Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes on One Side of Trailer Locked Up Without Trailer Being Connected  

Question:

Expert Reply:

It sounds like there is no power supplied to the trailer when you're trying to move it with the tractor, and if your brakes are locked without power currently being supplied to them that is more likely a mechanical issue than an electrical issue. It could have occurred when you plugged the trailer in to engage the brakes and do your checks and they just stayed locked after the fact. With that being said, I can give you a few things to look at.

Give the brake assemblies on the malfunctioning side a visual inspection, look for debris, corrosion and broken springs, anything that would cause the brake pads to expand and contact the inside of the brake drums. If everything appears correct and undamaged, make sure the brake assemblies are properly adjusted. I've linked a video that shows how to adjust your brakes in or out; just fast forward through to around the 4:30 mark of the video to see how it's done if you're unfamiliar.

If this is occurring when the trailer is receiving power, you'll want to check the brake wires on the side of the trailer that the brakes are locked up on; start at the brake assemblies and work your way to the front of the trailer checking for damaged wires that may be in contact with the metal frame of the trailer. This could be causing a short on those brakes causing them to stay locked up. If you need to adjust the brakes at all during this process, you may want to get a brake adjustment spoon like the # W80630.

If you manage to run through these quick troubleshooting steps and your brakes are still locking up, please let me know and I can give you a couple of other things to have a look at to get your trailer back up and running.

expert reply by: Erik B

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