Hot brake - why?

[Wingedryder]

I have a 2013 27/20 SD TM (single axle) that I pur'd new late last year. I've been confounded by excess heat from the pass side brakes, while little heat generated from the drivers side. Originally, we smelled brake shoes from pass side only. Testing downhill grades and checking immediately after, the drum heat ramps up on the pass side as much as 150+ degrees above the drivers side, which might reach barely over 100 degrees.

After both dealer and my nearby hitch shop rechecked, neither could find any problem. I've since spoken to the factory, and a recent Trailblazer rally spoke to numerous other TM owners, none of which had ever experienced a difficulty. After crossing 2 high mtn passes with long downhill grades of approx. 7%, and fading trailer brake from the heat, I'm at my wits end. I never had braking issues on a smaller pop-up trailer, and always downshift into 2nd gear, sparingly using brakes, but now I'm concerned. I have less than 1,000 miles on our TM, have upgraded to a "Primus" Tokonshua controller with no apparent improvement. Some suggest I ck for shorts in the elec brake wiring, or ck the magnet resistance, though I'm told they've been checked when in for svc.

Anyone else experiencing brake problems as yet. Thanks in advance!

WingedRyder

[Padgett]

That sounds like the hot brake is dragging even when not applied. I'd back it off about five clicks and see if that makes a difference. Having no drag when off and both be even when on is critical.

[hillbillyhotel]

this is going to sound funny,,, seen it on a jeep,
the trailer brakes , front and back are on wrong side,
just my guess, when you look at it , it looks right, but just check,

[Padgett]

BTW the Dexter literature refers to a primary and a secondary shoe and the brake is marked left hand and right hand. This says to me that it is single and not dual-servo and there is more braking action when going forward than in reverse (see Bendix servo action brakes). This servo action is probably also why they are drum and not disk brakes (disks are not self-energising).

So it is important that the brakes are not swapped side to side. I saw no mention in the literature that they are dual-servo (energise in both directions) but could be - anyone know ?

One way I use to tell is that the primary lining is often shorter than the secondary and faces front.

[Bill]

I'm no expert on brakes, but I guess the first thing I would do would be to unplug the Bargman, jack up the passenger side of the trailer, and see if the wheel rotates freely. If not, the brake is clearly misadjusted, and needs to be backed off as Padgett suggested. If it does rotate freely, plug in the Bargman and start the tow vehicle engine. If the wheel now does NOT rotate freely, it is an electrical problem.

If it rotates freely in both cases, try driving a few miles with the Bargman unplugged (carefully) and see if it heats up. If so, and since the Bargman is unplugged, the problem cannot be electrical, and is not the result of normal braking, so the problem must be in the brake itself, and happens because the wheel rotates.

If it rotates freely in all three cases, then the problem must have to do with heat that comes from normal braking of the trailer. Something in the brake mechanism moves or expands when it warms up, and as long as the wheel is turning, the heat is self-sustaining. In this case, I have no idea what to do, but the left-right reversal sounds like a plausible cause.

In other words, try to break the problem into small parts. It is easier to attack.

Bill

From Dexter -
BRAKES - Which way do electric brakes mount to the axle?
The actuation lever should curve around the front side of the spindle. The wires should always exit the brake to the backside of the assembly when installed on the trailer.

Description might help if you are checking brake installation.

Less likely cause, but could you have a hot bearing masking as a brake issue?

Like Bill said, try to eliminate causes one at a time.

[Wingedryder]

From WingedRyder re brake issue --

My, thx for all the good suggestions on how to diagnose my dragging curb side TM brake! Tho I've had a camping trailer w/elec brakes before, the TM is new to us, a bit heavier, and I'm new to the Forum. Also, we don't have a particularly muscle-bound TV and travel the Rocky Mtns.

I might start by saying the TM went back to the dealer again today, hopefully for the remedy this time. I'm quite limited in the maintenance I can perform in my driveway due to neighborhood covenant restrictions.

I shld also say that early on I had removed the curb wheel (where excess heating occurs), found the shoes & actuator oriented correctly (actuator arm at front of spindle, larger brake shoe at the rear). I did not proceed to remove the street side wheel as my fender skirts came from the factory both glued & screwed, making it quite difficult to remount a wheel/tire while in place, at least with my limited ht. jack stands (could only imagine trying to mount the spare on the side of the road someplace). To boot, the bearings looked fine & well greased on that side (remember it's a brand new TM, too), so I don't think it's related to bearings - also, the drag is only noticeable after brake use, usually down hills. BTW, I used to replace my own brake shoes and pack wheel bearings in the old days.

Bill, I believe by 'Bargman', you're referring to the trailer plug(?). I haven't gone further electrically than to ck the voltage received on the brake wire on the trailer (inside refrid access panel) before the wiring continues to the wheels (wired in series from the street side wheel assembly to the curb side).
From underneath, the visible brake wiring & connections appear intact and clean, tho I know this inspection does not rule out a short around backing plates or axle.

My guess is that the street brake isn't operating, or if so only minimally, as it never heats to much over 100 degrees (way low for drum or disc brakes), while the curbside easily reaches 150-300 degrees (using a heat gun) on my road tests. Now that we've had the experience of the trailer brakes fading while coming down several miles of 7%+ grade passes, I'm sure the curb side doing all the work has glazed pads, and now WON'T work as efficiently as before.

My knowledge of electrical issues and checking resistance is limited, so I hope the dealer is able to find the difficulty this time, though I'm grateful for all the advice and will review again if our brake troubles persist. Thank you, one & all!

As far as adjusting, first I adjusted both brakes, followed by the dealer, & then my hitch shop. Neither adjusting nor backing off the controller have resulted in any improvement. I upgraded the controller from time-delay to proportional and had the output ck'd by two mechanics.

I am truly at a loss, but am once again rooting for my dealer's expertise!

WingedRyder
P.S. Also found your posting on brake troubles informative, RockyMtnRay.

I know this is obvious and probably already checked, but check to insure that your break away switch is working properly. If the plunger is not seated fully, it could be activated when moving due to vibration. Especially if you believe the one brake is not functioning at all.

Also, if you haven't already, check the wiring behind the wheel. I had the brake magnet wiring disconnect on a wheel once, rendering it useless. Even a frayed wire or a wire grounding on the trailer would stop that side from working.

Hope you figure it out. These problems can be frustrating.

Interesting. I'm having exactly the same issue only my hot side is the driver side. I discovered the problem in a test drive this morning. I just replaced brakes to self-adjusting, along with drums, bearings, & seals. I adjusted my shoes to where the drums would no longer turn, then backed off 10 clicks as instructed by E-Trailer.
Noticed little braking even adjusting the Tekonsha to 10.4. Standing beside the trailer as I drive by - my wife said she can hear the brakes engage & drag but with little effect. The drum on the passenger side is cool, the driver's side is almost too hot to touch. My hub on the driver's side is also warmer than the passenger but I feel I properly adjusted the bearings (always trying not to over tighten).
So I'm going back outside to tackle the problem again (in the Phx heat). I'll post a fix if I find one. Please let me know if you find a solution. May the Force be with us.