Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes That One Brake Locks Up Before Other Three

Updated 09/19/2016 | Published 09/17/2016

Question:

load or no load the first wheel on the left side [being the first wheel connected] locks up causing wheel to skid. I have ckecked all wheels, both electrical and mechanical and still I cant find the problem. breaks are ajusted and magnets have power.

asked by: Roy F

Expert Reply:

It's likely your problem is in the wiring for the brakes rather than the brake assemblies. It sounds like your first brake is drawing all the power and the other 3 are not receiving any or at least not enough power. Verify there are no kinks or bad spots on the wiring and no corrosion at the connection points. It is also a good idea to check the wiring connection to ensure that the butt connectors are secure. Using heat shrink butt connectors, like # DW05745-5, will help protect the wiring connection. Also, make sure you have good clean connections on your ground wires.

The problem may not be obvious and could be hard to find. It might be easier to use a multi-meter to measure the amount of power that each brake is receiving to locate the issue.

expert reply by: Charles S