maxbrake

[JLitton]

We are picking up a new fifth wheel this month and I ordered a maxbrake today. What experiences do you all have with this product? All I have read is that it is by far the best controller on the market right now.

 

[DMather]

Here's what I wrote after I installed mine... . I stand by what I said... but even with small loads I've noticed less wheel locks.



---------Feb 2010 -------------------------------

Install took 20 minutes to install the T and the sensor, bleed, route cable through firewall, plug in the two plugs and mount the unit with 3 screws. (add 10 more minutes to wire tie everything and calibrate it)



Tested it with a 33', 11,500 lb trailer.



Previously used Prodigy and since the connector to the truck is the same I was able to change between the controllers by simply moving the plug back and forth between the controllers.



What I experienced almost defied words. I knew the Prodigy was working and could get different stopping results by changing the settings but the MaxBrake just flat out changed the feel of the stop completely. It was like I was stopping a much smaller load.



When I ran the same test with a smaller trailer (about 2500 lbs) there was a difference but it was not so pronounced.

 

[HBarlow]

I have zero experience with the MaxBrake but have been using a BrakeSmart which was on the market before the MaxBrake since 2002. I've towed hundreds of trailers with it for several hundred thousand towing miles. I swear by the BrakeSmart also.

Both brake controllers use a transducer or hydraulic line pressure sensor in the brake line that senses hydraulic brake pressure and converts pressure to an electrical signal. Just as your truck responds precisely to your foot pressure on the brake pedal, the trailer will respond equally as precisely with perfect modulated braking.

When yours is installed and you've towed with it you too will join the "believers club. " The BrakeSmart and MaxBrake instantly made the Prodigys and other inferior products obsolete and irrelevant.

 

[JLandry]

You're going to love it!



John L.

 

[Dutch & Di]

Yep, us too. I really thought nothing could replace our Jordan Ultima but boy were we wrong! We just love ours and it has worked flawlessly for us for over 2 years. Diana

 

[BarryG]

Ditto what dirrgang said. I thought the Jordan was awesome and light years ahead of the others due to its proportional braking ability but when mine started acting up I went with the Maxbrake (since Jordan closed down) and was similarily impressed by the improvement over the Jordan. In todays day and age I can hardly fathom why they still make the old kind. I realize not everyone wants to spend that much on a trailer brake controller but once you use one you will wonder why you didnt get one sooner.

 

[RVTRKN]

As HBarlow pointed out, the Brakesmart controller uses the same technology, and it has worked well for me.

 

[JLitton]

I got the maxbrake today and will install it tomorrow. Will be pulling out old fifth wheel from WV to Michigan next weekend and bring our new one home. I will give and update afterwards.



Thanks for the comments, they make me feel confident in my purchase.

 

[BIGNASTY]

You dont really need a Max brake or any other brake controller for that matter just open the door and stick your foot out on the pavement. It's a little tuff on shoes and the bottom of your left foot will be sore as hell for a while but you wont have to trim your toe nails. Come on Man up dont be a sissy you dont need a controller

 

[mpaulson]

Got the brakesmart, love it and have had no problems to date. Nice and consistent. No bangladash, or white knuckles with these units.

 

[JLitton]

You dont really need a Max brake or any other brake controller for that matter just open the door and stick your foot out on the pavement. It's a little tuff on shoes and the bottom of your left foot will be sore as hell for a while but you wont have to trim your toe nails. Come on Man up dont be a sissy you dont need a controller

ha! Tell you what, let me watch you so I can see how it's done and maybe I'll try. :-laf

 

[BIGNASTY]

Fred Flintsone did it geeze have we become such sissy's ill bet the next thing that will happen is we will drive Fraud's and Cheby's

 

[JLitton]

I do drive a Cheby. It is yellow, a six speed and an LS1. The only thing it hauls is butt. Everything else gets hauled by the cummins.



I installed the Maxbrake today and found a little error in the instructions. The instruction say to use either the front or rear brake line out of the master. Well... actually, you HAVE to use the front or the fittings won't work. I'm not quite sure why they have that in the instructions. Everything else went smoothly.

 

[Dutch & Di]

I do drive a Cheby. It is yellow, a six speed and an LS1. The only thing it hauls is butt. Everything else gets hauled by the cummins.

I installed the Maxbrake today and found a little error in the instructions. The instruction say to use either the front or rear brake line out of the master. Well... actually, you HAVE to use the front or the fittings won't work. I'm not quite sure they have that in the instructions. Everything else went smoothly.

JLitton:
If I may: the instructions are really correct as it depends on which tee you are supplied with. The intent is to let the customer know that if the tee didn't fit in one line, try it in the other. That would be the reason you had to use the front one. The next guy down the road may need to use the rear line. But either way, isn't the MaxBrake just the best ever??????? Diana

 

[DennyDay]

You dont really need a Max brake or any other brake controller for that matter just open the door and stick your foot out on the pavement. It's a little tuff on shoes and the bottom of your left foot will be sore as hell for a while but you wont have to trim your toe nails. Come on Man up dont be a sissy you dont need a controller

Please video document your methods... ! Oh and Post here with copies of the medical reports . . . Oo. Oo.

 

[Dutch & Di]

Blu-meanie.
The dimensions for the Max Brake are: 6" long, 3" wide [4 if you count the plug in and gain knob] & 2" high [just under 2-1/2 if you count the slider bar. Diana

 

[Blu-meanie]

Diana:

I found the dimensions of 6" W, 3" L, and 1. 75" H. But if you have them close to you, I'll go with your dimensions.

Thanks

 

[Dutch & Di]

Diana:

I found the dimentions of 6" W, 3" L, and 1. 75" H. But if you have them close to you, I'll go with your dimentions.

Thanks

Ok, I can go with the 1/75" high. I just rounded up and I shouldn't have. Diana

 

[Blu-meanie]

Yes, Ma'am:

It's just me. Been anal forever, can't help myself. I wasn't even aware of being "that way" on this. You know how it is on these forums, make a tiny error and someone jumps in with both feet. I was only concerned about the width. Thanks

 

[JLitton]

JLitton:

If I may: the instructions are really correct as it depends on which tee you are supplied with. The intent is to let the customer know that if the tee didn't fit in one line, try it in the other. That would be the reason you had to use the front one. The next guy down the road may need to use the rear line. But either way, isn't the MaxBrake just the best ever??????? Diana

Well, of course you may.



The kit I received had 4 different tee's. It just took some trial and error. My front line was very hard to break loose, so much so that it was rounding the edges. So, I tried the rear one and, viola, it came loose pretty easily. Then I found out none of the 4 tee's would fit the rear. Not until I called Maxbrake did I realize the the front line was a different size and I had to use it. So out came the vise grips and all is well. The front line came out and everything went smoothly from there on. I am by no means trying to down the product, just letting the next guy or gal with a 2003 Ram know that the front is the one to use.



I will use the controller the first time this coming weekend. I'm looking forward to feeling the difference.