Brake Question

[ron halverson]

I have a 1995 coleman utah it has electric brakes it looks like the previous owner did not use them i have not pulled the wheel to inspect yet but will. my question is . can i just hook a pos battery line to the blue wire and see if it acuates the brakes or is there a simple way just to see if everything works before i purchase a brake controller

[wavery]

I have a 1995 coleman utah it has electric brakes it looks like the previous owner did not use them i have not pulled the wheel to inspect yet but will. my question is . can i just hook a pos battery line to the blue wire and see if it acuates the brakes or is there a simple way just to see if everything works before i purchase a brake controller

Putting 12v to the blue wire should lock up the brakes.

However, that should not keep you from buying a brake controller. You will need one, no matter what.

I'm sure that you have seen many praises for the Prodigy brake controller but I will give it one more  :!

[AustinBoston]

I completely agree with Wayne.  Putting 12V on the brakes will lock them up if they work.  And get a Tekonsha Prodigy ($$) or P3 ($$$) brake controller.  More expensive, but worth it.

Don't accept a timer-based controller, even if they pay you to take it.

Austin

[oreo57]

Electric brakes require a controller to adjust the amount of voltage to the electromagnet which with forward motion of the wheel or drum the magnet moves towards the smooth surface of the drum which activates the cam thus moving the brake shoes into the drum the more voltage applied the more the magnet will drag on the drum appling more brake pressure.Full voltage = LOCK UP with rotation but not while sitting still.IIRC

[AustinBoston]

Electric brakes require a controller to adjust the amount of voltage to the electromagnet which with forward motion of the wheel or drum the magnet moves towards the smooth surface of the drum which activates the cam thus moving the brake shoes into the drum the more voltage applied the more the magnet will drag on the drum appling more brake pressure.Full voltage = LOCK UP with rotation but not while sitting still.IIRC

While this is true (the real braking is done by the magnet dragging on the face of the drum), I don't know how you would know if the brakes were locked up without at least trying to move the drum, which would lock up the brakes.

Also, if the controller works in either direction (which the Prodigy does), the brakes will work in either direction.  The cam doesn't care which way the magnet is dragged, just that it is dragged.

Austin

[oreo57]

While this is true (the real braking is done by the magnet dragging on the face of the drum), I don't know how you would know if the brakes were locked up without at least trying to move the drum, which would lock up the brakes.
 
Also, if the controller works in either direction (which the Prodigy does), the brakes will work in either direction. The cam doesn't care which way the magnet is dragged, just that it is dragged.
 
Austin

Correct you are, I should have said with rotation of the wheel or drum.