Brake Controllers

[CBALLA]

I am looking for a new brake controller. Has anyone heard of one called Directlink? It is made by a company called Tuson out of Chicago Ill.

 

[seafish]

Sorry don't know about the DirectLink, but AFAIK right now the best, most responsive trailer brake controller on the market is the MaxBrake.
It uses a small pressure transducer that tees into the brake master cylinder to control the voltage that is sent to your trailer brakes, thus giving you immediate and selective control of your stopping power. The BrakeSmart controller, which is what I use, operates on the same principal, but is no longer made.
While many people like the Tekonsha controllers, there is no doubt that if you want excellent trailer braking, use the MaxBrake. There is a vendor here on TDR, called PlugItRight that distributes Max Brake and they also have good and responsive customer service.


PS--if you use the TDR search function, you can read endlessly about the MaxBrake, BrakeSmart and other controllers.

 

[CKelley1]

seafish i finally got to see a direct link, it works as good as the maxbrake. it plugs into the obt2 port for hydraulic pressure readings it picks up some other readings for display as well. caballa i think he got his from southwest wheel

 

[ewcmr2]

Here's a link to Direclink Home

I'm a bit skeptical that OBD has brake system hydraulic pressure info available. I don't recall ever seeing a pressure transducer in any of my cars...

I can see it using the airbag accelerometer for G info. If that's what direclink does it won't be any better than any other inertia base brake controller.

 

[HBarlow]

seafish i finally got to see a direct link, it works as good as the maxbrake. it plugs into the obt2 port for hydraulic pressure readings it picks up some other readings for display as well. caballa i think he got his from southwest wheel

Nope, you're mistaken. There is no hydraulic brake line pressure reading available in the OEM system.

Seafish is correct. The ONLY real brake controller available on the market is the MaxBrake.

 

[HBarlow]

Here's a link to Direclink Home

I'm a bit skeptical that OBD has brake system hydraulic pressure info available. I don't recall ever seeing a pressure transducer in any of my cars...

I can see it using the airbag accelerometer for G info. If that's what direclink does it won't be any better than any other inertia base brake controller.

You are correct!

 

[seafish]

seafish i finally got to see a direct link, it works as good as the maxbrake. it plugs into the obt2 port for hydraulic pressure readings it picks up some other readings for display as well. caballa i think he got his from southwest wheel

CKelley, I would be very surprised if the DirectLink controller can read brake line pressure from the OBD port.
To do that, there would HAVE to be a factory installed pressure transducer somewhere in the brake system, and I am pretty sure that there is NOT on 3rd gen trucks, though for all I know there may be on a 4th gen trucks. On the DirectLink infomercial for their product, tnowhere do they mention brake line pressure, only vehicle speed and electrical connectivity diagnosis.

The BrakeSmart on my truck gives a direct brake line pressure reading that varies from 60 to >1500 psi , depending on how hard you are pushing the pedal. The controller then uses that info to directly control the voltage to the trailer brakes). AFAIK, at this point in time, there is NO other type of trailer brake controller system that translates the drivers desired stopping power (ie brake pedal pressure) into trailer brake control as accurately or quickly as the Brake Smart or Max Brake controllers.

 

[HBarlow]

The Direct Link question was discussed on a thread a few weeks ago and so was the new Gen IV Ram OEM brake controller. TDR member Bob4x4 who is apparently a dealer tech or service manager posted a quote from Dodge Ram technical information that described the functional operation of the new Ram OEM brake controller.

It senses deceleration and has no ability to read and respond to brake line pressure generated by driver input. I think I also read the product description for the DL aftermarket controller. It too is just another inertia-activated poor substitute for a true line pressure sensing brake controller.

The only effective brake controller available in the market is a MaxBrake offered by Southwest Wheel and other vendors.

 

[CKelley1]

i use smartbrakes and maxbrakes and they are the only true controllers and the smartbrake is no longer made. i thought the same thing about the direct link but he let me pull a load with his truck and it seems to work. i wander if there is something with the abs that gives a pressure reading

 

[seafish]

i use smartbrakes and maxbrakes and they are the only true controllers and the smartbrake is no longer made. i thought the same thing about the direct link but he let me pull a load with his truck and it seems to work. i wander if there is something with the abs that gives a pressure reading

ABS uses measure wheel (hub) RPM and then varies brake line pressure to insure wheels to rotate at the same speed, thus (theoretically) allowing the vehicle to stop in a straighter line. While it DOES use soleniod valves to rapidly open and close the hydraulic pressure to any individual brake line, it ONLY uses wheel speed to perform this adjustment.

After reading about the DirectLink, I think that it works by monitoring truck speed from the ecm, and then adjusts trailer brake pressure to match declining truck speed. And like HB says, declining truck speed is excactly how an /inertia based system works. While deceleration MAY be a close approximation of truck braking, it is NOT an indication of brake line pressure, which obviously is what gives a driver ultimate and, more importantly ACCURATE , control over BOTH truck and trailer brakes.

None of this is to say that inertia based systems do not work or even work fairly well the majority of the time, but for sure they do not works as well as a brake line pressure sensing system.
I am exteremly glad that I was able to buy my BrakeSmart just before DR Performance bought the company and shut them down for unknown reasons.

 

[HBarlow]

i use smartbrakes and maxbrakes and they are the only true controllers and the smartbrake is no longer made. i thought the same thing about the direct link but he let me pull a load with his truck and it seems to work. i wander if there is something with the abs that gives a pressure reading

Other members who either currently own or are considering the purchase of a new Gen IV Ram with the OEM brake controller were hoping that was the case when it was being kicked around in another thread a few weeks ago. According to what I read on the Direct Link website and what Bob4x4 posted about the new Ram factory brake controller both systems rely on deceleration not brake pressure. I am not a mechanic but don't believe that Ram has any reason to install brake line pressure sensors and obviously would not add that trouble and expense to the manufacturing process unless it was required.

Actually, when I read the Tuson website product description of the Direct Link controller I saw marketing bs not technical details but there was ample info to make it clear to me at the time I read it that it was just another inertia-activated controller.

 

[RonD]

Nope, you're mistaken. There is no hydraulic brake line pressure reading available in the OEM system.



Seafish is correct. The ONLY real brake controller available on the market is the MaxBrake.

Harvey, you made an oversight, when Bob posted about the 2012 ITBC, He said " There is a hard wired brake switch input into the ITBC" My 2012 has none of the issues associated with the bulk of the controllers people have added, once again it works perfectly, this isn't a debate, I have never towed with a Brake Smart, and you haven't towed with a factory 2012 controller, so we both may be right, or both wrong, I can only talk about what I have experienced, Ron

 

[HBarlow]

Harvey, you made an oversight, when Bob posted about the 2012 ITBC, He said " There is a hard wired brake switch input into the ITBC" My 2012 has none of the issues associated with the bulk of the controllers people have added, once again it works perfectly, this isn't a debate, I have never towed with a Brake Smart, and you haven't towed with a factory 2012 controller, so we both may be right, or both wrong, I can only talk about what I have experienced, Ron

Ron,

I didn't overlook the brake light switch input. All inertia-sensing brake controllers use that input to signal the brake controller that trailer brakes should be turned on. That is nothing more than a very low current input to activate the inertia sensor.

You're half correct. You haven't towed with a BrakeSmart or MaxBrake so you don't understand the argument. I have towed with lots of inertia activated brake controllers manufactured by several big name old companies and several different "new and improved" versions of their controllers. I am very familiar with the comparison. Your oem controller may be ever so slightly more refined than the years and years of inertia activated controllers built by Kelsey-Hayes, Hayes-Lemmerz, Hayes, Tekonsha, and other lesser names but they are still inertia activated and still attempting to work on a design that is a poor compromise.

The fundamental reasons why they will never be effective are 1) the truck must be capable of slowing the heavy trailer without trailer brakes in order to create the negative inertia or deceleration required to activate it and 2) trailer braking will always lag truck braking because of that fact. Modern electronics and mini--computers can refine that process and perhaps even compensate to some degree for the inherent flaws in the basic design but can never equal the precisely matched truck and trailer braking and perfect modulation provided by a hydaulic line pressure sensing controller.

I'm sorry. This is not about criticizing your new truck. It's about trailer brake controllers. Unfortunately you bring no experience to the argument.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Harvey,

Like RonD said you have not towed with a 2012! You keep side stepping that. Ask someone with a 2012 to let you tow your RV then make an honest comparison.

 

[CKelley1]

i have helped others disconnect the stock controller and install a maxbrake. made a huge improvement. tomorrow i am going to try to call direct link and ask how it works, i have a feeling harvey is right on this one. i have been looking at the manual at the abs and as stated above i am not seeing a pressure sensor

 

[HBarlow]

Harvey,

Like RonD said you have not towed with a 2012! You keep side stepping that. Ask someone with a 2012 to let you tow your RV then make an honest comparison.

I'm not side-stepping it, I've stated repeatedly your opinion is based on your new truck with OEM brake controller which is a poor substitute. I have towed with lots of inertia-activated controllers. I already know what the performance of your truck and trailer braking is.

Read CKelley's post. He knows what he is talking about. He says he has disconnected the new OEM brake controller and installed a MaxBrake and seen significant improvement.

Again, my point is not to criticize your new trucks but to point out the best, most effective, and safest brake controller.

 

[CKelley1]

harvey i just got off the phone with direct link. it is not true proportional. they explained to me why i thought it was, it changes braking power with speed. maxbrake is the only one on the market.

 

[HBarlow]

That's what I thought.

If I was younger I would give serious thought to contacting Dr. Performance to discuss buying the rights to the BrakeSmart. It really should be manufactured again and sold.

MaxBrake will provide the same braking performance but the unit does not offer as many functions and is not as attractively packaged as BrakeSmart.

 

[GCroyle]

I'm still new with my MaxBrake, but I like it.



MaxBrake if you are listening, I'd like a smaller "controller package" it is a bit big on the dash.



When I park my rig, I have to back it down a hill in my yard, my old controller was going all out at 2 MPH backwards because my truck (assumed reason) was tilted downhill backwards, very strong trailer application. Fast forward to MaxBrake, same rig, same hill but now my braking is an extension of my trucks braking response, not the artificial influence of the slope.



Gary

 

[JMetzger]

I am trying to order a Max Brake controller & southwest no longer handle them. This is what I got from Southwest Wheel. Now where to get one.
Southwest Wheel -- email address removed --

8:54 AM (23 hours ago)

to me

We no longer carry the MaxBrake Control and have replaced it with the DirecLink Control DirecLink Brake Controller





Thank you,



Darrick Sweeden

Southwest Wheel Company

8740 John W Carpenter Frwy.

Dallas, Tx 75247