Electric Brakes

[For20hunter]

I just had Ron Russell (TitanGuy) and his crew (John Jr. and John Sr.) install 8k axles and disk brakes on our 2015 Key Largo at the national rally. Since that time we have driven from Las Vegas to Jackson California to the rally here and the braking difference is so vast that it is nearly indescribable. It is like driving a completely different truck, pulling a completely different trailer. Although we have not had any emergency braking situations yet, we have had some really good hills and I intentionally was testing the brakes and using them far more aggressively than I normally drive just for testing. The results are that the trailer now feels like it is stopping the truck, where before, it ALWAYS felt like the truck was the one doing all the stopping and the trailer was trying to push the truck out of the way. It was probably the best investment for any upgrade we have ever done to any of our trailers.

Rod

 

[alexb2000]

Sometimes these forums are really frustrating, I've asked people twice in this thread that are complaining about their electric brake performance what axles they have and no response. Why not just make a sticky.... all brake issues can be solved by upgrading to Titan's! Wouldn't that be easier?

Sarcasm aside, I don't think there is any doubt is you have the money disk brakes are an excellent upgrade...

BUT

I was going to say if you don't have the time and/or money, there are plenty of things you can do to get your electric brakes working correctly. Which IMO means you can lock up the trailer brakes anytime. Dexter sells various strength magnets, you can upgrade your magnets very easily for more pressure on the brake shoes. You can also go to a more aggressive compound on your brake shoes. Mostly, you can inspect your brakes and make sure they are adjusted, clean surface for the magnets, wiring is up to spec, etc. Not doing this is like running 35psi tire pressure and then complaining about blowouts.

Last, as great as disk brakes are you are also introducing some maintenance issues. Brake fluid needs to be changed every couple of years and most people never do it. You are now dependent on a single electric over hydraulic unit, etc. there is no free lunch.

OK that's said so now on to chili and the Cowboys game....

 

[JohnD]

The electric brakes on our 2015 Heartland Prowler are awesome.

I have the trucks's built-in brake control set to 5.5 and while they don't grab and lock up, they help me stop perfectly.

Of course, having 4-wheel disc brakes on the truck helps . . .

 

[TX_Clay]

What axles do you have?

To be honest, I am not sure. I guess I could be flippant and say "The ones that came with it from the factory". But that wouldn't answer the question either.
The bad part is, I am not sure how to even tell what axles are on it. I guess I should call Heartland with my VIN and find out.

 

[danemayer]

To be honest, I am not sure. I guess I could be flippant and say "The ones that came with it from the factory". But that wouldn't answer the question either.
The bad part is, I am not sure how to even tell what axles are on it. I guess I should call Heartland with my VIN and find out.

You can crawl under the rig and look at the label on the axles. D70 is the 7000 lb Dexter.

 

[Bones]

the sticker should look like this.

 

[alexb2000]

So I was out doing some PM on one of my trailers, do you guys think I should upgrade to Titan's?

 

[rxbristol]

So I was out doing some PM on one of my trailers, do you guys think I should upgrade to Titan's?

Those brake pads look in good shape. Some brake cleaner, lube on the pivot points, and possible adjustment and you'll be good to go.

 

[alexb2000]

Those brake pads look in good shape. Some brake cleaner, lube on the pivot points, and possible adjustment and you'll be good to go.

At first glance I thought so too, when I broke them down the pad is starting to de-bond from the steel. I ordered some new brakes from e-trailer, so we'll see how that goes.

$200 so no big deal, I just thought since so many take almost new brakes off and replace them that this picture would freak them out.

 

[jnbhobe]

You can buy the complete assembly for under $75 per wheel 5 bolts 2 wires and your done

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[alexb2000]

You can buy the complete assembly for under $75 per wheel 5 bolts 2 wires and your done

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Completely agree.

I upgraded to the auto-adjusters for $50 per wheel complete assembly, along with some new bearing seals I should be good to go.

The shoes alone are almost $30 so it didn't make sense to piece it together, besides my magnets were a little rough.

 

[Gary521]

Don't forget that the auto adjusters need to be manually adjusted before you take off. The shoes also need to be burnished. What brand of tire do you have?

 

[alexb2000]

Don't forget that the auto adjusters need to be manually adjusted before you take off. The shoes also need to be burnished. What brand of tire do you have?

Yup, will do.

I think those are Triangle ST's from about 2012-13. I have a lot of trailers so it's hard to remember.

 

[Desertsky]

All this talk about disappointment in not being able to lock the trailer brakes under hard braking has me scared to drive around you guys! Your controller should be set to NOT lock the trailer brakes under the hardest braking. If your trailer brakes lock, you now have no directional control over the trailer. The P3 controller setup manual points this out. You should test the setup each time you set out on a trip as the trailer load varies.

 

[Lynn1130]

This is an old thread. If you have drum brakes on your trailer and have not had the experience that is mentioned here you have not had the SXXX scared out of you yet. Hitting the brakes in a panic situation and having the trailer push you down the road (remember you have 14K or more behind you) because the brakes, while set properly, do not have the stopping power needed is a scary experience. I think most of us here have been pulling trailers long enough now that we know how to set brakes. Unfortunately drum brakes get hot fast, and become weak pretty fast. You want something just short of lockup when you set them but that becomes something way short of stopping you when you jump on the brakes.

Just for grins if you have drum brakes do this. Proper brake setting is to find an open piece of road, get the unit to about 25 mph and hit the brakes, if they lock up back off and keep doing that until they grab but do not lock. Now get it up to 65 and jump on them. I'll bet you will not be satisfied with what happens. I did the Titan brake change over and will never look back.

 

[Desertsky]

That is possibly true. What I would like to find out is where these shoes come from, meaning which automotive application did they steal for it. If I can find that, I can put in GOOD shoes that will work a lot better. WAAAY back when I was roadracing motorcycles, a company in Sacramento (Cirsco Brake and Clutch) would line our brakes with woven racing clutch material. We couldn't get that stuff to fade!

The Titan upgrade would cost me about 30% of what I paid for my trailer!

 

[Lynn1130]

Safety was more of an issue than cost for me. I should edit the above instructions to say use your brake controller to apply the brakes and if they lock, back off until the don't.

 

[BigGuy82]

Had a situation a couple weekends ago where I was pulling my 2015 CY3010 with our 06 Dodge 4Dr LWB 3500 down the Interstate slightly above the speed limit. Had 18 wheeler and 2 cars in front of me in the right lane and cars passing in the left lane. 18 Wheeler suddenly pulls over right, straddling the shoulder and half the right lane and slams on his brakes. 2 cars in front of me brake hard. I, literally, am standing on my brakes. Anti-lock on the truck is chirping as wheels are trying to lock up and I am closing on the car in front of me way to fast. The cars and I all move over a half lane to miss the truck, I push the poor guy on left off to the left shoulder and grass. I see dirt and gravel and a finger as he roars past me. Somehow we all miss each other and get sorted back into our lanes to go on.
I feel like the only thing my trailer brakes did for me was keep enough brake applied to the trailer to keep it from coming around, it stayed behind me and never fishtailed. Certainly didn't feel like I was slowing much. I didn't hear trailer tires screeching or see smoke boiling off of them as I expected to see, considering I was pushing the pedal through the firewall. I have never had a panic stop like that pulling this trailer before and now I am wondering if my brakes are working as they should?
I have used the manual lever on my electric brake controller since and it slows the truck when pulled fully over. I would think it should be locking brakes up?

Get disc brakes. There is literally no comparison. Go here: performancetrailerbraking.com


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[alexb2000]

This just keeps going round and round.

The brakes ability (but not the necessity) to lock the tires means you have brakes that exceed your tires grip on the road and therefore you have maximum braking available. If you can't lock your brakes with the controller all the way up you have a brake problem.

Disk brakes are better because they don't fade when very hot (drum expansion), they don't need adjustment (common problem), and they are hydraulic like your truck gives much better response and feel than just an electric signal with an inertia switch. They are also a lot more complex and expensive like anything "better".

Your truck most likely has anti-lock and until this is available on a trailer, your truck will always be able to outperform your trailer in a panic stop. Also, because you have a truck that has anti-lock you are better off just mashing the pedal in a panic stop and letting the truck ABS work, so you should fully expect the trailer brakes to lock up and feel that the trailer is pushing you.

There are millions and millions of semi's with drum brakes going 75mph down the highway everyday. if the drum brake systems were inherently unsafe they would have been changed long ago.

 

[BigGuy82]

This just keeps going round and round.

The brakes ability (but not the necessity) to lock the tires means you have brakes that exceed your tires grip on the road and therefore you have maximum braking available. If you can't lock your brakes with the controller all the way up you have a brake problem.

Disk brakes are better because they don't fade when very hot (drum expansion), they don't need adjustment (common problem), and they are hydraulic like your truck gives much better response and feel than just an electric signal with an inertia switch. They are also a lot more complex and expensive like anything "better".

Your truck most likely has anti-lock and until this is available on a trailer, your truck will always be able to outperform your trailer in a panic stop. Also, because you have a truck that has anti-lock you are better off just mashing the pedal in a panic stop and letting the truck ABS work, so you should fully expect the trailer brakes to lock up and feel that the trailer is pushing you.

There are millions and millions of semi's with drum brakes going 75mph down the highway everyday. if the drum brake systems were inherently unsafe they would have been changed long ago.

Disc brakes are far less "complex" - the have far fewer parts and are far more reliable.
Regarding how "safe" discs are, go to performancetrailerbraking.com home page and look at the stopping tests. Bottom line is that you are incorrect - discs ALWAYS result in shorter braking distances. Regarding all those trucks, I could care less as long as disc brakes help ME stop faster.