I'm sure it's been covered a million times and i'm just going to get yelled at to "search", but i figured since electronics are updated damn near weekly it's probably worth it to make a new thread to see what everyone recommends.

1997 Ford F250 7.3L. 135,000 Miles. Thing is mint.

I plan on towing cars every once in a while. (like if a buddy breaks down, or i buy another car, or need to move something, etc.) Defiantly not going to be towing cars weekly.

I want to get a nice brake controller for the truck. My buddy has an 08' Ford F450 and the brake controller is built in. He basically just adjusts the amount of brakes he wants the trailer to apply and when he presses his brake pedal the trailer brakes as well.

Would it be possible to get this setup in an older truck without tearing the dash apart? I'm not trying to spend a fortune just a few hundred (i think that sounds fair) to get some trailer brakes going.

Ideas?

Oh and two other questions.

1. Any idea what this truck is rated to pull from the hitch? I'd probably be pulling 5-6k with a trailer and car on it. Would this be terrible for the tranny? (It's an auto). I mean, i know it's not good, but i would i be like seriously reducing the life?

2. Tuning. Should i even bother with some sort of tune to get the truck a few more horsepower for towing or would that be a waste of money?

Thanks!

 

Tuning will cost u but a brake controller isnt too bad.
Look up under the dash just to the right of the accel pedal. You might have wiring for a controller. It would b a small grey connector with 7 wires coming off of it.
I've used reese and tekonsha brands as well as elcheapo brands. I think tekonsha is what comes stock on fords?
Anyway, just make sure whatever cont you buy that it is a proportional controller. Also you'll need a 7way plug installed on rear and you might even have wiring for ot stuffed under a frame rail somewhere so that all you have to do is wire and mount connector. Test ligjt plug will come in handy if u aren't real savvy with a meter to make sure your wiring is right.

 

I think the best set ups for longevity when towing are 4.10 gears and a manual tranny but Im sure ppl go years towing 5-6k lbs with 3.73's on an e4od.

 

I have a Tekonsha controler that came with my truck, my truck is mostly stock (just has bigger exhaust, and a TS Chip, and a mamouth transmission cooler) also has 3.55's and I have pulled a couple of cars and it does just fine.

As for a write up on putting one in, I can' help you there. My truck had a factory ford 7 pin harness in the back. But you can definatly tell the controller was added later, by the wiring. It works well. If you aren't confident installing yourself any competent trailer place can do the job for you, I don't see where it would be overly expensive, just the controller, the wiring and the labor to put it all in. Call around to a few places if you can and see what they say.

 

I have a very simple Hidden Hitch Pilot brake controller. Been using it since 2006 towing up to 10,000 lbs without any issues. Easy to mount and wire as most of these trucks came pre-wired as stated above.

Hitch weight depends on the class of hitch and if you're using any type of weight distribution device. I would suggest that for 7,000 lbs, but a goose neck would be much nicer if available.

I have tuning now, but towed many times before that with it stock with the same 10,000 lbs 5th wheel. Just a better experience now with no more turning off the overdrive for hills. I do have a 4.10.

If you don't have gauges then do that first and add a trans cooler to save your tranny.

 

I have used Every style and brand brake controller out there.
They are all JUNK compared to the factory integrated unit EXCEPT one.

The MAXBRAKE. It has a sensor on the master cylinder that reads brake pressure(just like the factory ones). the harder you push on the pedal, the harder the brakes come on. It is a VERY simple principle. it does NOT have a pendulum to swing when you hit the brakes(what are we in the stone age?!?) and it does NOT have a timer for a timed DELAY. The TEKONSHA P3 is the big thing now, but they are JUNK just like the rest


I will NEVER tow with any other style controller again

Another nice feature about the MAXBRAKE is, it has parking brake feature.
Ever see or hear about the guy loading a car or equipment on a trailer, the rear of the trailer goes down and the front of the trailer and rear of the truck go UP. Then the whole deal ROLLS AWAY because the back tires of the truck got light and the parking brake only holds the rear tires?

Yeah, well with the MAXBRAKE the trailer brakes are SET, so if the back tires of the tow vehicle come off the ground, it doesn't matter, because the trailer brakes are on and NOTHING can move

 

This is why you CHOCK the wheels on the truck and/or the trailer while loading. Engaging the 4x4 wouldn't be a bad idea either.

But the parking brake for the trailer option is def. a good idea.

 

I think ford has fixed the issue by now (I sure hope so anyway)
When the ford integrated brake controller first come out in (I think) 05, they were slightly computer controlled... In a way that when the trucks abs come on, trailer brakes shut off!
I was following my boss down a loose peastone lake road hill, with a turn almost at the bottom of hill... He was towing a big cat skid steer with an extra bucket, jack hammer, trencher and other equipment, just before he got to the turn I see the truck take off toward the ditch in front of him instead of making the turn... He barely made the turn. When I got my truck and trailer parked, all he had to say was bad things about that integrated brake controller.

I'll check into the max brake controller. I have a very oldschool hydraulic brake controller in my fathers 76 1ton dump, and I like it a lot. It's not easy to adjust, but works awesome once it's set for the trailer it's used on. I'd like to try something new that works from brake pressure instead of the typical pendulum style that doesn't work when your truck brakes can't slow it down fast enough for the pendulum to move and help slow down, like on ice.

 

Looks like i got a discussion started which is exactly what i wanted to do.

I forgot to mention. I bought this truck from a guy in Florida (I'm in connecticut.) He used it to tow his camper (with a 5th wheel) so it has the holes in the bed for the fifth wheel and it has a fifth wheel plug in the bed of the truck. (It's pretty beat up now and would need to be redone.)

It also has the stock (or i think it's stock) Tekonsha Voyager brake controller. (i just presumed these were garbage and was going to replace it but by the sounds of it the thing is decent).

It has an adjustment for "Gain" on one side and the other side an adjustment for "level". Then it has that thumb squeeze thing.

Honestly, i have no idea how this thing works or how i would adjust it or use it or anything like that.

I'm not sure if there is brake wiring at the rear hitch but it wouldn't be too hard for me to run some more wires and get it there. I've wired up plenty of trailers before. (Just never towed. Haha.)

Any way to tell what gears this truck has?

Here's a picture of the controller in the truck now.

 

Seriously doubtful that's stock, esp. the way and the place it's mounted.

What's the axle code on the sticker on the door jamb?

 

I never really looked at the thing but now that you mention it i agree with you. The screw aren't even screwed in all the way and it does seem like an odd position.

I just updated the post above this one and changed the pictures in it. Took a picture of the sticker i think you're referring to?

 

Actually thats the exact same cont thats in my 95. I do think its stock and it works great for me and my 24ft travel trailer.
The slider is manual brake override. Good to test that on a flat surface going 5mph or less to make sure the trailer brakes are working well enough to stop your rig. The farther you slide it the more braking power is generated. You would never need the manual override on the open road bit I've heard some say if you are swaying out of control you can manually push the slide slowly and it will settle you back into safe towing. I wouldnt know. Never had to try it thankfully! C5 axle code is 3.73 gears I think.

 

By the way, u can get a good deal on a replacement receptacle on amazon.

 

C5 is 4.10, limited slip. There were no 3.73s.

A stock controller would be in the nook where you usually put a brake controller.

 

Axle code C5 on the door jamb sticker means you have 4.10 gears in a limited slip carrier. Those are some really good gears for towing with your automatic transmission.

I would second the idea of adding an auxiliary transmission cooler if you're looking to tow a lot, and I would especially recommend it (along with some gauges) if you intend to get some tunes.

As for the wiring, there is likely already wiring to the rear bumper, even if there is no trailer plug. There are 2 square plugs up above the bumper that the trailer plug connects to. Good luck finding a trailer plug that plugs into those connections though, because they're getting mighty tough to find. Ebay or a junkyard may be your best friend for that.

As for brake controllers, the one you have there now will likely work just fine for occasional, relatively light (which your 5-6k would be considered light for these trucks) towing. The way you adjust it is to hook up the trailer, step on the brakes and then adjust the thumb wheel to the desired level of braking from the trailer. The sliding piece in the front is so you can apply the brakes on the trailer without the brakes on the truck, which is helpful when adjusting them. You can also squeeze on that to make the trailer brakes apply harder than the truck brakes if you want to for some reason. A note of reference is that there will likely be some lights on that controller that will light up once you connect a trailer that has brakes wired into the plug. The controller shuts off when there is no trailer connected (or a trailer with no brakes).