brake congroller setting

ejensen

Well-known Member
Would like to know what others set their brake controllers: My truck is a 2016 F 150 with the eco boost engine, trailer is an eagle 10,000 lb capacity, tilt trailer,weighs 2100lbs, tractor is a Ferguson TE 20, no ballast in wheels and weighs about 2500lbs. mower is a heavy 4 foot woods which weighs400-500lbs.
I set the brake controller at 3.When I apply brakes on the truck able to feel the trailer brakes apply:
Total weigh of trailer, tractor, mower, about 5000 lbs. Truck is able to handle a towed weight of 7500 lbs. Truck handles this load easily
a157691.jpg
 
There is no way to answer your question. I have been selling and installing brake controls for over 35 years. All are different, As far as setting number I have never owned or installed a digital readout control.I feel that is nothing more than a sales gimmick. Adjusting a brake control is a matter of feel. Some people like them to come on before the tow vehicle,some don't. The condition of the trailer brake shoes, the magnets and the way they are adjusted all comes into play, as to how much power you need to send back to the trailer. Good controls have two adjustments, one for the power and one for the time when they apply. No two trailers that I have ever pulled would require the same setting on a digital control.
 
Welding Man,
The brake controller for our ford F 150 is build in. Came from Ford. I mainly adjust the brake control based on how the trailer and load respond when I apply the brakes. My experience is limited to towing trailers. Our boat is on a trailer which has surge brakes. There are brakes on both axles on our equipment trailer. I apply truck brakes and I am able to feel the trailer and load holding on the hilly area where we live.

I just noticed that the digital readout is on 3 when I have it set to a point where the trailer and load are assisting the braking system on the truck.
 
If you have the intregal system as stated below: does not really matter where it is set as long as you don't get crazy with it. Setting will be maximum applied. The harder you push on the brake pedal: the more will be applied to the trailer. Just don't have it set where it tries to throw you through the windshield at light applications. Also should be a release switch that will allow you to release some brake force if needed without changing setting. (Factory or aftermarket) .
 
I have a digital controller and set it at 3 when running with empty trailer (4,200 lbs.).When pulling trailer loaded with tractor I set it at 5 ( Trailer and tractor weigh 12,200 lbs.). I have a button on my controller that I can push if I need more braking on trailer.
a157729.jpg

a157730.jpg
 

I adjust mine according to the load that is on the trailer. When I depress the brake pedal, I want to feel the trailer brakes engaging, but I do not want to lock them up and skid the tires. Empty trailer requires very little, heavy trailer requires a lot.
 
Rustyfarmall,
Thanks for sharing information I set the brakes on the trailer the same way you do. Minimum brakes on trailer when empty. Last truck was a 1974 F 100. Great truck but moving to a new 2016 F 150 and a new equipment trailer was a big difference. I have a Super C with tricycle front end . it has weights on all wheels but no ballast in the tires. Haven't tried hauling it yet. Bought ratchet type load binders but the old style are easier for me to use. I use a cheater and tie the tractor down at 4 points and also a binder for the mower.
 
D beatty,
Great looking tractor and trailer. Much heavier duty than my trailer. Notice you use the old style chain binders. I bought the ratchet type but are difficult to use for me. The regular binders and a cheater work best for me
 
mmfam55,
System is intregal, came with the truck from ford. I think it also has a switch you mentioned.
 
I use both the regular and ratchet binders. I use the regular on front and ratchet on rear of tractor. I don't need cheater bar any more I put the regular on front first and put ratchets on rear and ratchet it till front and rear are tight.
a157734.jpg
 
D Beatty,,
Another beautiful tractor!! An AC? We live in Seattle Wa
All equipment I see hauled is secured with ratchet binders
Guess I just need to use them .
Chris
 
(quoted from post at 07:16:59 04/19/17) Rustyfarmall,
Thanks for sharing information I set the brakes on the trailer the same way you do. Minimum brakes on trailer when empty. Last truck was a 1974 F 100. Great truck but moving to a new 2016 F 150 and a new equipment trailer was a big difference. I have a Super C with tricycle front end . it has weights on all wheels but no ballast in the tires. Haven't tried hauling it yet. Bought ratchet type load binders but the old style are easier for me to use. I use a cheater and tie the tractor down at 4 points and also a binder for the mower.

I also like the "over-center" type of binder for chaining down anything that has rubber tires. Using a cheater, you can really cinch then down.

I have a couple of the ratchet style binders. They work very well for chaining down machinery, etc, that is NOT on rubber tires, and has no "give".
 
rustyfarmall,
I appreciate your willingness and others on the forum willingness to share information. Tractors we have and haul are in the San Juan Islands . Have noticed that people who haul equipment rubber tires and excavtors on the island all use the over center type of binders. Equipment haulers I see in Seattle seem to all use the ratchet type of binders. I
 
The instructions for properly setting up the integrated trailer brake controller begin on page 273 of the owner's manual.

In a nutshell you drive down an empty road at 25MPH with the trailer, and fully apply the brakes with the manual lever. Don't just jam the lever over, because the tires may start to skid before you get to full power. If that happens, release the lever and adjust as follows:

If the tires lock up, reduce the gain until they just don't. If the tires don't lock up, increase the gain until they just begin to chirp/grab/skid when you fully apply the brakes with the manual lever, then back off until they just don't.

You are NOT setting the brakes to skid the trailer tires when you hit the brakes! That is a common misconception. You are setting them to the maximum amount of braking that they can apply, WITHOUT skidding the tires. In order to do that you have to know where the tires begin to skid, which is the reason for the procedure.
 
For your binder if you use the over center ones first then use the ratchet one last you don't need to risk injury with the pipe and the ratchet ones will pull it down till the tires will squat. How much tighter do you need it? I haul equipment all over the country.
 
Getting the correct brake controller is very important. Don't know how much difference digital vs analog makes, but I have mentioned an accident we were in a couple years back in other threads. We had a GMC 3/4-ton and the brake controller that was on the truck when we bought it was not original. It was also arcing quite much, and would drain the battery down. So I went to the local Auto Zone (this was down in Arkansas) and I asked if anyone knew about electric brake controllers. One guy referred me to another guy who went and picked out their most expensive controller and said that's what I want. As things were a mess in the family then (Dad had just passed - and I mentioned also about his ordeal fighting cancer in California), I didn't take the time to research for myself - I trusted the man. "My" mistake!! What he sold me was an impulse controller, and what I needed was a proportional controller. Unfortunately, my only prior experience with a brake controller was one in my first truck; a 1976 Ford F-150 that my Grandparents used for towing an Airstream trailer. So the controller was already installed. When I got my first trailer, there were no trailer brakes required for 5,000 lb tandem axle lowboys.

As I'm not the best for explaining this stuff, would be better to look up the difference(s) between the two types of controllers, or have some of you more knowledgeable folks explain it. All I can say is, with that impulse controller, every time I hit the brakes, even if just barely, the trailer brakes would engage soft and move to whatever setting I had the unit set for, if I remember correctly. All I knew was I didn't like them! Got the trailer back up here, loaded, and headed back down. Everything was fine for the first 1,000 miles. Was just before Christmas so traffic was a bit heavy, and it was now dark. Kept trying to find an exit to get off on but they were all very tight and crammed with traffic! So on a downhill run, a small red car cut us off and I made the boneheaded move of slamming on the brakes. Trailer started fishtailing. I kept having to let off the brakes as they kept grabbing and compounding the situation. Just as I about had the trailer under control, the trailer brakes stopped working. Ended up having to jackknife the trailer into the truck just 1/4 mile before a 200' dropoff. Totaled the truck and the trailer. Was able to look up the truck online afterwards only to find that it requires a proportional controller. So please, if you get a new controller or add one to a vehicle, make sure it's the proper kind for that vehicle.
 
kcm.MN

you had a terrible experience. We bought the F150 ford new in August 2016. Bought the trailer next Made an appointment to have a brake controller installed in the truck. The mechanics brought out the new controller. One of the mechanics discovered the truck had a factory installed brake controller. I'm pretty sure this system is engineered to work correctly with the trailer.
 
Yeah, not something I want to repeat again.....EVER!!

We hadn't had access to internet for well over a decade and weren't thinking that Dad had it in his house. Just too many other things going on.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top