Max-Brake Controller

[JFN]

• "Okay so you start applying service brakes, and the Max-Brake smoothly and simultaneously applies trailer brakes. Your at 45/55, now you apply the exhaust brake, so your at 54/55. The truck is braking harder, but the trailer isn't slowing with it's same authority over the truck. So now you reduce the truck brakes to get back to the 100% braking required, and you are now at 50/50 and have a lower ratio and lower overall trailer braking, even thou the truck is still at the same amount of deceleration. "
  
  I m not sure I understand the above, When I decelerate, I come off the throttle and the exhaust brake engages and I do nothing until I either accelerate or step on the brake, if I wish to continue the slowing process I will eventually use the brakes, as I posted above this is how I drove during my trip, there was no jerking the whole unit, Truck and Trailer would slow to a stop if that was the requirement. I'm not going into the science of the Max-Brake as I don't fully understand it. I bought a Max-Brake because this is my last episode in traveling and I just wanted the finest product out there, I had a Inertia controller I removed and it worked OK but you always had the jerk when the trailer brake came on, The Max-Brake is an expensive option, is it necessary, no the others work, I'm not trying to sell everyone on it just add my experience, hope this helps. ​

"

 

[HBarlow]

Again, all you can do is try one. If it works, great. If not, you have a Prodigy. My head hurts - I hear my tractor and brush hog calling.

That's the reason I put him on my ignore list a year or two ago.

 

[SnoKing]

Thanks SNOKING. I am about 4800 on the steer, 6300 on the drive, and 7K on the two trailer axles when I head into the mountains.

The EB does do a great job of holding speed, it will hold me on a 7% grade at 55 pretty easily. It's the slowing, not maintaining, that I wonder about.

How do you get that heavy on the drivers with a bumper pull trailer. If you have a weight distribution hitch that is setup correctly, then the weight from a trailer should be near equal in both truck axles. Your concerns with a bump pull and weight distribution hitch would be much more valid than with a 5th wheel. However it appears that you are not using a weight distribution hitch or have not adjusted it properly, which opens a whole another group of towing issues!!!! Or maybe you have a heavy load in the truck bed!!!

SNOKING

 

[HBarlow]

Harvey,

I have another question for you.

Now that you have towed with a 2012 truck with the factory brake controller, would you say it is the best (non MaxBrake type) brake controller you have ever used?

I do know my 2011 controller is by far better than any of the Prodigy controllers I have used. It actually works very well with the setting at 8. Smooth on and off. I know, not as good as the 12 or the Max.

Yes, I would say it is certainly better than the inertia-activated controllers I have used. It is an OEM unit with all the engineering capability of Chrysler/Dodge/Ram behind it and is operated by a computer with all the memory space they felt was required. My guess is it is as good as it gets using an inertia based system.

My only regret is that Ram truck apparently didn't do their homework and have a better understanding of the towing industry and after market parts offered including, primarily and most importantly, the MaxBrake brake controller. Perhaps a patent issue of some other real or imagined issue prevented Ram truck from simply measuring brake line pressure with a sensor on the master cylinder and routing that signal through the PCM to provide trailer braking.

MaxBrake does this with a small and compact transducer in the brake line next to the master cylinder and a tiny amount of "computer" space in the under dash unit. Just think of the job Ram truck engineers could have done if they had based their OEM system on brake line pressure. Their system could be beautifully integrated into the dash and provide various helpful digital displays.

 

[AH64ID]

That's the reason I put him on my ignore list a year or two ago.

And it's much appreciated. But if memory serves it was mostly because you were tired of being embarrassed by facts. Which is actually more fun as time goes on. I can think of several occasions where you incorrectly answer a question, but never get to see the factual answer becuae you have ignored too many people. Oh yes HBarlow to the rescue

How do you get that heavy on the drivers with a bumper pull trailer. If you have a weight distribution hitch that is setup correctly, then the weight from a trailer should be near equal in both truck axles. Your concerns with a bump pull and weight distribution hitch would be much more valid than with a 5th wheel. However it appears that you are not using a weight distribution hitch or have not adjusted it properly, which opens a whole another group of towing issues!!!! Or maybe you have a heavy load in the truck bed!!!



SNOKING

That's down 200-300 lbs from my non-trailer front axle weight. The W/D hitch adds about 200lbs back to the front axle. The tongue weight of the camper is about 1200lbs, and there is almost always firewood/4wheeler in the bed, which gets me to the 6200 lbs. The WD is setup correctly, it's just a lot of bed weight.



Empty (standard tools, me in it, full fuel, etc) the truck weighs in at ±5000/±3500.

 

[AH64ID]

65 no, 55 yes. We have some long straight 7% grades with a speed limit of 60, so I go 55. Any slower and you get passed by idiots that put you in far more danger than you want to be in. But the 65 was a general question. Approach each road as it's own, there is a once size fits all answer.

But my question of 65 was meant as a general number.

 

[NIsaacs]

Are really going to go down a 6-8% grade at 65MPH weighing 18,000#? At that weight, speed and grade, I wouldn't be as worried about stopping with my service brakes as I would be about knowing the location of the nearest runaway truck ramp.

With a wind resistant load, such as a camper trailer, the faster you go the less brakes you need, true story. 65 mph and 18,000# is not fast or heavy for freeway travel at 6 or 7%. If it is a narrow and crooked two lane, 6-8%, then yes we would slow down.



Nick

 

[AH64ID]

Fair enough. Where I grew up and spent most of my life, grades that steep are usually on winding mountain roads and unsafe for that speed.

We have plenty of those too, but some where speed isn't as issue.

n my 40+ years of driving legally:-laf, I've used a pickup to pull everything from a two horse trailer I bought way back in high school to loads of hay, tractors, etc. , weighing 20,000# - 30,000#. My pickups have ranged from my first, a 55 Chevrolet with a six banger, to my present CTD. I used Kelsey-Hayes controllers in all, after the 55, until my first pickup with ABS. I was wrongly told the KH would not work and installed a Tekonsha of some sort. What a downer that turned out to be. The MaxBrake does everything the KH did, plus it has a parking brake feature which comes in handy when loading equipment. I was raised believing in the Code of the West. No BS was tolerated by my dad. If I didn't believe in this controller, I'd tell you straight up, no matter what its purchase price. The only true answers I can see to your questions would necessitate trying it out for yourself. It does everything I want it to do. It might not for you. Maybe you can find someone in your area that has one installed and would be willing to let you test it out. Good luck with whatever you do.

Bud

Thank you for the info.

I will probably end up with one next spring, just trying to find out as much as possible prior to dropping the coin.

 

[SnoKing]

Speaking of long straight grades. We have one in Eastern Washington on I-82 down into Ellensburg. I will come down that one at 60+ in overdrive on the exhaust brake without touching the service brakes. It is 5 percent for 4 miles.

My Max Brake should be here Monday!!!

SNOKING

 

[SnoKing]

Well I install the Max Brake Controller this evening in a couple hours.
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Someone please remind me why in the summer of 2001 I ran an extra ground wire from the drivers battery to the ground lead on the pigtail to the Prodigy brake controller. Had to be someone here suggested it!!!

I am seriously thinking of taping off the display and connectors and painting this with the Dodge Agate paint that I painted gauge A post unit with.

Snoking

 

[HBarlow]

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.

 

[JMetzger]

SNOKING, Copy cat, just kidding as that looks just like my instillation, same exact location for the controller & the sender. Where dd you go through the fire wall with the wire? Harvey is right about the ground wire as Tekonsha told me the very same thing when mine didn't work for crap & as Harvey said it didn't help a bit.

 

[SnoKing]

Wire through the firewall is through a existing boot that is below the hood hing about a foot and about 9 inches left of the steering column. Left hand down threw the area below where you see my trailer charge isolation solenoid, I
passed the RJ45 connector into the drivers compartment. I have to go to the boat today and get a piece of closed cell shipping plastic like foam I have to secure the load cell from vibrating or I may have an old molded rubber tail pipe hanger thingy in the junk drawer that I can carve up to make a saddle for the load cell to nest in and get tie wrapper down.

So I will not worry about reconnecting the ground wire and pull it out. I bagged up the old Prodigy, mount, screws, and harness, and will put it in the trailer just in case. That way the Max Brake will never fail, as I am carrying a spare controller.

I have new brakes on order for the trailer, so I will do a tow test when I bring the trailer to the house in a week or so, and another after the new shoes go in. I decided to live with the electric brakes for now, hoping that the Max Brake and fresh shoes will give me good brakes.

Harvey - look we joined TDR the same month and year. We bought our 2001. 5 in June of 2001. Traded in a 93 Dodge/Cummins.

Looks like I need to dust the dash and vacuum the carpet in the truck. I think I will paint the mounting bracket today, as a start. I am a little concerned about painting the case and warranty. I will have to run that by Diana.

For those that might ask, the old style head light switch on the floor provides power to my DTT smart controller and Banks Exhaust brake. The red paddle switch in the dash and larger green indicator light is for just the Banks Brake. The LED is for the remote entry/starter disable controller(like an alarm controller, flashes when I lock doors with remote).

So I can kill the DTT smart controller and exhaust brake with my left foot, or turn off the exhaust brake with paddle switch and still have TC lockup.

Sensor Mount - Pipe insulation and two tie wraps.
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SNOKING

 

[Cummins12V98]

I agree I would paint the controller!

BTW looks like you lost a lot of brake fluid when doing the tap!

Just kidding.

 

[SnoKing]

Actually the OEM brake pads have 104K on them and I had had never added fluid back in. I added a bit of fluid, but if I add to much to the master cylinder will over fill when the calipers are pushed back in. The low mark is below the middle rib.

I lost very little fluid installing the T, line and sensor. It just weep's out of the master cylinder end a bit. The T ended up with the openning pretty much up. Small bubbles of air slowly came out of the T after it was install, and then it slowly over flowed. I installed the 6" line and left the end sticking up and filled the line with brake fluid with a syringe. At that point the line became full, and then went back down to the level of the master cylinder. I then installed the sensor loosely and had DW run the brake pedal to bleed the remaining air. I did not loose fluid to the trucks brakes. Pedal is firm!

Diana had me call Max Brake regarding warranty issue if I paint the controller. I had to leave a message.

Snoking

 

[crispyboy]

Looks like a nice clean installation.
Did the kit come with the long length of brake line between the master cylinder and the transducer?
Max-brake could certainly improve on the looks of their controller... .....

 

[SnoKing]

Yes, the 6" hard line was included. Chris

 

[SnoKing]

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.

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SNOKING

 

[JFN]

Looks like a nice clean installation.
Did the kit come with the long length of brake line between the master cylinder and the transducer?
Max-brake could certainly improve on the looks of their controller... .....

Yes it is way too big and ugly, but looks better painted, I guess I'll have to paint mine.

 

[SnoKing]

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