Karl Townsend wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
ter.com...

Karl Townsend wrote:

I had dropped a project and just finished it this weekend. Only one thing
left on the big trailer, making the ramps narrower so I can load the
forklift.

Anyway, I now have a trailer brake controller based on brake line
hydraulic
pressure.
http://www.brakecontroller.com/maxbrake.htm
The trailer brakes come on just before the truck. For those that don't
remember every one of my projects, this is a 24,000 lb. double dually
thirty six foot trailer.

My question, this unit has a gain setting 0 to 1000 for weight on the
trailer. Set it too high and you skid the trailer tires. Other than
looking
for smoke, is there a good way to set this gain? I want to come up with a
really good number for empty, and also only the forklift on.

Karl

You want the gain set so that the trailer brakes are in balance with the
truck brakes, i.e. the trailer hitch isn't being slammed forward or
yanked backward when braking. You want both the truck brakes and the
trailer brakes sharing the braking load or else you will have excessive
wear on one or the other as well as poor to dangerous handling.

What did you find on the truck's GCRW? I seem to recall that this
trailer was well over your trucks capacity if fully loaded, and close to
capacity with the trailer empty. This is not something to screw around
with, especially if you are commercial.

Towing a camper that is a couple percent over your GCRW isn't likely to
be a problem, but something that is considered commercial and is
substantially over GCRW will get you in a lot of trouble. That trailer
will put you over into the 26,000#+ commercial range without a lot of
cargo on it, and at the same time put you over your GCRW by 4,000#+.

Yep, this is a back road only unit if I'm up to what the tires can carry
without popping. But I do want to run the highways when hauling only a
forklift or payloads under 10,000.

You're like Iggy's advice, "Go by feel".
I was hoping for a bit more, but I guess I'm not surprised.

Ok, install a load cell on the hitch assembly so you can measure the
forces on it during braking and then adjust it so there is between zero
and a small negative force on it during braking (trailer brakes
leading).