So up at it today. Some of my issue was "operator error"... or maybe test equipment maintenance. :-) The battery on the meter was a little old / weak which causes poor readings. After replacing and checking "0" along with comparison with another meter, the resistance is down to 1.0 ohms which is getting better to "expected". I am going to crack open the wiring box today where hopefully I get access to splices where the main run is "split" between the two axles so that I can measure each axle seperately. Hopefully the "split" isn't along the trailer "rail" which would mean lots of "disturbing". The good news is the underside of the trailer is open "construction".
The resistance is getting close... perhaps some small adjustment at the brake adjusters maybe need. The shoes themselves appear reasonable at about 3/16 in thick.
One question on the brake / shoe operation. When I move the magnet assembly by hand, in one direction, only one shoe moves out while the other stays put. If I move the magnet in the other direction, the other shoe moves out while the previous one stays put. To me, that would mean that you only get about "half" the brake pad action happening for a given travelling direction. This seems to be quite different from the "traditional" automotive / car setups that I have seen / worked on in the past where the piston pushes out both sides to cause the brakes shoes to expand on both sides. I would have thought that the trailer system would have an equivalent operation mechanically in some form.
Is this the right "read" on trailer brake "principles"???
Thanks again for the suggestions.
PS. stevemorris, you are correct about "current testing" which is a great test as it tests the whole system, wiring, brake magnets along with the power output of the controller. Alas, my current meters only do 10 amps on their "special input" terminal.
