Surge Brakes

[make_a_wake]

Just recently I noticed that as I back up the trailer (with boat on) the surge brakes make a almost grinding sound like there rubbing up against something is this normal..? I haven't talked to my dealer yet because there at a show. Does anyone else have this problem? or a solution?

[ghollow]

As long as I backup slowly, my surge brake does not engage. There is a lever on the tongue of my trailer that can switch the surge brakes off while backing. I do not know if your trailer is the same.

[raythompson]

You should have a fifth wire in your trailer plug that is the backup lights. This wire activates a selnoid in the surge brakes that effectively deactivates the brakes by releasing the fluid and allowing the surge coupling to retract all the way. This keeps the trailer brakes from applying. If you were backing up any kind of slope and the brakes were applying you would not be able to move the trailer with your tow vehicle.

There may be a problem in the release mechanism that is not allowing the brakes to fully release. There should not any noises from the brakes when backing up the trailer.

You need to have that checked by a competent dealer that can work on trailers. You need to also check if you have voltage in the fifth wire when the backup lights are activated.

[ghollow]

My surge brakes do not have any wires associated with them. They are not electric brakes. My trailer plug only has four wires.

[raythompson]

My trailer brakes are not electric either. They are activated by thrust pressure on the tongue of the trailer.

I have 5 wires to my trailer. One is the ground, the second is the running lights and clearance lights, third is left turn signal, fourth is right turn signal, and the final wire is the backup lights. Yes I have backup lights on the trailer but that is not the primary purpose of the wire as I had the lights added when I bought the trailer.

The 5th wire is activated when the backup lights on the vehicle come on. This also disables the surge brakes by activating a selenoid that bypasses the activation of the surge brakes. Without this deactivation it would be impossible to back the trailer up any slope.

If you do not have the fifth wire then there is another method to deactivated the brakes. Usually some type of pin or device to not allow the sliding part of the tongue to no longer move. You have to remember to insert the device when backing and remove the device when traveling. The use of the fifth wire makes this an automatic process.

If you brakes are grinding when backing it sounds like you are not disabling the brakes when backing, either by manual method or the electic method. You have to have some way to disable the brakes.

When you say you only have 4 wires on the trailer plug is the actual plug on the trailer or is that the plug on your vehicle? If your trailer has 5 wires and your tow vehicle has only 4 then you need to get another plug on your vehicle and have the additional wire connected to the brake lights.

If you have a towing package on your vehicle with the big round plug then you need to get a 5 wire adapter, not a 4 wire adapter. With the large round plug on the tow vehicle there is already wiring for all the lights, including backup.

[ghollow]

I will have to check into the five wire connector. My Yukon has the tow package with the round connector. I have never noticed a wire or solenoid on the surge brake cylinder. If it has it, it would certainly be easier to use.

[lee]

The five wire plug is for disc brake trailers only, if you have drum brakes you will only have four wires.

[whitlock87]

The fifth wire should be BLUE.
Do not look at the truck; look at the connector on the trailer.
Some trailers have a lever that you need to flip before backing up instead of the fifth wire. (It is located under the tong)

Ray nice job on the explanation for this topic.

David

[ghollow]

I know my trailer has drum brakes. That explains why I do not the blue wire. I know my trailer has the tong/lever/switch or whatever you want to call it. I have never had to use it however. If I back up slow, the brakes do not try to engage. Thanks for the info.

[make_a_wake]

I talked to my dealer they said theres little lever you need to push up but the pin that goes in it is missing