BrakeSmart Controller

[abdiver]

"I was told today that orders are still several weeks out. The only thing you can do is to call or email them and get on the waiting list.



Dave"

Kayaker on the Arctic Fox forum posted this on June 1, 2005:



"When I called for the brakesmart controler, the company stated they can not ship for at least 8-10 weeks. After calling around many RV parts dealers one of them said the company is going chapter 11 and that the leeding two tech personal jump ship and are going to work for Hensley Arrow company. Then the Hensley Arrow will then produce a competing model but it will not be for some time. In the mean time one of next most recomended brake controler is the Jordan 2020 Ultima Brake Controller I was told. Any comments as what to do?"



I guess I'll continue using my very satisfactory Jordan.

Jim

This sounds right as I also called about 3wks ago spoke to the owner (Steve as I recall) I did ask him why the delay I never got an answer that felt correct to me. I did place my name on his list to be notified when they were avalible a customer list is good to show the court when filling for 11 or trying to selling your business. I am not in a hurry to buy a unit as I don't have a trailer yet but I do need to get something in the next few months. I will monitor this thread to see what the best alternates are always seem to come down to either a Jordan or Pordigy if my memory still serves me

 

[rowilson]

Now for the down side. BrakeSmart has experienced a problem in manufacturing that they have identified and believe they have resolved. This problem causes the unit to fail by showing light braking even when there is none. This causes all of the brake lights on the truck & trailer to be illuminated constantly. It may also cause dragging of the trailer brakes. My first unit failed within the first 50 miles of operation and the second failed in the first 15 miles of operation.



The good news - when you call BrakeSmart, you get a human being on the phone. More importantly, they know what they are talking about :--) .



Their responsiveness to my problems and their commitment to getting this problem rectified is unparalleled.



To summarize, this is a great company with a product that is in a class by itself. They are standing behind it and I have perfect confidence that they will get caught up with the demand they are experiencing and get the manufacturing bugs worked out. Shortly after that heppens, my prediction is that they will take the entire electronic brake market over. I believe their product is that good.

Well I wouldn't say unparalleled as when I called Jordan Brake when I was shopping for a controller Jordan himself answered the phone and answered any and all questions I had concerning his controller. I did buy a Jordan off eBay and when I called back to check and make sure that there was nothing else I needed to hook this up to my Ram, Jordan askled for the serial number. I gave it to him and he asked if I would return it to him since this one evidently came from old stock. I asked why and he said that there was no problem with the unit but that they had a revised switch that was not in this one. He said it would probably work for years but the new one was improved. I shipped it to him and he sent me a new one next day air for not a penny. Now that's service Oo. Some say he's a small company but I would rather have a small company to deal with where the owner has a vested interest in the survival of the company and not like some of the big ones where they get bought up and the product cheapened to make more money. Just my . 02.

 

[EEngel]

Spoke with Brakesmart

Hey guys,



I spoke to the president/owner (Steve) of Brakesmart today. We had a good hour coversaion on what was happening with the company and when there would be product. Below is the e-mail he sent me.



----------------------------------------------------------------



Eric,



There is no doubt that the rumors are running rampant, everything from lawsuits to abductions by Bigfoot or aliens. I can assure you that it is neither. I'm usually not one to get in the way of a good rumor, but with your help, this is one I should address.



First things first, The BrakeSmart Company is doing very well and we are not facing any kind of bankruptcy, reorganization, or any company changes whatsoever. The product is still being supported through me. I cannot adequately express my gratitude for my customer's business and interest concerning the BrakeSmart controller and my company, the BrakeSmart Company. The relationships made are priceless.



Now for what is the genesis for the rumors. The original manufacturer (Master Brake Systems, Inc. ) is no longer able to build the BrakeSmart. But the great news is that the BrakeSmart Controller will continue to thrive under production from a new manufacturer which is ISO 9001 registered and has American Society for Quality membership. I am working directly with this company both in the negotiations and transfer.



Now for the bad news. We are still in the neighborhood of 6 weeks away from production. This process is simply taking an enormous amount of time and effort. Also, many of the components have lead times up to 80 days but these items are being scheduled out and this will no longer be an issue. For customers that are interested, we do have a contact list and we will take orders as soon as they can be met. It also appears that there will be a price increase for the BrakeSmart system. I do not know exactly how much but we are looking in the neighborhood of 15%. Very simply this product costs much more to manufacture than MBS ever realized.



With the new manufacturer and my efforts and supervision, I have complete confidence that the quality and performance will remain top shelf and the availability of the BrakeSmart will only improve. You are always welcome to contact me and the continued interest and patience is very much appreciated.



Thank you,

Steve Guidry

The BrakeSmart Co.

www.brakesmart.net

-- email address removed --

 

[Matt400]

I just tried to order and the system is closed. . bummer.

 

[mmi]

Has anyone an update on this?

 

[klenger]

Dr. Performance - BrakeSmart

 

[mmi]

so they are finally shipping?

probe kit available yet?

have liked mine in the 400 miles,as it's only used for work days

http://www.redpowermagazine.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=47475

 

[seafish]

FINALLY got my Brakesmart installed

I was one of the lucky ones who purchased a Brakesmart controller just before DR. Performance bought out Brakesmart. The unit, and wiring harness, has been sitting in my garage for 3 Years now as I continued to pull up to 10k loads on my trailer using only my service brakes. It is a testament to our trucks with their excellent 4 wheel disc brakes and manual transmission are that I NEVER had any problem stopping my loads. Of course, driving safely and knowing your limits only helps.



Thought that I would post a few pics of the installed unit.



Super easy and clear instructions come with the unit... the pics that Klenger posted earlier also helped.



From start to finish, only took 3 hours!!!



I did come up with a novel way to mount it in the cubby... . Pulled the center console, took some measurements and drilled one 3/16” hole in the left side of the cubby. Instead of using the supplied mounting bracket, which would have need to be ground,drilled and modified to fit into the cubby, I simply used one star lock washer and screw from the back, left side of the cubby and pulled the unit tight up against the left inside of the cubby. Worked GREAT... I was worried about flex and play while using the buttons or manual brake control, but there is NONE. Still, I placed a tab of closed cell foam between the back of the control and cubby on the right side to prevent any metal fatigue from having only mounted the unit with one screw. Also pushed a piece of closed cell between the control unit and top and bottom of cubby. Sounds hokey, but it is NOT... there is absolutely no flex or squeek or movement in my installation. And it was QUICK AND EASY!!!!

While you have the cubby out, don't forget to cut a 1/2" by 2 1/2" rectangle to the left of center on the back of the cubby for the wiring harness and connectors to pull through.



Also came up with a novel way to bleed the brake line where you screw in the brass fitting and pressure sensor. Since my usual helpers (wife, son or daughter) were all gone, and I couldn’t explain to the dog or cat how to pump the pedal, I grabbed a 24” piece of allthread rod that I had laying around, pulled the rubber pad off the brake pedal, and then used the power seat to push on the rod that would push and hold on the pedal while I hopped up to tighten the sensor fitting (just like in the instructions). Repeated the process 3 times, tightened the sensor for the last time and that was that. Obviously I would NOT recommend this for bleeding you whole brake system , but for a quick fix, it was fun!!!





Can’t wait to try the Brakesmart out on Wednesday when I tow!!!



Here are the pics... .



PS the pic at the bottom shows the method that I used to bleed the brake fitting after the install... it is NOT the manual brake controller that I was referring to!!! :-laf

 

[seafish]

Here are a couple close-ups...



Unlike the MaxBrake Kit it, there was NO need for other parts.



Like Klengers install, I did not even need to use the brake line extension that came with the kit. . the pressure sender fir right atop the brass fitting... it just barely touches the brake fluid reservoir.

 

[Matt400]

10K Loads with no trailer brake its a good thing you didn't have a panic stop situation. Glad to see you got er done finally, my Jordan still works great but I would really like to have one like yours.

Slick mounting idea and good use of the power seat! Thanks for sharing the pics.