Should Trailer Brakes Be Able to Lock Up Wheels on Pavement

Updated 11/12/2026 | Published 11/10/2026

Products Featured in This Question

etrailer Electric Trailer Brakes - 7" - Left/Right Hand Assemblies - 2,000 lbs

(255)

$96.12

10 Gauge Wire - Blue Primary - Per Foot

(110)

$1.61

Question:

At a maximum, these brakes don’t stop my wheels from spinning. Yes I have burnished and adjusted them. Are they supposed to? Even with the breakaway cord pulled, they still don’t. They stop enough to skid on gravel, but that’s it. I’m afraid it would take quite some time to stop with a loaded trailer. Also, I bought two sets. Of the four, one was missing the retaining clip for the magnetic coil. I had to reuse a clip from the old brakes. Fortunately I have an angle grinder, and was able to disassemble an assembly enough to free the old clip without destroying it.

asked by: Dennis B

Expert Reply:

Hey Dennis, they are definitely supposed to grab hard enough that the tires would lock up on pavement and not just gravel. I know you said you checked adjustment and burnished them but that is usually the first thing to check. What gauge of wire do you have running to the assemblies and for the grounds of them? We recommend 10 gauge wire like part # 10-1-1 which we sell by the foot to ensure you get enough amperage to lock up the brakes. Is your brake controller have it's gain setting all the way up? Also make sure you have the assemblies installed on the correct side as there is a left and right.

expert reply by: Jameson C

Dennis B.

11/11/2026

Hi Jameson, Thank you for answering so quickly. I can’t say with confidence what gauge wire is in place. It is the original harness that came with the trailer. Its stranded wire. It looks the same as the wire included with the e-trailer brakes, which, to be honest, looks far smaller than 10 gauge. They’re only 7” brakes. Maybe that’s why. Is there a minimum voltage/amperage required? I could check that. Maybe there’s a grounding issue. I tried injecting 12 volts directly to the brakes, it made no difference. I made sure the drums were clean, and in good shape. Cheers, Dennis

Bill C.

11/12/2026

There is a left and a right . Having installed on wrong side might be the issue.

Jameson C.

11/12/2026

@BillC thats a really good point! I should have mentioned that!

Bob

11/12/2026

I would add that you need to manually adjust the brake shoes to the point where they are touching the drums and then back off the adjustment slightly. I initially had the same problem, but adjusting the brake shoes did the trick.