how to wire trailer brake?

[RobertN]

There are two wires coming from the electric brakes on a trailer I'm using. They are not hooked up. I am trying to wire it all in.

One wire should go to the line from the brake controller, but what about the other? Does it go to ground?

Thanks

 

[gordon]

yes you are correct one is to ground. The other comes from the brakecontroller feed wire. Simple as that. The wires your talking about are at the drums themselves correct?

If the two wires are at the front of the trailer one could be to tie into the breakaway switch. Does this trailer already have a breakaway swicth wired in?

Where exactly are the wires at? Also just for testing you could jack up one side of the trailer and use an inline circiut breaker to test the circiut to 12vt. Just apply voltage to the wire and then try to spin the tire you have jacked up. The reason I use an inline circiut breaker is in case I mess up and find the ground wire instead. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Any other questions just ask
Gordon

 

[RobertN]

Hi Gordon,
Yes, I am looking at the wires coming out of the brakes themselves. Basically I am confronted with a trailer that has been used with only the lights hooked up. There is a two-wire pigtail out of each brake that is about 10" long.

It is my bosses trailer, and I will need to move my tractor with it. He has used it for about 8 years without the brakes hooked up. I don't want to do that. He had them tested; they did work at each wheel. But, they were never wired out.

So.... guess who is fixing it up/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[gordon]

Ok since it's at the drum just wire them as I said. You might also want to look into wiring in a breakaway switch. You will need a battery on the trailer to do this. Just make sure when you run the wires up from the axles you leave enough extra play for the suspension travel.

Good luck gordon.

 

[rdln]

Dexteraxle.com has online instructions in .pdf format, they are not step by step but point out important parts like ground brakes directly to trailer harness and then from there to vehicle battery also says to connect controller power directly to battery.