the shoes were not set tight enough after replacement.

x3. I have always done my own brakes, and the new brakes have ALWAYS been superior to the old brakes, even right out of the box, when adjusted properly. I know what its like to have a big 5er that doesn't want to stop behind you, it can get scary, Im glad you got back safe. You might want to find a new mechanic, doesn't sound like this guy knows what hes doing.

I think you got a bum deal.

I cannot imagine all trailers being readjusted after the delivery from the factory.

matter of fact I picked up my flatbed from the factory and never readjusted the brakes since they always worked great.

I think the "tech" is yanking your chain, and using time to his advantage.

I thought I had heard just about everything, But this has to be a new low!!!! anyone that would tell you to bring it back after taking a trip, when you're telling them something isn't right with the brake's Are all you people crazy!! Brakes are brakes, sure they are new! that should be a good thing right away, NOT "OH DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT THEY WON"T BE WORTH A******UNTILL YOU GO ON A TRIP WITH YOUR FAMILY AND IF YOU MAKE IT BACK OK WE CAN RE-ADJUST THEM FOR YOU!!!! if it isn't stopping like you Know it should after a new brake job I am all for readjustment after break-in. but for anyone to give advice, the man is saying something is wrong PROBABLLY SOMETHING IS WRONG

Roger10378 wrote:
The brakes should have been adjusted correctly when installed, and you should have been told that they would need readjusting after a short trip. New brakes will always need a readjustment after they are burnished. I wouldn't have taken it on that long of a trip before the readjustment.

X2, this is your problem, the shoes were not set tight enough after replacement.

The brakes should have been adjusted correctly when installed, and you should have been told that they would need readjusting after a short trip. New brakes will always need a readjustment after they are burnished. I wouldn't have taken it on that long of a trip before the readjustment.

Brand new trailer brakes need to be barished in. I've only had to replace trailer brakes once out of my 4 trailers and that was due to cracking not wear. Believe it or not but you need to drive down the road several miles alternately activating the trailer brakes manually to wear them in. Lightly applied for some distance and then heavy applied for a few hundred feet (heat them up). Makes a huge difference.

However your description of full power with little braking seems like the brakes aren't properly adjusted either. I went from needing around 9 on the prodigy to get good breaking to 6 to have great breaking once Barnished in.

The controller is on B3, and when I went 25 mph and put on the lever at 6amps or volts (not sure) it did NOTHING so turned up the controller to the highest and still does very little. He told me to take a trip and then bring back for the brakes to be adjusted. I went 450 miles roundtrip and on highway I had a HUGE space between us and the one in front of us due to the brakes. I feel the truck brakes are doing 99% of the work. Surely hope that the adjustment of brakes will work. I have had a Prodigy before and LOVED it so I think it is the brakes not the controller. I did blow out my brake line last year so could they have done something on my truck that would affect the electric of the controller and rig brakes? I surely agree that the brakes should have been adjusted BEFORE I took the fiver out of there !!!!

He should have adjusted the brakes immediately after replacing them.

If the brake controller is set at a higher number and you have little braking power from the trailer brakes, I would not tow it very far without him readjusting the brakes. It should hold better than that, even if they are new.