Posted 2006-07-28 9:40 AM (#45565) Subject: Have you ever had..a elec-brake lock up in reverse?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
Have any of you had your electric brakes lock up in reverse? It is a newer trailer with 2 Dexter 5500# axles. Got home from a long trip unloaded went to put the trailer up and it didn't like to roll in reverse. One wheel would lock up. Will roll forward ok. Finally had to lean on it in reverse so I could get my truck back and it released. Ever had that happen? Before I pull the wheel I thought I would ask around a bit.
Posted 2006-07-28 9:44 AM (#45566 - in reply to #45565) Subject: RE: Have you ever had..a elec-brake lock up in reverse?
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by xyzer on 2006-07-28 9:40 AM
Have any of you had your electric brakes lock up in reverse? It is a newer trailer with 2 Dexter 5500# axles. Got home from a long trip unloaded went to put the trailer up and it didn't like to roll in reverse. One wheel would lock up. Will roll forward ok. Finally had to lean on it in reverse so I could get my truck back and it released. Ever had that happen? Before I pull the wheel I thought I would ask around a bit.
I havn't had it happen (yet).
My guess is that something in there is now broken or severely bent, maybe you should have pulled the hub before LEANING on it ? or taken the wheel off if you HAD TO back it up to park it.
Good luck, PLEASE report back when you see the innards (-:
Posted 2006-07-28 9:57 AM (#45567 - in reply to #45565) Subject: RE: Have you ever had..a elec-brake lock up in reverse?
Member
Posts: 30 Location: Jacksonville,Fl.
easiest thing to do anytime you have an electric brake problem that causes locking up is to unplug the trailer from the truck. then you have no power to the brakes and if it is a electric problem then it will not drag or lock up.
Posted 2006-07-28 10:34 AM (#45569 - in reply to #45565) Subject: RE: Have you ever had..a elec-brake lock up in reverse?
Veteran
Posts: 225 Location: Kansas City
I agree with Reg. Something is probably broke. Some trailer brakes (if I say all or most I would probably be proven wrong) use a magnet that when powered electrically from the truck, engages and drags as the wheel turns. The more it drags the more tension it puts on the spring that contracts the brake pads. When backing in reverse with the truck breaks applied, you still activate trailer break magnents. However, they don't apply trailer breaking pressure since they drag in the direction that cause the spring to remain open and thus does not put pressure on the break pads.
If you have breaks being applied when in reverse something is probably broke - at least in my experiences.
Posted 2006-07-28 3:18 PM (#45600 - in reply to #45565) Subject: RE: Have you ever had..a elec-brake lock up in reverse?
Member
Posts: 25 Location: Ohio
Someone told me once that an electric brake installed backwards (left on right or right on left) will cause a brake to lock up in reverse. Is this true? Or can they even be installed on the wrong sides?
Only brake problems I've seen have come from the controller causing the problem.
Don't know what type brakes others have on this post but We have #7000 Dexter axles on our trailer & they do work in forward or reverse, Same with our #12000 gooseneck equipment trailer (brakes in reverse). I'll give You 2 possibilities that I can come up with off the top of my head.
First of all the brake assemblies activate by way of a square cam that spreads them when the magnet is energized,if the shoes aren't adjusted properly(to loose) it would be possible for the square cam to lock in a fully open position. This is unlikely but worth a look.
another possibility would be a broken return spring allowing the shoes to stay ingauged after the magnet released them.
You'll probably spot the problem when You take off the hub and these are just some things to give You something to look for.
Posted 2006-07-28 9:17 PM (#45614 - in reply to #45565) Subject: RE: Have you ever had..a elec-brake lock up in reverse?
Expert
Posts: 2689
Unplugging only solves the problem of the truck actuating the brakes when it shouldn't be. It is very unlikely that the problem described would be abated in any way by unplugging the trailer from the truck, it was only happening on one wheel.
I'm going to guess that electric brakes come in similar two forms to hydraulic brakes, i.e. "free backing" and errrr, ummmm, the other kind, the one that DOES work in reverse.
I don't think we're going to know what happened here until the o/p pulls the hub.
Posted 2006-07-29 1:05 AM (#45624 - in reply to #45565) Subject: RE: Have you ever had..a elec-brake lock up in reverse?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
Ok...the rest of the story...I didn't unplug it because i figured if I had a current flow back there all of them would be dragging. When I leaned on it I didn't tell you I was on loose gravel and you should see the nice rut I made. It popped or maybe released is a better word or even just let loose....I just got back from a 250 mile trip unloaded the horses in 95 deg heat. Everything was put away except park the trailer....Then it did it...Bummer! Anyway I pulled the drum today and I can't find a thing wrong...I hate that! Everything looked ok nothing bent or broke so I blew it out and checked the bearings and will adjust in the morning. I write this and I remember it did it when I got to where I was going...except I didn't know it. I was on hard rockey ground loaded. I was backing around slowley and thought I was against a rock and it would't back over it so I rolled a tad forward and gave a little run....but never felt the rock when I should have.... Hmmmm well I'm gonna go for a short trip tomorrow and see what happens. I'm onto it but may never know why it does it... If it gives me any issues I'll slap a new backing plate assembly on with my next bearing pack.
Have you ever had..a elec-brake lock up in reverse?
