Trailer brakes issues

Olsy wrote:
Should i redo the actual termination to the brake or just run new wire to each brake pigtail?

That is up to you.

If you have the time and don't mind the added expense of running new wire you most likely will find that you have better brakes than before.

If your wires going to the other side are run inside the axle tube (you can see the red and black wires in one of the photos someone else posted) I would highly recommend disconnecting those and run new wires on the outside of the axle tube, it WILL save you headaches down the road.

If you are just trying to get to the bottom of the problem and time is short, cutting the crimps off and temporarily using wire nuts (be sure you have nice bright copper color at the connection, if wire is dull and corroded you will need to carefully either cut back until it is good or try to scrape the oxide off the wire).

Please note, wire nuts are a short term TEMPORARY way to make an outdoor connection and I am only suggesting that method as a quick way to redo without using a bunch of one time crimps. If you don't mind wasting a few crimps then go ahead with them but I would suggest using the water proof crimps which have a water proof adhesive.

You will need to investigate the connection at the front of the trailer, in many cases there is a junction box where the trailer pigtail goes into. The pigtail will typically use a blue colored wire for the brake wire from the tow vehicle. You should also find a wire from the break away switch connected to this wire.

Make sure that wire connection is good AND the grounding wire from the pigtail has a good connection to the ground wires returning from the brakes. The ground wire, brake wire ground, trailer frame wire and the trailer battery wire should ALL connect in this box together. This box may be on the tongue, under the floor near the tongue or sometimes inside the trailer near the tongue. Just trace the pigtail to where ever it stops at.