where to attach breakaway brake cable?
headhunter
Reg. Oct 2004
Posted 2007-04-10 12:19 PM (#58985)
Subject: where to attach breakaway brake cable?



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Location: Western WA

I have been dropping the loop over the ball before dropping the gooseneck post onto the ball, but its a pain unless you know the ball is lined up perfectly and you don't have to do any more maneuvering.  Others have shown me they attach with the safety chains, but my breakaway brake cable is longer than my safety chains so this seems like a bad choice.  

Where is the proper place to attach the breakaway brake cable to the truck with a gooseneck trailer?

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RTSmith
Reg. Nov 2003
Posted 2007-04-10 1:31 PM (#58990 - in reply to #58985)
Subject: RE: where to attach breakaway brake cable?


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I mount a quick link hanging from the side of the bedrail on the truck, then hook it with a snap. Do make sure it has enough slack to turn trailer however. Not fun if it gets pulled out by accident... I believe DOT regs state it is not to be hooked to the "receiver" portion of the hitch, wherever that would be in a GN set up. Design principle would seem to dictate that it is completely seperate from ball, hitch, & safety chains so that failure of one or all of them wouldn't affect the brake-a-way.
RTSmith
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headhunter
Reg. Oct 2004
Posted 2007-04-10 1:36 PM (#58991 - in reply to #58985)
Subject: RE: where to attach breakaway brake cable?



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Location: Western WA

That makes sense.  I had concerns about the safety chain combination, and with the other thread on the trailer coming off the ball got to thinking about it not being very smart to have it attached to the ball either.

Thanks.

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Terri
Reg. Jan 2004
Posted 2007-04-10 10:07 PM (#59031 - in reply to #58985)
Subject: RE: where to attach breakaway brake cable?



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I connect mine to one of the "holes" in the bed rails.  That way if anything happens to the hitch(ball or chain loops) the brake away cable is still hooked to the truck.  It only has to be strong enough to pull the plug.
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Dawnya
Reg. Aug 2004
Posted 2007-04-10 10:32 PM (#59034 - in reply to #58985)
Subject: RE: where to attach breakaway brake cable?



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Mine is looped thru the safety cable snap.
You can kinda see it on the far side.

 

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loveduffy
Reg. Feb 2006
Posted 2007-04-10 11:03 PM (#59037 - in reply to #59034)
Subject: RE: where to attach breakaway brake cable?



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I put my brake away on the chain I also cross the chains the cable is shorter then the chains are
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Broken Bit
Reg. Jan 2006
Posted 2007-04-11 8:55 AM (#59048 - in reply to #58985)
Subject: RE: where to attach breakaway brake cable?



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I do the same as Terri, refer to post under "when trailer comes off ball".  Just drop the loop down into a slot and put one of your extra pins through it.  Talk to y'all later...
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Terri
Reg. Jan 2004
Posted 2007-04-11 1:15 PM (#59063 - in reply to #59048)
Subject: RE: where to attach breakaway brake cable?



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I had a DOT inspector (he lived next door for awhile) tell me that was the best way to do it.  I was just looping it over the ball but he said "what if your in a wreck and the ball sheers off?"  Then you SHOULD be ticketed for not having working emergency brakes.  He said the breakaway cable should be hooked up completely seperate from the trailer.

 

I thought of hooking it to the loops the chains hook to, but the plate they are welded to is only held on by the ball.  If that breaks the saftey chains go with the ball/trailer.

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loveduffy
Reg. Feb 2006
Posted 2007-04-12 11:33 PM (#59189 - in reply to #59063)
Subject: RE: where to attach breakaway brake cable?



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I have the removeable ball so the plate is attached to the frame of my truck and the chain loops also
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