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wxmn6
06-13-2003, 19:42
A month ago I bought a new dual axles dump trailer with GVWR of #7000. The problem I am having since I took delivery of it is that the driver side front tire of the trailer keep on locking up when braking (unloaded and fully loaded). It would not start to lock up until I slowed down to around 15-20 MPH and less.

I thought that my Jordan Ultima 2020 controller was set too high (3.0A) so I set it at lower amperage, but still the same problem. I turned the amperage setting down to 1.5A and it still locks up (unloaded). Think about it, both axles has brakes, so that mean four magnets, do the math. That is around 0.4A for each magnet if they are working correctly. When fully loaded, I had the controller set to 3.5A and it would lock up too.

With the setting at 1.5A unloaded and 3.5A loaded, I feel that it is not sufficient because my truck is taking longer distance and time to brake. Something is definitely wrong with the driver side front tire of the trailer. Shortly after I took delivery of it, I told my dealer about it, he said to bring it in and they said they set the brake tension (something like that) back a bit. They said that it would not break in until I get around 25 miles on it or after it get a real full load. Well... I have put at least 250 miles on it so far and has loaded it fully twice, with several other loads at smaller scale. I am going to contact my dealer again, but first I would like to know what would be the approminately amperage setting for four brakes (two axles) when empty and fully loaded? Thanks!

Modified
06-13-2003, 21:19
Based on what I see with my Jordan Ultima, the amps you're adjusted to is way too low. I would suspect the manual adjustment on that one brake is adjusted too tight.
I pull a 9000# fifth wheel camper trailer, which had tandom Dexter 5200# axils, with electric brakes on both axils. The manufactures usually estimate 3 to 3.5 amps max, per brake. If I adjust my controller to max, I see about 13 amps with the four brakes.
Per Jordans adjustment instructions, with the manual pushbutton depressed, adjust the gain to 7 amps. Keep increasing the gain .5 amps at a time, until the trailer brakes lock up with the manual pushbutton depress at speeds of 30 or 40 MPH. When the brakes lock up, decrease the amps .5 amps. This procedure will provide maximum braking, without locking up the wheels.
Using this procedure with my trailer, I routinely end up with 9 to 9.5 amps when adjusted.
Your trailer has a problem. Try raising the bad wheel off the ground, and spin it. The wheel should spin freely, with a slight amount of brake friction felt and heard. Dexter cautions not to jack up the trailer by the axil.
To manually adjust your trailer brakes, with the wheel off the ground, adjust manual star wheel to extend adjuster until you no longer can spin the wheel. Than back off the adjuster until it spins freely, with slight resistance. This procedure is recommended after the first 200 miles, and then every 3000 miles.
WWW.dexteraxil.com (http://WWW.dexteraxil.com) has good info online.
Hopes this helps. Hopefully your Dealer helps you.

wxmn6
06-16-2003, 21:17
Thanks for the info. Today I brought my trailer back to the dealer. He followed me and observed the same thing I am talking about. So he called Dexter and they told him to try to change the drum. So the dealer changed the bad drum and put in new drum. That fixed the problem. Now I am very happy that it is all fixed. smile.gif