Braking hard

[rbpru]

When I set up my brake controller I had neutral braking; not too much trailer not too much truck. On all our travels I have been satisfied with the braking even when braking hard. However I never was able to get TT wheel lock up even with the manual override.

This week I was traveling about 45 to 50 mph and a deer and two fawns ran out in front of me. In less time than it takes to tell; I threaded the rig between the doe and one fawn and the second sibling fawn. All of us escaped unscathed.:)

I am writing to tell you there is a big difference between a hard stop and a panic stop and you get a real feel for the inertia of 11,000 lbs. of TT and truck. A lot more feet of pavement goes by than expected.:E

There was no skidding, no swaying, no loss of control; just a really rapid increase in heartbeat.:W

So just a reminder to take it a bit easy and hopefully you will not have your reflexes tested.

Drive safe.

[ScottG]

Adjustment doesn't help.
I have long suspected that the wiring is too small. There's a nice roll of 10awg blue wire in my garage that's been waiting for me to test that theory for a long time. I always seem to have something better to do though..

[1wayhighway]

If you can't lock them up using the controller you may want to check the adjustment of the brakes on the trailer, I don't trust the self adjusters that are there.

I did find my self in a hard stop a few weeks back and I locked them up and yes a whole lot of pavement goes by in a hurry.

[4x4Bob]

Several years ago I was following a friends TT on a trip East from California. We had just crossed into Nevada when a Tractor towing two empty flat bed trailers passed me, then passed my friend. At that time driver of the truck decided to turn into the truck inspection station from the left lane. He made his right turn in front of my friend, however he was past the turn lane so he drove down the embankment. Later I suspected a chemical Co-Pilot.

Right after the truck passed I looked into my drivers side mirror to see if anyone else was going to pass and at that time my Wife screamed STOP.

Being of sound mind I had my foot on the brake as I looked back to see the idiot truck driver making his turn, smoke was coming out from under the TT tires of my friend who was cutting to the left at the same time. I had nailed the brakes and my TT tires locked up generating smoke also. I then turned to the left shoulder to avoid what I thought was going to be a nasty accident with me in the middle.

Mother nature smiled on both of us that day. We both avoided the truck because due the violent nature of his turn his back trailer slid to the left giving us a open window to slide through.

That was the first time that I saw my Wife make a nasty hand signal to some one. And, the first time that I saw smoke come off my TT tires.

Bob

[Terryallan]

I can't lick mine either with the lever. But as above, I have almost locked them in a stop. I could hear the tires crying.

[DutchmenSport]

I have locked up my trailer brakes, but it was on loose gravel!

[ScottG]

I cant get mine to lock up the TT's brakes either but during a panic stop last year (another dear) the brakes did let out a nice squeal. It kind of seams like the manual lever thingy doesn't put out as much as the momentum portion will. Either that or it's just the shifting of weight.