Troubleshooting Electric Brakes that Wont Fully Disengage and Heat Up Drum Assemblies

Question:

My trailer brakes do not fully disingage after activated and released. They are not locked but I Can feel a drag when I turn the hub. When this happened while pulling and my wheel heated up. Brake assembly is clean. Drag starts only after the brake is applied a few times. Seems as though it gets a load and does not fully release. Magnet shows some moderate scratches but no heavy wear or pits. THANKS!!

asked by: Wally G

Expert Reply:

There are a couple of things that may cause what you are stating. If you have checked the power draw with a multimeter like # PT89ZR and see the brake power isn't fully disengaging, then I recommend cleaning the ground connection to the magnet and cleaning the connection between the trailer and the vehicle with sand paper or steel wool. Those pins can have corrosion that causes power to jump pins and may give you that constant draw. Once clean use dielectric grease # 11755 to keep moisture and debris out. If you think the magnets are the issue I've attached an article to show you how to test the magnets.

Other possibilities are that the adjuster isn't properly dialed in or the springs are going bad that help retract the brake shoes. If you have any issues other than a simple power jump, I recommend replacing the assemblies versus troubleshooting and replacing individual parts as you will already have the hubs removed and want all parts to function well together.

If replacing assemblies I recommend using the self-adjusting assemblies like # AKEBRK-35-SA for 10 inch drums or # AKEBRK-7-SA for 12 inch drums.