Trailer brake issues...

Tacoma747

Tacoma747

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Winston-Salem
Well I put brakes on one of the axles on my trailer, my truck was already wired for them, and has a Kelsey Brake controller.


I got it all hooked up, now for some reason I don't have taillights (brakelights/turnsignals work fine), but for some reason even at the plug on the truck there is no power for the taillights...

Whats worse is, the brakes work when I slide the "test" knob over, it will lock the tires up easily, but no matter what setting I have the brakes on, nothing happens when I hit the brakes, I tried going slow and "powerbraking" it to see if the trailer tires would lock up (in gravel, unloaded trailer), no luck...

Seems I have some wiring issues on the truck, and a nice coooolldd day to try and sort it out...

Any ideas on why the brakes WORK, but don't engage when I hit the brakes?
 
sounds like the switch at the pedal is out of adjustment. But then again, I have not ever worked on the inside cab wiring before. Hell I dont even know if there is a switch at the pedal. It just seems that there would have to be one of some sort.
Sorry if this doesnt help.
 
Well, the lights were simple-blown fuse, so thats fixed.

The brakes are wired properly, but not getting enough juice. When I push the pedal, the juice flowing to the brakes is enough to only barely light up a test light, and I can barely hear the brakes humming, but not enough that I can't spin the tire by hand (VERY little resistance), this makes no difference what setting I put the controller on.

When I do the "test" on the controller, it sends a full 12V and the testlight is bright, and the brakes grab hard.

Too cold out there to mess with it anymore, at least till I know what exactly to look for...

Thanks
 
Your brake controller probably works through intertia.. you won't get any braking force until you decelerate the truck..
 
It has a pendelum(sp?) that hangs vertically, that's why most have a level adjustment. when you brake, the pendelum swings forward, applying voltage proportional to the amount of swing.

There's only one or 2 controllers that work either off brake hydraulic pressure or based on how hard you're pressing the brakes..
 
I agree with Rich if you push the button and they lock up then they are getting power, so take your truck out on a back road about 30 or 40 and hit the brakes they should work
 
I have a Kelsey Hayes controller in my truck, probably very similar to yours, it is a inertia type controller.

Acts very much as you desribe when standing still.

works pretty well when pulling loaded trailer
 
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