Brake help needed

[scottsandy]

I have a forest river cardinal with 12" alcoa axles. I just replace all the brake assembly's and have hooked up the brake magnets. I understand that there not a concern with the polarity, but the new magnet dont all work. is there a wiring diagram out there?? I measured the voltage and all I get is 8 volts, I think it should be 12v. I am running this on a ford f250 super duty.
Anybody got any ideas??

[MnTom]

The wiring is pretty simple. There is one wire going from the plug (+) to a junction (near the axles) and from the junction one wire to each magnet. Then one wire from each magnet to a junction and one wire to the plug (-). I would check all connections and focus on the grounds first. How many volts have you measured at the truck side of the plug?

[chief02]

12" Alcoa axles? Confused.

[MnTom]

Chief, I am thinking he meant Al-Ko axles with 12" brakes.

[chief02]

Ohhhh ok...makes sense now. Thanks.

[wa8yxm]

For the brakes to work you need not voltage but current, For current to flow you need a path.. Like this.

Battery (power source)--------controller-----Brake magnet----GROUND

IF the magnet coil is not grounded properly, no brakes.

Second, you could have a bad magnet coil.

Measure the current in the wires to the brakes using a clamp on DC ammeter such as a Crafstman 82369.

The second thing the brakes need is a fero-magnetic drum,, But I'm sure you have one of those (Means magnets stick to it).

[scottsandy]

thanks for all your responses,
Yes it is Al-Ko axles
and I was just hoping for an easy fix. looks like I will trace the wires and see about the grounds. these are all new assemblies. I had to replace as the "easy lube" bearings were over greased and yes you guessed it lots of grease in the brake area on all but one wheel. was cheaper to replaced the whole brake assembly instead of each indiv. parts.
was just wondering if the pairs right and left side (wheels) had to be insync as far as the wiring. but I guess not as they are just electromagnets, no polarity required.
tnx
scott

wa8yxm here is ab1mc

[kgburns1]

Check all the wiring very closely. I had a problem with one wheel that showed good voltage but wouldn't brake. I finally found a ground wire that had been pinched somehow, the outside insulation looked good, but at that place, the wire bent easily and you could tell that most of the wiring inside had separated. I cut, spliced and soldered it, no problems since.
It was getting voltage, but not enough current.

[oldbeek]

The proper size wire is 12 gauge. Smaller wire = less current and less brake. Quality connections would be soldered with shrink tubing insulation.