# 1
Brake Buddy Select 3 Portable Flat Tow Brake System - Proportional
Peace of mind! That's what this gives me. We have towed several times with it now and it's an ease to set up. The first time took a little longer, as to be expected, but now that everything is set where we need it is so easy to drop in and hook up.
# 2
Brake Buddy Classic 3 Portable Flat Tow Brake System - Preset
2013 Jeep Wrangler UnlimitedEasy set up and works well. Only issue I have is the plug in will lose contact if not careful to make sure it is completely strait.
It looks good I have not been able to use it yet.
# 3
Brake Buddy Stealth Supplemental Braking System - Proportional
I am a proficient DIYer (and was an auto mechanic many years ago). The installation took a lot of time - perhaps 8-10 hours for the brake controller. The most special tool needed was a rotary cutter (e.g., a Dremel tool). A cordless impact driver was also very helpful, especially with the self tapping screws. Getting the pully in the perfect position under the brake pedal took some trial-and-error to get perfect. Also, the included bolts for the brake pedal bracket where too short to accommodate the width of the brake lever - easily remedied with slightly longer standard bolts. Be very mindful of what is on the other side of the sheet metal you are planning to drill into. The brake supplemental vacuum system was a bit of a challenge, as the instructions are very vague regarding how to mount, and the space I had to work with was surprisingly tight. I ended up creating a mount on the inside front fender, and bolting the pump to that. Also, tapping into the vacuum lines took a couple of tries to get a leak-free connection. Think ahead about this, and be prepared to get a few small parts like hose clamps or right-angle hose connectors. This would be a potential consideration for any vacuum boost added on any vacuum power-assist application with any controller. I mounted the Brakebuddy main unit under the rear seat - that was a perfect location, and much better than the often suggested location under the driver's seat. I was very pleased with the installation result. I paired this with a Nighthawk tow bar. Be warned that the tow bar's included cable will not be compatible with the Stealth, as the Brakebuddy uses a proprietary connection at the towed vehicle. The upside of this proprietary connector is that all connections are build in, including the brake away cable and the battery charging line. (I modified the Nighthawk by replacing the included cable with a 4-pin cable to power the lighting system on the bar. This is just for extra safety and cool looks - I could have just not used the tow bar's included cable). With 1,200 miles of towing behind us, I can say I am very pleased with the performance. I rarely notice any difference in braking effort or effectiveness - which is a big advantage for a proportional system. My favorite feature is the ease and speed of connecting or disconnecting the towed vehicle. I'd give this a 4.5 stars out of five if I could, because I did need to add a few parts and make a couple trips to the hardware store to complete the installation. However, the excellent performance and ease of use once installed more than makes up for the inconvenience during initial installation. Special appreciation to the people at eTrailer, especially Nicole T, who provided support and guidance from pre-sales to installation. Also, I called Brakebuddy's support line with a concern, and they immediately picked up the line, addressed my question, and offered to immediately ship any parts if needed.
I choose the Brake Buddy Stealth for my 2021 Jeep Wrangler because I wanted a “stay in place” brake system and felt it would be a clean looking installation. I finished the toad side of the installation today and thought I’d leave some notes on what turned out to be a bigger project than I’d anticipated. Again, this is my experience on the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 2-door. Your experience on other vehicles may vary. I started this install after installing a Demco Tabless Base Plate. Right out of the blocks, there’s really no convenient location to mount the cable connector to the Demco baseplate. I chose to mount it to under side of the bumper on the driver’s side. To provide clearance and a route for the wires, I had to cut a notch into the plastic air dam. I used one of the already screw screw holes and used self tapping screws in the other three locations. For added strength I epoxied the connector to the bumper as well. Since the bumper would be unremovable if the connector were hardwired, I added a waterproof connector. The kit is stingy with wire lengths, so I substituted my own wire. The Stealth unit itself i mounted beneath the driver’s seat. Don’t be fooled into believing there is clearance when testing with the driver’s seat positioned for rear seat access. Once the seat is returned to normal operation it lowers a bit and the box keeps the seat from being move forehand aft. I solved the problem by installing 5/8” thick nylon washers under the rear end of the seat slides. I also cut away a bit of the carpet under the front, inboard corner of the box. You will need to remove the driver’s seat in order to attach the front screws of the box. Be sure to disconnect and isolate the neutral battery terminals to prevent inadvertent air bag discharge. After removing the interior trim from the A-pillar, the door sill, and the driver side foot well, The wiring and cable tucked nicely away along with the OEM wiring and wiring for my taillights. I mounted the pulley horizontally behind the brake pedal. Installing the vacuum pump was my biggest worry and challenge. Instructions are to zip tie it “somewhere”. That seemed pretty casual for a safety system. I chose, instead, to fabricate an aluminum bracket that attaches to the lip of the engine compartment and to the wheel well (this latter attachment point is necessary to keep the pump from vibrating). Finally, the kit comes with 3/8” fittings to tap into the brake booster vacuum lines. The Jeep, however, uses 8mm nylon tubing. Brake Buddy, via etrailer.com, stated that the tubing would stretch and all would be good. Again, this felt casual for a safety system. Instead, I purchased an 8mm check valve and a 8-6-8mm barbed tee through Another online retailer to do the job right. I had to heat the Jeep tubing to fit even the 8mm tee, so the is no way the larger 3/8” fittings would have worked. See photo of my finished vacuum line installation. Bottom line, it was a POA install, but looks great. Hopefully it will stop the Jeep when towing. I’ll find out soon. :D
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