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Jeep/
Grand Cherokee/
1998/
Demco
Item # SM99242
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Portable unit activates when your RV's brake lights go on and an inertia sensor in the towed car detects deceleration. Delivers automatic, proportional braking to your towed car. Extremely compact unit is easy to install, remove, and store.
Features:
Specs:
A supplemental braking system is crucial when you tow a car or truck behind your RV. Without it, the weight of the towed car can create a safety hazard, strain your RV's brakes, or affect your RV's warranty. Most states require a supplemental braking system.
The Delta Force is both automatic and fully proportional. In dual-signal mode, this system relies on your towed car's momentum as well as your RV's brake light signal to activate. As a result, the Delta Force will automatically activate any time you engage your RV's brakes, so long as there is enough deceleration for the system to detect.
An inertia-sensing, analog mercury switch inside the Delta Force's operating unit is what makes this system proportional. This fail-safe switch reads and interprets changes in forward momentum that occur when your towing setup decelerates. As your RV and car slow down, this switch sends a signal to activate your towed vehicle's brake pedal with an intensity that matches the deceleration of your RV. The result is even braking across your towing setup. Whether you lightly tap the brakes in your RV or apply them hard in a panic situation, your towed car's brakes will be applied proportionately.
When the Delta Force detects a change in forward momentum and the coach brake lights come on, the actuator applies proportionate brake pressure to your car's brake pedal. If the internal mercury switch is powered but there is no change in momentum, the system will not trigger the towed car's brakes. Likewise, if a decrease in forward momentum occurs but there is no brake light signal from the RV, the system will not activate the towed car's brakes. Because the Delta Force is designed to rely on the application of your RV's brakes, there is no false braking when you have the system in dual-signal mode. So you can drive over rough terrain and steep grades without any of the false braking that can lead to a rough ride for you in the RV and that can also wear out your towed car's brakes over time.
Using the dual-signal mode is optional. For a quicker installation, you can set up the Delta Force system to activate based solely on inertia. But it is recommended that you tie into your tow bar wiring to set up the system in dual-signal mode for a safer, more reliable braking system.
The Delta Force allows you to fine-tune the braking sensitivity to fit your personal preference. By adjusting the sensitivity on the operating unit, you get to decide how intense the change in forward momentum must be for the internal sensor to respond. Set the sensitivity low and the Delta Force will only respond when you forcibly step on your RV's brake pedal. Set the sensitivity high and it will respond when you merely tap your RV's brakes.
The Delta Force is smaller than most other portable braking systems, making it easier to position for use and to remove for storage. You can store the unit in your trunk and still have room for groceries. And unlike larger units, you can mount the Delta Force without having to reposition your driver's seat.
The Delta Force is tethered to your vehicle with the included cable. This cable ensures that the unit stays in position, even as the actuator pushes on the brake pedal. This way, the unit won't push against the seat for positioning. As a result, the unit won't slide up your seat and cause failure like other portable braking systems might.
The Delta Force's air compressor powers the actuator so that it will apply pressure to your towed car's brake pedal. To get power for the air compressor, the operating unit will plug into your towed car's 12V accessory outlet.
The Delta Force is easy to install. It requires very little drilling and just some simple wiring.
You will need to drill and cut into your vehicle's firewall to tether the unit with the included stainless steel cable. This tether allows the actuator to work without having to use your seat for leverage. By properly tightening the tether, you keep the unit from moving. You won't need any additional brackets to keep the unit from repositioning.
The pedal clamp holds the actuator in place on the pedal. To adjust the clamp, loosen the center knob and slide the top and bottom brackets up and down until you achieve the correct fit. Once you've tightened the knob to set the clamp in position, you won't need to adjust it again to tow the same vehicle. Simply hook the top bracket over the top of the brake pedal and push the clamp into place on the pedal.
The actuator depresses your towed car's brake pedal when you apply your coach brakes. This actuator attaches to the front of the operating unit with a ball-and-socket joint that allows for all-around flexibility. The joint rotates in a manner similar to the way your ankle rotates as your foot depresses the brake pedal during normal driving. With this flexibility of movement, the actuating cylinder stays perpendicular to the brake pedal no matter how far it is depressed.
Adjustable feet allow up to 2" of height adjustment so that you can level the operating unit on the floor of your towed vehicle. When setting up the feet, make sure that the actuator does not touch the lip of the operating unit.
The Delta Force's CoachLink monitor installs in your RV and lets you keep tabs on the braking unit in your towed car. The CoachLink displays the amount of force used during braking and it continually monitors the connection with the towed car. Visual and audible alarms alert you in the case of a breakaway situation or an error code. You can use the monitor in your coach, along with your GPS, satellite radio, and other electronics without interference because the CoachLink operates using radio frequency. And this wireless monitoring device is FCC compliant.
Once you have the unit tailored to your towed car, you can quickly and easily set it up when you're ready to tow. Just position the Delta Force on your floor, hookup the tether cable, and attach the pedal clamp.
Delta Force's control touchpad is located on the operating unit. This touchpad lets you manage your brake settings. To begin setup, push the "initialize" button. The system will run digital diagnostics on the internal air tank, compressor, actuator, transmitter, and pedal connection. Use the "select" button to toggle through to your towed vehicle style. There is even a braking profile that allows for a hybrid car's continuous-power-assist brakes.
Once you have your braking profile set, you can adjust the sensitivity by turning the gain knob at the bottom of the unit. Then, you can also choose the "boost" option to increase the sensitivity an extra 15 percent.
During towing, keep your towed car's running lights on and the operating unit plugged into your car's 12V outlet. To ensure that there is sufficient power in your towed car's battery to operate the Delta Force for the duration of your trip, a charge wire is included. With the charge wire, you can connect the coach's wiring to your vehicle. Just run the wire from the running light circuit on your RV to the towed car's battery to maintain a charge.
The included breakaway system ensures that your vehicle will come safely to a stop if it accidentally detaches from the RV while being towed. A switch mounts to the front of the towed car. This switch - which is wired into the operating unit - includes a pin that connects to your RV's hitch receiver with a breakaway cable. If the car separates, the cable pulls the pin from the switch, causing a signal to be sent to the operating unit to apply your towed car's brakes.
Installation Details 
Video of SMI Delta Force Portable Supplemental Braking System - Proportional
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today we're going to be taking a look at the SMI Delta Force. This is a proportional, portable, supplemental breaking system for towed vehicles. Part number is SM99242. The Delta Force from SMI is a braking system that's designed for use in practically any coach, including vacuum, hydro boost, or hybrid braking system. It's a dual signal, proportional system and it uses a pneumatic piston to apply the brakes and it offers an industry leading five year warranty. The proportional system instead of using just a signal from your RV to turn the braking on or turn the braking off, it uses an accelerometer inside of the control unit to sense how the brakes are being applied into the coach and then directing those into the towed vehicle. The ball and socket cylinder is very durable and long lasting, works great with any of the break away systems.
The nice thing about the ball and socket cylinder is that it's non binding and self adjusting. It rotates to the side and out of the way for storage. The pedal clamp isn't something that you constantly have to adjust, this is going to go right around the brake pedal and simply tilt it down to engage it. Works great, even if you have offset pedals and it directs the force downward rather than rear ward against the seat. There's a tether anchor, it's going to mount it to the floor board of the vehicle, using this cable and a carbine er.
The Delta Force also has what's called the wireless coach link. This is going to give us a display inside of the RV to let us know what's going on, whether we've got a fall, a breakaway situation, or just simply showing that we've got power and that we've got a good link. When the brakes are applied, we'll see that almost like a brake controller that will have some dots that are going to come over and let us know how much force is being applied. There's an easy to use system to help you select from hybrid all the way to large SUV's. We've got a boost setting as well, so we can get a more immediate braking pressure right off the bat for just a split second until everything else takes over and goes to the proportion in which we need it to stop. During towing, we're going to keep the towed cars running lights on and operating unit plugged into the twelve volt outlet. This ensures that there is sufficient power in the towed car's battery to operate the Delta Force for the duration of the trip.
Now that we've gone over all the great features the SMI Delta Force and we've got it installed in the vehicle and working as it should, that's going to complete today's look at it. Part number on it is SM99242. .
Average Customer Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars (3 Customer Reviews)
Portable unit activates when your RV's brake lights go on and an inertia sensor in the towed car detects deceleration. Delivers automatic, proportional braking to your towed car. Extremely compact unit is easy to install, remove, and store.
The original install was fairly easy. But I found the adjustments difficult to perform and extremely sensitive. A couple of times it locked up the brakes on the tow vehicle and I dragged it a good distance. The only way I could fine tune the braking force was to have someone drive the coach while I sat in the passenger side of the tow vehicle and adjusted the system. I got it to work and used it on a trip from San Diego to Yosemite and up to the Reno area. 336379
I haven't tried the brake unit yet, but the installation was simple and straight forward. 722781
I really like the size of the system. It is extremely easy to store and I can use it in my toad for three long days of towing without it running my toad's battery down. I had a couple of problems. First the gain adjustment is not fine enough to set the brake system just right (more a personal preference). The radio range for the monitor in the coach would not reach my toad at about 40' away. I had to route the antenna wire to the rear of my coach to get reception. After about 8 months of use it started leaking. I contact SMI and they repaired the leak and even upgraded the radio system to a 900mhz system to fix my range issue at no cost. SMI backs their warranty claims and put the extra effort to make sure the customer is happy. 349660
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