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Pulls to right when I brake, what to check?

ricks99
Explorer
Explorer
On our way home from our most recent trip, I noticed that when I break, my truck & trailer pulled to the right.

I verified that my TV does not pull when braking by itself. I had brakes replaced less than 2000 miles ago.

The HTT has ~6,000 miles on it.

Is there something easy (visual) that I can check or adjust? If I crawl under the HTT, should I be looking for something specific, before I break (no pun intended) down and take it in for service?

I've checked and cleaned the 7-pin connector already.

TIA
2008 Dodge Ram 1500 (aka Rusty)
2017 Kodiak 172e Hybrid (aka Roxy)
13 REPLIES 13

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Make sure it’s not just pronounced pull due to roadway crown.
If you can replicate the same run, no trailer brakes connected that will help lpoint you in the right direction. Gravel test is good too, see if wheels aren’t braking as well.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
First adjust the trailer brakes and try again.

If you need an excuse to get a DC clamp-on ammeter this is it. Apply the trailer brakes manually and see if you get about 3 amps to each wheel.

Less than 3 amps you need to trace the wire for an open connection.
3 amps and the electrical is good so you need to pull the drums and inspect the mechanical parts.
More than 3 amps is probably a short inside the drum.

RCMAN46
Explorer
Explorer
Take trailer to a gravel lot.

Have someone walk along back of trailer as you slowly apply trailer brakes with manual over ride until the brakes lock.

See if both sides lock at same time or if one side does not lock.

Then you will know which wheel is having the problem.

I bet you will find grease on at least one brake or a broken brake wire.

If you have a Prodigy P3 you can check current draw. You should get about 1 amp for each volt applied if all 4 brake magnets are working.

ricks99
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll jack up the HTT this weekend, spin the tires, test the brakes, and look around. It sounds like the issue could be with the *left* side (driver side) has the issue.

To clarify (for some), my *TRUCK* brakes are fine. I only experience pulling to the right when towing.
2008 Dodge Ram 1500 (aka Rusty)
2017 Kodiak 172e Hybrid (aka Roxy)

rexlion
Explorer
Explorer
Sounds like only one side on the TT is braking. The left side. This forces the TT tongue to the left and makes your truck nose to the right. I have had this.

Check for broken wire, or maybe a magnet is not working.
Mike G.
Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one's thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. --Frederick Douglass
photo: Yosemite Valley view from Taft Point

mich800
Explorer
Explorer
How did you check the truck does not pull? I have had stuck calipers/pistons and the vehicle would stop normal in light to moderate braking. But in a hard stop it would pull hard. Could be the extra weight of the trailer unmasking an issue in the tow vehicle braking.

mike-s
Explorer
Explorer
You can check to make sure all the brakes are operating - one person listening close to the wheel while another operates the brake controller manually. There should be a click as they're operated. If one's not working, it's probably wiring.

Next would be to check the brake adjustment, that requires lifting the wheels one at a time and a bit more work/skill. Finally, pull the wheels and drums and look for greasy brakes.

midnightsadie
Explorer II
Explorer II
time to call a mobil tech, he,ll come to you and figure this out, cheaper, faster, and smarter than most dealer so called mech.take it to a dealer ? he,ll sub it out to $1.98 mech.

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
The reading comprehension in this thread so far is so bad, you'd almost think they're trolling you...

Correct me if I'm wrong and I will eat those words, but according to the OP, the *TV* brakes were replaced ~2000 miles ago:

I verified that my TV does not pull when braking by itself. I had brakes replaced less than 2000 miles ago.


Yes, if the TV does *NOT* pull on its own then the problem is the trailer. If it is pulling to the right, then the left brakes on the trailer are probably not working.

The 7 pin connector has one wire for all the brakes. If any brakes work, then it cannot possibly be the connector.

The only thing you can see by crawling under is the wiring, if it is obviously broken somewhere out in the open. If it is broken inside a tube somewhere you are not going to be able to see that.

Jack up the trailer, spin each wheel, and get a helper to manually apply the brake from the truck. The brakes are not working on the wheels that do not stop when the manual brake is applied.

If multiple wheels do not work, suspect a broken wire first. The quickest way to resolve is to just run a all new wiring from the 7 pin connector to the brakes. You can try to find the broken wire and patch/splice it, but it will break again.

Most likely both brakes on the left side do not work but the right-siders do, the break in the wire is somewhere between where it splits to go to each side, and the brakes on the left side.

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.

BenK
Explorer
Explorer
ricks99 wrote:
On our way home from our most recent trip, I noticed that when I break, my truck & trailer pulled to the right.

I verified that my TV does not pull when braking by itself. I had brakes replaced less than 2000 miles ago.



Did it pull BEFORE that trailer brake job?





The HTT has ~6,000 miles on it.



Total for that trailer, or the new brakes ?




Is there something easy (visual) that I can check or adjust? If I crawl under the HTT, should I be looking for something specific, before I break (no pun intended) down and take it in for service?



Did they properly adjust the star wheels after they installed the new brakes?

You can adjust them yourself. There are tons of info on YouTube and any of the trailer equipment sites



I've checked and cleaned the 7-pin connector already.



Don't think your problem is there and why asked if it pulled before the trailer brake job



TIA
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...

ricks99
Explorer
Explorer
DutchmenSport wrote:
You've eliminated the pull is caused by the trailer. Now verify the pull is caused by the truck. Unhitch the trailer and take the truck for a drive, hit the brakes hard. See if it pulls. If so, then at least you KNOW the problem is the truck, not the trailer. That eliminated 50 percent of the equation right from the start.

Good luck.


Sorry if I wasn't clear... the TV does not not pull when braking. I only experience the pull while towing (which led me to believe the issue is with my HTT -- not my TV. Right?
2008 Dodge Ram 1500 (aka Rusty)
2017 Kodiak 172e Hybrid (aka Roxy)

midnightsadie
Explorer II
Explorer II
just a guess ,sounds like a caliper hanging up, did you just change the pads.

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
You've eliminated the pull is caused by the trailer. Now verify the pull is caused by the truck. Unhitch the trailer and take the truck for a drive, hit the brakes hard. See if it pulls. If so, then at least you KNOW the problem is the truck, not the trailer. That eliminated 50 percent of the equation right from the start.

Good luck.