[SEL] OT Electric trailer brakes

[Elden DuRand]

Lew:

First, I think I'd check out the wiring.  10 volts at the coils seems a bit low to me.  Maybe you have the trailer (and pulling vehicle) brake wiring strung with inadequate gauge wire.

I'm not familiar with electric except for having looked at the guts of a system once a long time ago but I think that, if the armatures are too far from the magnets, there will not be enough force exerted by the magnetic field to make enough pressure on the shoes to do much braking.

To me, the optimum armature setting would be the brake locking solidly at a point just before the armature and magnet touch.  Could be that there is a linkage adjustment that can be made to fix the problem.

I give advice without knowing all of what I'm talking about but that does not -stop- me.    :-)

Take care - Elden
http://www.oldengine.org/members/durand 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com
> [mailto:sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com]On
>  Behalf Of Lew Best
> Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 09:55 PM
> To: At at Lists. Antique-Tractor. Com; SEL
> Subject: [SEL] OT Electric trailer brakes
> 
> Hey guys
> 
> Anyone know anything about them?  

........................snip........................

> The coils have about 10 volts to them from the 
> controller; checked each one
> individually.  Magnets pull screwdriver to them.  
> I'm pretty sure the
> controller's ok; brakes worked fine on another 
> trailer I have last time I
> pulled it (2-3 months ago maybe?).  Mechanisms 
> seem to work pretty freely
> expanding the shoes.  I adjusted them but they 
> took very little tightening.
> I tried driving it but they still didn't work.  
> There was a little
> grease/oil on the magnets & armatures; washing 
> them down w/diesel & drying
> them good with paper towels is the last thing 
> I've tried; dark caught me
> before I got the last one finished.  If they 
> don't work this time anyone got
> any ideas?
> 
> Lew Best near Waco, TX