Checking new brakes

[FredMccoy]

Hey team. I have 2013 TL Redwood. Just put new brakes:electric and seal. Have F250 , when I hook up the Trailer brake don’t seem to have enough voltage to activate.
Now I jacked it up and could stop the wheels manually while applying brakes and it works but when attached to truck they don’t stop the trailer from rolling. So you know what voltage should on the wheels! Or can you give me any other suggestions
Thanks
Fred

[travelin' texans]

The newer trucks with integrated trailer brake system the voltage is proportional depending on speed & pedal pressure meaning there may not be a specific voltage to look for but just some voltage. At least that's the way I understand it.
You adjusted the brakes at each wheel so that if spun by hand it won't quite make a full revolution due to brake drag? If not that may be the issue rather than controller voltage.

[mhs4771]

New brake shoes also require a break-in period before you will feel full force.
And Danny is correct, my GM will not put any voltage to the brakes when sitting still from the foot pedal, but the manual control will apply voltage.

[FredMccoy]

Originally Posted by FredMccoy

Hey team. I have 2013 TL Redwood. Just put new brakes:electric and seal. Have F250 , when I hook up the Trailer brake don’t seem to have enough voltage to activate.
Now I jacked it up and could stop the wheels manually while applying brakes and it works but when attached to truck they don’t stop the trailer from rolling. So you know what voltage should on the wheels! Or can you give me any other suggestions
Thanks
Fred

added note: I have tried when rolling and attached to truck, but the brakes are not stopping and the brakes and electric magnets are new, and have current, they just fail to engage...I've adjusted them, with no luck, even barly rolling, you can't feel the tug when using the manual brake

[NW Snowbirds]

You’ll have to burnish the brake shoes before they are effective. Find a road without traffic and drive at 40 mph. Manually apply the trailer brakes from your brake controller until the speed drops to 20 mph. Release the brake controller and accelerate back to 40 mph. Repeat this procedure 20 times and allow for cooling between applications. After 20 cycles the brakes will perform to design standards. You should have also checked for scoring of the drum contact surfaces. If the worn out brake shoes scored the drums then they will not be as effective when the brakes are applied.

[shrode]

Originally Posted by NW Snowbirds

You’ll have to burnish the brake shoes before they are effective. Find a road without traffic and drive at 40 mph. Manually apply the trailer brakes from your brake controller until the speed drops to 20 mph. Release the brake controller and accelerate back to 40 mph. Repeat this procedure 20 times and allow for cooling between applications. After 20 cycles the brakes will perform to design standards. You should have also checked for scoring of the drum contact surfaces. If the worn out brake shoes scored the drums then they will not be as effective when the brakes are applied.

After you burnish the shoes, you'll need to make a final adjustment to the self-adjusters. Increase the adjustment until you can no longer turn the wheel by hand, then back off 5 clicks. Finally you'll have to determine the gain for the truck brake controller. Set it so that the trailer brakes hold the truck and trailer at dead stop while manually applying the trailer brakes and lightly pressing the truck accelerator.

[FredMccoy]

Thanks to all to answered, once we cleaned the pigtail good, it seems to be working. Took it on a test run close by, and we are headed out today.
Praying we are correct!