Flaky trailer brakes - new magnets?

[TLarsen]

My 5 year old 16' 7k lb car hauler trailer electric brakes have always been a bit weak and started pulsating last year. I bought this trailer new, and it only has about 7-8000 miles on it. It has the easy grease spindles, so I've never pulled the drums before. This year I replaced the pos brake controller with a Tekonsha P3. I just hooked up the trailer for the first time this year and the P3 reports an overload when moving, and it's fine when the not moving. So I pulled the drums off and the magnets wires are obviously being pulled into the hub during braking, one side has worn through the insulation to the bare wire.



Should there be more slack in the wires than this? Can I just splice in more wire, or should I just buy new magnets?

 

[B.G. Smith]

From the insulation damage on the wire it looks like it is rubbing on the hub part of the drum, like the magnet is traveling a long way when engaged. Make sure the brakes are tight to keep this from happening. In my experience with electric brakes, they require adjustment quiet often, sometimes with 5,000 miles or less depending on usage. bg

 

[TLarsen]

The brake adjustment was loose, but not much. I have adjusted them once or twice before, and like I said, this trailer only has about 7-8000 miles on it. But yes they were definitely rubbing the hub.

 

[B.G. Smith]

I re-read and see now where you said they were pulled into the hub. The magnets look good in the pictures and the wire does appear to be too short. There is no gurantee that new magnets will have longer wire so I would splice the exixting wire and tie it back better. bg

 

[TLarsen]

I just spliced new wire into the wires in the side that had worn through (right side). I had checked the brake adjustment on the left, but not the right, it was way out. So I readjusted both brakes, and took it for a test drive, brakes are working better than ever before now. I guess I never adjusted the brakes as tight as I should have. This time I adjusted them until the brake drag was heavy, then backed it off until it was light drag.