Difference in electric brakes

[rtate]

I have never been happy with the brakes on my trailer. They seem to have very little stopping power. If I activate them with the brake controler I can feel some drag but not much. I have read some people say they can lock up the wheels on their trailer.I have had this same experience on three trailers and two tow vehicles.

My last rig was, a Artic Fox 29V towed with a Ram 2500. I totally rewired both the trailer braking system and the trucks braking system with heavier gauge wire. Never got much improvment.

I have the same problem now with my Ram 3500 and Big Horn fifth wheel. I am knowledgeable in adjusting and replacing brakes. There is no grease on drums. Just not enough stopping power.

My observation is that all the replacement brakes have very little lining material, which should have no effect on stopping power, only on how long they last. Two things that would affect the efficency of the brakes is the lining material and the size of the magnet.

I have 12" brakes. How do I purchase a set of brakes that would improve my stopping power? Is there differences in the magnet size.

I dont want to go to the expense of installing disk brakes now.

[ford_truck_guy]

while in Mor/Ryde having the IS installed , I had them swap to the 12-1/4x3-3/8 . (could not afford the disc conversion). My truck has 2 separate settings... low/medium/high in the settings menu ... and 0-10 on the controller.. I had to drop down to Medium and 4 on the controller.. I test before every trip in front of my mailbox. . .

[JIMNLIN]

I have 12" brakes. How do I purchase a set of brakes that would improve my stopping power? Is there differences in the magnet size.

This email answer from Dexter;
Mr. xxxxxx,

While the 5.2, 6 & 7K brake3s are all 12x2 in size they do have different lining material, magnets and reinforcement of the metal backing plates.
Thanks

Jim Miller / Dexter Axle ***
You might give Dexter a 1-800 and see if a upgrade in linings/magnets/etc is possible for your axles brakes.
If the trailer is new and the linings aren't broke in yet or not broke in properly the brakes can be wimpy.

[RinconVTR]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
My 12X2 electric brakes will stop my 14K 5vr.

I have had to lock up truck/trailer brakes at 60 mph due to semi truck pulling in my lane...straight line stopping.

I have had to lock up truck/trailer at 50 mph due to bear running out of woods directly in front of us........straight line stopping.

I test brakes on trailer every travel day....when they don't lock up using lever at 10 mph then I know it's time to adjust them.

Are disc brakes better.....you bet
BUT drum brakes can/do work when properly adjusted/maintained (good voltage/amperage).

FYI - You should never have the gain set so high that the trailer wheels LOCK UP. This is VERY dangerous. Read the manual!

[tragusa3]

I can't get mine to lock either. My seat of the pants estimate is that the truck is doing about 80% of braking.

I read somewhere that the OEM controllers are tied into the ABS system and therefore the computer will not allow them to lock. Sounded logical to me.

If so, I'd rather be able to bypass that. I like the feel of trailer brakes being set a tad strong. A slight tugging on the truck gives me piece of mind.

[alboy]

I had the 12x2 brakes on our 15k fiver, changed to the larger pads with bigger magnets,that gave me good braking with the P2.Our new 15 GMC with integrated controller made a even bigger difference in braking with an imput of only 4 as to 7/8 on the P2,Braking is excellent.

[MFL]

My FW has 12x2 brakes that work very well. They worked well from new, and I have only adjusted them one time.

I have my OEM controller set at 5, and it will just lock the brakes, if I squeeze the manual levers quickly at 20 mph.

At lower speeds, the manual trailer brake lever will easily stop the truck and trailer.

Jerry

[jab764]

My Fuzion 302 never had good brakes. Towing it with a 2010 Dodge 3500 I had the controller set at "10" and could just barely feel braking action from the trailer when I used the controller to actuate the brakes. I had the trailer and truck checked several times with nothing wrong ever found. Finally went to MorRyde on 7/1/15 and had disc brakes installed. The tailer now STOPS!. Controller now set at 7.5!

[transamz9]

OP, have you checked to see what your break controller is set on? Make sure it's set on "heavy electric". Also the integrated controller is designed to only apply the brakes equal to how much you are pressing the pedal. It still seems that yours are not right. I have mine on my 2013 Ram set on 6.5 towing a fifth wheel that weighs 15,000 and a boat on the back of that weighing 4500-5000. My stops great. I had a pretty hard stop the last trip out and it did great. Never felt like it was pushing the truck.

[Old-Biscuit]

My 12X2 electric brakes will stop my 14K 5vr.

I have had to lock up truck/trailer brakes at 60 mph due to semi truck pulling in my lane...straight line stopping.

I have had to lock up truck/trailer at 50 mph due to bear running out of woods directly in front of us........straight line stopping.

I test brakes on trailer every travel day....when they don't lock up using lever at 10 mph then I know it's time to adjust them.

Are disc brakes better.....you bet
BUT drum brakes can/do work when properly adjusted/maintained (good voltage/amperage).

[C_Schomer]

I never had 12x2 brakes that were worth a hoot and I tried everything. The 7k, 5 bolt complete back plate will replace the 5 bolt 5200 and 6000 plates and they are supposed to have bigger magnets and more aggressive lining but they did very little good. Then I took an old set of shoes to a brake shop and got their best riveted lining, doubled up on the brake wire to eliminate the light gauge wire inside the axle tube, assured the magnets actually got full voltage and amps and the braking still sucked.
The only person I know that is happy with the 12x2 brakes on a heavy RV has a toy hauler that's lighter than my 5er and his TH has 3 axles/brake sets.
I've had smaller RVs (8400 gvw or less) with 10x2 brakes that would easily lock the wheels but a 15k lb RV with 4 drums no bigger than what's on an old car doesn't cut it!
13"/8k discs cured my braking problems. Craig

[ScottG]

To answer your question, yes, there are different sized (or shaped really) magnets. You can view them at eTrailer.com but the bigger ones are oblong, not round.

[laknox]

Rtate, have you adjusted the trailer brakes? I hadn't realized how much mine had changed over the years until I had mine adjusted when I had the bearings and seals replaced.

Lyle

[donn0128]

You want stopping power? Ditch the antiquated braking system on your trailer and install disc brakes. At around 2500 professionally installed it is bybfar your best solution.

[rtate]

nomad297 wrote:

rrbowman wrote:
I have a Prodigy brake controller and it needs to be "calibrated matched" to the individual trailer for optimal braking, does yours need this also? If so check your Controller manusl for the procedure.

rtate wrote:
I have never been happy with the brakes on my trailer. They seem to have very little stopping power. If I activate them with the brake controler I can feel some drag but not much. I have read some people say they can lock up the wheels on their trailer.I have had this same experience on three trailers and two tow vehicles.

My last rig was, a Artic Fox 29V towed with a Ram 2500. I totally rewired both the trailer braking system and the trucks braking system with heavier gauge wire. Never got much improvment.

I have the same problem now with my Ram 3500 and Big Horn fifth wheel. I am knowledgeable in adjusting and replacing brakes. There is no grease on drums. Just not enough stopping power.

My observation is that all the replacement brakes have very little lining material, which should have no effect on stopping power, only on how long they last. Two things that would affect the efficency of the brakes is the lining material and the size of the magnet.

I have 12" brakes. How do I purchase a set of brakes that would improve my stopping power? Is there differences in the magnet size.

I dont want to go to the expense of installing disk brakes now.

I am assuming he has an integral OEM brake controller.

Bruce

You are correct. I do have the oem intergrated controler. My old truck, that I rewired had a Prodigy. I am running at almost full power on my new truck. The new truck does a wonderful job of stopping the trailer, but the truck is doing 90% of the work.