trailer brake controller install
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Posting Guru
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trailer brake controller install
how do you go about installing a trailer brake controller on a 92 f150 4.9 e40d? i have never done it before which is why i am asking you guys. a little background, my grandpa is fixing his pulling tractor and we normally use his truck and trailer to haul my pulling tractor since his is broke, the only problem is his truck isnt big enough for both of the tractors, so i figure i got my truck and it will pull my pulling tractor just fine, but i dont have a trailer and he doesnt have a big enough bumper pull trailer for me to use, so i am looking for a trailer. i figure since i am looking at trailers i want one with trailer brakes, hence the need for a trailer brake controller. any and all help and advice is appreciated, thanks guys
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Sumter SC
What make controller are you going to use? Mine is a Tekonsha. Also using a Hoppy 7 pin connector. The 7 pin plug plugs into the 4 wire truck plug. The blue wire goes forward to the controller. The black wire is aux (batt) power which I am not using. The controller comes with good instructions.
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Posting Guru
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What make controller are you going to use? Mine is a Tekonsha. Also using a Hoppy 7 pin connector. The 7 pin plug plugs into the 4 wire truck plug. The blue wire goes forward to the controller. The black wire is aux (batt) power which I am not using. The controller comes with good instructions.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
Adding trailer brake wiring isn't that hard, if you can't find a ready made harness you just need a couple small spools of 12ga wire(one black and one blue) and a smaller length of white. Install a black and white length between the battery terminals and the controller(black is + and white -), and the blue goes back to the trailer connector from the controller. The battery feed should also have an inline 20a fuse near the battery.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2008
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All the ones I ever put in were cut and splice. The controllers came with good wiring diagrams, it was just figuring out what wire under the dash to splice into, and running the brake wire to the rear of the truck.
I don't know how big your pulling tractor is (is it the WD in your avatar?); but I totally agree with getting trailer brakes, especially if you are going to pull it with a half ton.
Robert
I don't know how big your pulling tractor is (is it the WD in your avatar?); but I totally agree with getting trailer brakes, especially if you are going to pull it with a half ton.
Robert
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Kentucky
My old 1992 F350 and both of my '93 Lightnings had the plug under the dash for a brake controller. All three also had the wiring and connectors at the rear of the truck for installing a 7-pin connector. I never found a factory adapter for a 7-pin so I had to splice and solder my own in.
The brake controller itself was a plug-n-play by purchasing the controller adapter for the under dash hook up.
I used an inline adapter for the tail/stop lights. It was this device that allowed me to retain the use of a 4 pin plug for towing smaller trailers.
The brake controller itself was a plug-n-play by purchasing the controller adapter for the under dash hook up.
I used an inline adapter for the tail/stop lights. It was this device that allowed me to retain the use of a 4 pin plug for towing smaller trailers.
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Posting Guru
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All the ones I ever put in were cut and splice. The controllers came with good wiring diagrams, it was just figuring out what wire under the dash to splice into, and running the brake wire to the rear of the truck.
I don't know how big your pulling tractor is (is it the WD in your avatar?); but I totally agree with getting trailer brakes, especially if you are going to pull it with a half ton.
Robert
I don't know how big your pulling tractor is (is it the WD in your avatar?); but I totally agree with getting trailer brakes, especially if you are going to pull it with a half ton.
Robert
Fleet Owner
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Kentucky
IIRC correctly the brake controller connector is just to the left of the center of the dash. You can see it easily from the passenger floorboard side view looking over towarss the driver side. It's a 4 wire connector. Usually attached to a small bracket.
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Posting Guru
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yes i found it!!! the only problem is that the 94 has a six wire conector with one slot being a dummy one, and the only harnesses i have found are for the six wire connector and not the 4 wire one, anyone know where i can get a 4 wire connector
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,728
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From: Cleveland, TN
Lots of info here::: Brake Controller Installation on a Full-Size Ford Truck or SUV | etrailer.com
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,437
Likes: 4
From: Charles Town, W bygod Va
I had trouble finding the adapter for the older ones and decided to just cut the plug off of the truck (GASP!!) and hard wire the brake controller harness to the truck. One less connection to go bad.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,512
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From: Cook Forest and Irwin PA
As others have said, if you have factory TT, its a splice in, if not - cake walk, you need a 30 amp breakered battery line, a 10ga line to the battery, not ground, a 10-12ga blue wire to the rear end for the brake pin on the 7 pole, and a small splice to the downstream side of BOO (brake on off switch) or in the case of 1990, a tap into the lime green with red wire in the column harness.
So easy, cavemen do it.
So easy, cavemen do it.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Kentucky
