Trailer Brakes
As per another thread, I have yet to change out the 7 pin cable. Prior to doing so, I decided to confirm whether the old cable is still usable. I hooked up the 7 pin to the truck (which recogniz...
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marpel wrote:
Thanks for the replies.
And I should have been more clear. I actually hooked up the trailer to the truck and pulled it down a few streets, fully applying the brake controller, then applying the foot brake. Both a few times. Absolutely no resistance at all, either method.
Marv
You have two things to check: Electrical power reaching the magnets and shoes adjusted properly.
To check power, you can hold a compass near the drum just under the center of the wheel and look for deflection when the brakes are applied.
Adjusting the brakes is a little more work and requires jacking up the trailer. This is recommended every 3,000 miles, so it’s possible for the brakes to fairly quickly reach the point they don’t do any braking without regular maintenance.
If neither of those steps help, it’s not unlikely the brakes are contaminated from overgreasing at the factory or later via using a grease zerk on the axle. Determining if this is the issue requires hub disassembly, but if you have any doubts about the brake or bearing condition it’s a good idea to open it up and look.
