Max-Brake Controller

[BSeyler]

Talked to Max Brake about painting the case and got the OK. My Dodge paint had gone South, so I gave it a coat of something I had. DW is picking up a darker color in town. The Silver just did not cut it.

SNOKING

Thanks for the update. I have some paint left from my gauge mount. I'll have to see if it's still good. I had not even thought about painting the controller.



Bud

 

[JMetzger]

SNOKING, That really looks good. Think I will do mine, Thanks. The only difference is mine is a grey color. Does anyone what they call the grey color.

 

[JFN]

I took it carefully all apart to just paint the case halves and bracket. SNOKING

Is the construction such that one could remove display, slider and rheostat then remote mount, then hide the box? or is everything attached to a circuit board? Just a thought

 

[SnoKing]

The display has four screws that hold it to the inside of the front case. There is a ribbon cable to the main circuit card. The main circuit card has the two connectors on the back, the Cal Button, manual lever and the gain pot that sticks out the front. It is mounted by two screws thought the bottom of the rear case. The two case are screwed together by screws in the bottom of the mount slots on the sides of the rear case.

I think it would be hard to mount it in something else. It is really a fairly well made case, just ugly and turned 90 degrees from most other configurations.

SNOKING

 

[seafish]

You could always mount it in the dash cubby, like I did my BrakeSmart...



Can't hit your knee on it getting in and out of the truck, easy to wire, easy to access while driving if needed, and looks pretty dam good... . there's even still room on the side fro a cell phone or something else.

 

[JMetzger]

I don't think instillation will work for a MaxBrake as the MB has a manual/emergency lever on the bottom of the controller.

 

[SnoKing]

I painted it again. Like this better. SNOKING

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[HBarlow]

I painted it again. Like this better. SNOKING

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The color match to the dash looks good. Looks like a professional job.

 

[AH64ID]

Looks excellent!

 

[SnoKing]

Many years ago when I was trying to use a junk Tekonsha brake controller I complained about the erratic, unreliable, and unsafe braking performance I was experiencing and Tekonsha replaced the controller. Then when I complained to them again with the replacement controller which was equally as bad they suggested I add a heavy gauge ground wire return back to the battery. It didn't change a thing.

Tekonsha might have suggested you do that or you might have read a report I posted reporting the advice I had received. It didn't change the lousy performance of the brake controller.

Harvey, when I pulled out the extra wire from the old Prodigy, I found that I had ran I positive lead to an automotive circuit breaker on the firewall next to my trailer charge solenoid and then to the 12V pos input on the harness for the Prodigy.

My Dodge manuals are up in the trailer under a drawer that is blocked by the bed right now, however I am beginning to remember that I may have found that the 40AMP trailer fuse powers both the trailer brake controller plug under the dash and the charge lead to the trailer. I think maybe I thought it was safer to power the trailer brakes with a circuit breaker that would reset on it's own verses a fuse that also supplies the charge voltage to the trailer batteries. When I bring the trailer down to work on the brakes, I will check it out more.

The circuit breaker is visible in the first installation picture I posted right above the white tag on the load cell cable. It has a piece of plastic wire loom over the studs.

SNOKING

 

[SnoKing]

BTW, I painted it with RustOleum Hammered spary paint Black.
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=180

Chris

 

[CharlesHoward]

I also used Rustoleum Hammered Black and just carefully made a mask out of blue tape for the display. Also painted the brackets and circumference of the gain Knob.

 

[SnoKing]

Well, I could not take it any longer, so this morning I aired up the rear tires on the truck, put the tow mirrors on and went for a spin. All I can say is wow! It stops as a single unit now. Before the truck always had to lead the trailer. City and highway were two different things.

Now it is just a single unit that behaves the same at any speed, with the feeling of a lot less braking required on the trucks put.

The new brake shoes shipped this morning and will be here on the 7th. I do have one little issue with the brakes to try and figure out. The front axle on the trailer is getting more braking than the rear. This is noticeable in brake drum temps and locking them on gravel. The shoes have always worn about the same, so it is a bit of a mystery. Will look at things very carefully this time, including wiring, magnets and mechanical.

Harvey! So studying the manual, the 40A trailer fuse supplies voltage to:
1. Trailer charge lead.
2. Electric Brake Provision connector under the dash
3. Running lights on the trailer when headlight switch is in positions 1. park or 2. Head.

So problems with running lights or charge circuit for trailer battery could blow the fuse and take out the trailer brakes.

So I think I will re-install the the wire I had from the aftermarket circuit breaker to the power lead for the Max Brake.

SNOKING

 

[BSeyler]

Well, I could not take it any longer, so this morning I aired up the rear tires on the truck, put the tow mirrors on and went for a spin. All I can say is wow! It stops as a single unit now. Before the truck always had to lead the trailer. City and highway were two different things.

Now it is just a single unit that behaves the same at any speed, with the feeling of a lot less braking required on the trucks put.

The new brake shoes shipped this morning and will be here on the 7th. I do have one little issue with the brakes to try and figure out. The front axle on the trailer is getting more braking than the rear. This is noticeable in brake drum temps and locking them on gravel. The shoes have always worn about the same, so it is a bit of a mystery. Will look at things very carefully this time, including wiring, magnets and mechanical.

SNOKING

Do you have a dedicated ground running from the magnets back through the plug to the tow vehicle? That is what Dexter recommends. They do not like grounding to the frame. Just a thought.

Bud

PS
I like the look after you painted the controller. I will do mine tomorrow.

 

[SnoKing]

So, I was trying to look at what happen to the springs, equalizer and tire loading when the brakes are applied.







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When the brakes are applied the axle tries to turn the same direction as the wheel is turning. That twist the springs down in the front of the axle and up behind the axle. So the front spring wants to lift the front end of the equalizer. On the rear wheel, the front of the spring wants to push the rear of the equalizer down. So it appears that the front axle is unloading and the read axle is increasing its load????



Snoking

 

[chipster]

So, I was trying to look at what happen to the springs, equalizer and tire loading when the brakes are applied.







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When the brakes are applied the axle tries to turn the same direction as the wheel is turning. That twist the springs down in the front of the axle and up behind the axle. So the front spring wants to lift the front end of the equalizer. On the rear wheel, the front of the spring wants to push the rear of the equalizer down. So it appears that the front axle is unloading and the read axle is increasing its load????



Snoking

you got that exactally right ! years ago, I read the install instructions from Kelsey hayes, and that`s what they said. they also said that if you`re running brakes on one axel only, put`em on the REAR axel, and if you have brakes on both axels, put a 10 oham resister in the power wire to the FRONT brake magnets. that will balance the braking between the two axels. I`ve set up many trailers with single and two axel brakes this way and have had balanced braking, and even brake wear.

 

[NIsaacs]

I would say with the equalizer type suspension shown above, the axle load during braking is the same.

Nick

 

[JFN]

I would say with the equalizer type suspension shown above, the axle load during braking is the same.

Nick

Interesting, that could be plausible as the braking action could counter the forward rotation keeping the wheels planted.

 

[SnoKing]

Will have to have wife drive while I watch the equalizer. Or go to the local State scale and play around with one axle at a time on the scale and manual brake while pulling with TV. Snoking

 

[NIsaacs]

Will have to have wife drive while I watch the equalizer. Or go to the local State scale and play arond with one axle at a time on the scale and manual brake while pulling with TV. Snoking

I kind of doubt the State will allow braking on their scale, however if they do the results will be interesting. I think you will find that they will both unload the same and that amount will be transfered to the tow vehicle. I think that this is where the Max Brake will shine, even braking on all axles involved with the weight transfer being gentle and gradual. With a conventinal brake controler as soon as your foot touches the brake peddle the trailer brakes come on and throws weight to the truck's rear, then as you push the brakes harder the truck ,now brakes, and weight is again transfered from the trucks rear axle to the front axle. Does that make sense?

If your trailer had rubber ride individual type suspension then the front axle would load and the rear would unload.

Thats why it is important to not load your tow vehicle to the max capacity. During hard trailer braking you can put a tremendous amount of weight on the tow vehicles rear axle depending on the trailers weight placement and profile.

Nick