Troubleshooting New Trailer Brakes that Are Weak After Burnishing Them

Updated 07/01/2026 | Published 06/26/2026

Question:

I bought and installed new auto adjust, brakes and hubs from you and they barely a grab during my burnishment ride. Am I doing something wrong. Thank in advance for your input. Tom.

asked by: Tom H

Expert Reply:

Hey Tom, it sounds like you are on the right track and are doing all the correct steps to break in your new brakes but if I had to guess I would say that it still sounds like your brakes are not all the way adjusted in. If you jack up the trailer and spin a wheel by hand you should be able to feel a little bit of drag as the wheel turns. I don't know how many times you've hit the brakes but you can keep applying them and they should click tighter and tighter until they are tight.

Also you might make sure you are using 10 gauge wire for the wiring of the brakes as well.

I attached a help article on adjusting brakes for you to check out as well. What kind of trailer do you have?

expert reply by: Jameson C

Jeffrey

7/1/2026

I had the same issue. After 3 or 4 days pulling the trailer empty, they started working great.

Jameson C.

7/1/2026

@Jeffrey my guess is they finally got properly tightened down after quite a few applications of the brakes.

Jeffrey

7/1/2026

@JamesonC yes

Bob S.

7/1/2026

I've bought two or three complete sets of electric brakes for my trailers. One's I used to haul livestock and or square hay bales. When it's got cows in it I'm carrying right around 7000 lbs & with the hay bales average 100 bales @ 50 lbs each so I'm looking at 5000 lbs. The part of upstate NY that I live in is full of mile long hills. Rt 20 is part of the " scenic highway" that runs through the finger lakes region of NY. With 7000 lbs of beef standing behind my truck I absolutely need to know the brakes are going to work. I've also hauled my car trailer from NY across the country to Colorado, down thru Utah & New Mexico & across the Texas panhandle & back up to NY thru the eastern states & PA. All the miles while loaded with an average of 7000lbs of equipment. My brakes have NEVER failed or caused me to hold my breath hoping I could stop. The parts & employees of E-Trailer have been great. If you have a question or need guidance they're right there & Spot On ! I'm definitely sold on them & the parts they sell. My car trailer is going on six years old now & I've replaced one set of brakes. Six years & thousands of hard miles & stops that have never failed including a couple hard stops at 70 mph on the interstate. Good parts & good people. No, I don't work for them but they have Worked with me on several occasions.??

Jameson C.

7/1/2026

@BobS thanks for the kind words!!

Barry L.

7/1/2026

Tom, I bought the same. Yes, burnishing is important. However, I found that I needed to use the auto adjust function to "fine tune" the system. I pulled forward about 20 ft, then backward about 20 ft then braked hard. I did this about 15 to 20 times. The auto adjust made the difference. The auto adjust works when braking in reverse, not braking going forward. :)

Jameson C.

7/1/2026

@BarryL the brake adjustment should work in forward.

Barry L.

7/1/2026

@JamesonC Depends on the configuration of the mechanism. Is that documented for that part number somewhere? ...like manufacturer's specs? Only a few that I have seen auto adjust in the forward direction.

Jameson C.

7/1/2026

@BarryL Yeah that sounds right but the ones we carry like the ones you have are supposed to adjust going forward. Its supposed to be that if the shoes move too out and the magnet pulls forward it should click them out.