Electric brakes

Gdetrailer wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
It might not like old magnets mixed with new. I would’ve just replaced all 4 at the same time!

:R

Brake controller doesn't know and doesn't care what brake magnets are attached, how new or old they are, what brand or color, big, fat ugly nor what day you installed them, time of day, temperature they were installed, if they were installed upside down, inside out or sideways..

OPs issue is commonly an electrical connection issue which may have been user induced when replacing the magnets.

Op just needs to start looking at the work they did to verify their electrical connections they made are solid since the problem they now have started after they cut and spliced..

On edit..

Some controllers will disconnect/shutdown output if a short is detected, some will show a error which indicates short.. Don't know what the OPs brake controller is but guessing it may be one that disconnects on short.

If OPs controller is one that disconnects on a short then they need to check the magnet wires inside the brake drum to make sure the wires did not get pinched to the point of bare wire touching metal..

If OP finds a bare magnet wire, they can black tape it and then reroute the wires so they can no longer get tangled up in the mechanical parts.

Yes, and your edit is what I was saying about mixing old with new! It gets even pickier on new trucks with the built in brake controller that is diagnosed by the truck!

dodge guy wrote:
It might not like old magnets mixed with new. I would’ve just replaced all 4 at the same time!

:R

Brake controller doesn't know and doesn't care what brake magnets are attached, how new or old they are, what brand or color, big, fat ugly nor what day you installed them, time of day, temperature they were installed, if they were installed upside down, inside out or sideways..

OPs issue is commonly an electrical connection issue which may have been user induced when replacing the magnets.

Op just needs to start looking at the work they did to verify their electrical connections they made are solid since the problem they now have started after they cut and spliced..

On edit..

Some controllers will disconnect/shutdown output if a short is detected, some will show a error which indicates short.. Don't know what the OPs brake controller is but guessing it may be one that disconnects on short.

If OPs controller is one that disconnects on a short then they need to check the magnet wires inside the brake drum to make sure the wires did not get pinched to the point of bare wire touching metal..

If OP finds a bare magnet wire, they can black tape it and then reroute the wires so they can no longer get tangled up in the mechanical parts.

It might not like old magnets mixed with new. I would’ve just replaced all 4 at the same time!

campigloo wrote:
Thanks y’all!! Those are some great ideas. I’m going to retry the troubleshoot part!

Just don't get too balled up in the crimp debate here, unless it sparked a thought that you don't reasonably know how to crimp wires. (Not saying you don't know how, but the peanut gallery will probably argue the virtues of electrical connections now for days in your thread...lol)

wa8yxm wrote:

Blacklane wrote:

bgum wrote:
I would suggest you go back and solder those wires and shrink wrap.

Actually, crimp connectors with heat-shrink sleeves is the preferred method of connecting wires where vibration is present.

Since solder creates a stiff section in the stranded wire, the wire tends to break right next to the solder joint.

Solder connections on wires in vehicles are just not reliable. You might notice that there are no solder connection on cars: they're all crimp connections. In fact on aircraft, solder connections are completely forbidden.

Blacklane types the truth... Aircraft standards is to crimp.

You are leaving out one very critical piece information.

Aircraft standards call out for a much higher spec on the crimp terminals.. Those terminals cost much more, have a higher pull rating than consumer level and require proper crimp tools to pull it off.

Absolutely no one outside the aircraft industry is going to be willing to pop for any of that..

Instead, the average "joe" goes to their local big box retailer, buys the average cheaply made light duty crimp terminal and then proceeds to mash it with a $5 pair of pliers or a $5 "terminal crimper"..

A funny thing, back in the 1980s my Dad bought a brand new truck, had it for less than 2 weeks and it went dead, would turn over but no start.. Had it towed to dealer where they spent three weeks with their "best guys on it" and couldn't find the problem.. My Dad showed up with a $10 analog VOM and started checking every wire harness connection.. Found a break in the harness from the distributor to the ignition model.. Postmortem revealed the crimp connection on one end of the harness was faulty.. Shop replaced the harness and was back on the road. Dad found that break in less than 2 hrs..

On edit..

Aviation grade terminals and crimpers..

$115

$127

Thanks y’all!! Those are some great ideas. I’m going to retry the troubleshoot part!

Blacklane wrote:

bgum wrote:
I would suggest you go back and solder those wires and shrink wrap.

Actually, crimp connectors with heat-shrink sleeves is the preferred method of connecting wires where vibration is present.

Since solder creates a stiff section in the stranded wire, the wire tends to break right next to the solder joint.

Solder connections on wires in vehicles are just not reliable. You might notice that there are no solder connection on cars: they're all crimp connections. In fact on aircraft, solder connections are completely forbidden.

Blacklane types the truth... Aircraft standards is to crimp.

However not manu people have really really good Crimpers (I do) most just use cheap pliars.. Soem of them are ok but not many can match the high pressure ratching type for smaller wires I use for Anderson Power Pole connections.. and even they can fail if the wire is too small.

Blacklane wrote:

bgum wrote:
I would suggest you go back and solder those wires and shrink wrap.

Actually, crimp connectors with heat-shrink sleeves is the preferred method of connecting wires where vibration is present.

Since solder creates a stiff section in the stranded wire, the wire tends to break right next to the solder joint.

Solder connections on wires in vehicles are just not reliable. You might notice that there are no solder connection on cars: they're all crimp connections. In fact on aircraft, solder connections are completely forbidden.

Solder connections aren’t even uncommon on military aircraft. The key is a mechanical connection to keep the soldered wire from moving. With the amount of loose wire on a brake connection, you’ll never have a hint of a problem soldering.

bgum wrote:
I would suggest you go back and solder those wires and shrink wrap.

Actually, crimp connectors with heat-shrink sleeves is the preferred method of connecting wires where vibration is present.

Since solder creates a stiff section in the stranded wire, the wire tends to break right next to the solder joint.

Solder connections on wires in vehicles are just not reliable. You might notice that there are no solder connection on cars: they're all crimp connections. In fact on aircraft, solder connections are completely forbidden.

Apply the brakes with the trucks applicator. Walk around closely with a simple compass if the compass points toward the wheel, that brake magnet is working.
Do it again by pulling the emergency brake cable which will activate all the brakes from your trailer battery.
Trailer drum brakes are notorious for needing adjustment. Our supposedly forward self adjusting Dexter 8k brakes do not do well. Every couple K miles, I got to jack each wheel and manually work the star wheel so the brakes work at maximum.