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Hope that works out for you. I like the new avatar by the way!
Originally Posted by Fomoko1
I agree, nice avatar. We finally got rain, with no rain since last summer it was getting way too dry.
Thank you! my username should be Red&Blue60...
I drove my F250 to my local trailer supply place and queried them about electric brake controllers for classic trucks. They struggled with my questions because I know without hydraulic pressure input the controller only has On/Off with brake light. They do have one that works with your phone and looks like a trailer plug adapter. Pretty slick but you cant reach up and apply extra brake by hand!? Here is a picture of the controller.
Is anyone running electric brake controller and hauling with their classic? If so what are you using?
Well the update on running the crappy ethanol fuel is a mixed bag!
1) Yes it runs and drives OK
2) pings under load
3) runs on after keyed off
4) Noticeable power reduction
5) Air-Fuel ratio leaned out just slightly 14.8 vs 14.5
My next move is to retard the timing (yes Steve) some to see if that helps any of the above.
Hauled sawdust with no issues at 60MPH! Stops great with no trailer brakes yet. Overall it performed excellent except the fuel related observations.
I don't have a brake controller on my '58 but I do use a Tekonsha Prodigy P3 on my 2001 Excursion and 2007 Forest River Lexington. Modern controllers use an internal decelerometer to control braking pressure instead of any connection to the hydraulic system. I can't think of any reason why this controller or a similar one could not be used on one of our classic trucks. While you will not be able to get a vehicle specific harness, the included harness and what Tekonsha refers to as the generic wiring diagram should provide most of what you need. If you get that far and need help, I'd be happy to talk you through it.
I don't have a brake controller on my '58 but I do use a Tekonsha Prodigy P3 on my 2001 Excursion and 2007 Forest River Lexington. Modern controllers use an internal decelerometer to control braking pressure instead of any connection to the hydraulic system. I can't think of any reason why this controller or a similar one could not be used on one of our classic trucks. While you will not be able to get a vehicle specific harness, the included harness and what Tekonsha refers to as the generic wiring diagram should provide most of what you need. If you get that far and need help, I'd be happy to talk you through it.
Lou Manglass
Its not wiring or any issue with installation, but more of the controller not in tune with brake pressure. Slow vs hard braking. The controller is clueless because of no proportion control.
*Correction*
Rereading your post I caught the accelerometer but how does it know my intended stop-rate? In my 04 it gets a signal from the truck about brake pressure applied...
Last edited by Red60; May 28, 2021 at 11:41 PM.
Reason: Updated
Its not wiring or any issue with installation, but more of the controller not in tune with brake pressure. Slow vs hard braking. The controller is clueless because of no proportion control.
*Correction*
Rereading your post I caught the accelerometer but how does it know my intended stop-rate? In my 04 it gets a signal from the truck about brake pressure applied...
Perhaps there is a controller (maybe factory) that I'm not aware of that incorporates a signal from the ABS computer indicating brake pressure but the aftermarket controllers I'm familiar with do not. For example, the Tekonsha I have uses 4 wires: +12 volts, ground, a wire from the brake light switch to indicate when you are braking, and a wire to the trailer brakes. Even my '01 and '07 with the specific factory plug-in harnesses do not have any other connections. By the way, I swap one controller between both vehicles without any complications.
You adjust the decelerometer to vertical once the controller is mounted (newer models are self adjusting) and that device measures the brake force you are applying in the vehicle and transfers that deceleration rate to the trailer brakes. It uses the same counter-force to momentum that pushes you against the seat belts when you brake hard. There is an adjustment on the front panel to fine tune or compensate between loaded and unloaded (although much more advanced, this isn't much different from the oldest hydraulic brake controllers). On my particular controller you can even set up those different circumstances in memories so you don't have to readjust every time you empty or load the trailer. I mostly tow a car trailer that has a huge weight difference when unloaded/loaded (1,000 lb. vs. 5,000 lb.) so my setting is vastly different between those two conditions (#2 vs. #13 IIRC).
I can't think of any reason why that controller wouldn't work on your older truck. You can look up the Tekonsha wiring diagram easily enough and see what I'm talking about. The decelerometer is the method by which all the aftermarket controllers have worked since the advent of ABS. Once ABS became a feature, it was no longer safe to tap into the brake plumbing to measure the pressure.
Perhaps there is a controller (maybe factory) that I'm not aware of that incorporates a signal from the ABS computer indicating brake pressure but the aftermarket controllers I'm familiar with do not. For example, the Tekonsha I have uses 4 wires: +12 volts, ground, a wire from the brake light switch to indicate when you are braking, and a wire to the trailer brakes. Even my '01 and '07 with the specific factory plug-in harnesses do not have any other connections. By the way, I swap one controller between both vehicles without any complications.
You adjust the decelerometer to vertical once the controller is mounted (newer models are self adjusting) and that device measures the brake force you are applying in the vehicle and transfers that deceleration rate to the trailer brakes. It uses the same counter-force to momentum that pushes you against the seat belts when you brake hard. There is an adjustment on the front panel to fine tune or compensate between loaded and unloaded (although much more advanced, this isn't much different from the oldest hydraulic brake controllers). On my particular controller you can even set up those different circumstances in memories so you don't have to readjust every time you empty or load the trailer. I mostly tow a car trailer that has a huge weight difference when unloaded/loaded (1,000 lb. vs. 5,000 lb.) so my setting is vastly different between those two conditions (#2 vs. #13 IIRC).
I can't think of any reason why that controller wouldn't work on your older truck. You can look up the Tekonsha wiring diagram easily enough and see what I'm talking about. The decelerometer is the method by which all the aftermarket controllers have worked since the advent of ABS. Once ABS became a feature, it was no longer safe to tap into the brake plumbing to measure the pressure.
Lou Manglass
Lou, that is the best explanation of brake controllers I have ever seen. The older ones had the levers you pointed down and sensitivity adjustments and the manual slide switch. The one I have now came with the truck and has none of that. The manual switch was very handy when going down steep grades. I always thought if the old movie "trailer brakes, car brakes.".
Lou, that is the best explanation of brake controllers I have ever seen. The older ones had the levers you pointed down and sensitivity adjustments and the manual slide switch. The one I have now came with the truck and has none of that. The manual switch was very handy when going down steep grades. I always thought if the old movie "trailer brakes, car brakes.".
Thank You. The manual slide is still on the front so you can manipulate the trailer brakes manually, if need be.
