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Electric Brakes
The electric brakes on your trailer are similar to the drum brakes on your
automobile. The basic difference is that your automotive brakes are actuated
by hydraulic pressure while your electric trailer brakes are actuated by an
electromagnet. With all of the brake components connected into the system, the
brake will operate as follows:
Primary Shoe
Actuating Lever
Magnet
Adjuster Spring
Adjuster
Shoe Hold
Down Spring
Secondary Shoe
Retractor Spring
Front of Brake
When the electrical current is fed into the system by the controller, it ows
through the electromagnets in the brakes. The high capacity electromagnets are
energized and are attracted to the rotating armature surface of the drums which
moves the actuating levers in the direction that the drums are turning.
The resulting force causes the actuating cam block at the shoe end of the lever
to push the primary shoe out against the inside surface of the brake drum. The
force generated by the primary shoe acting through the adjuster moves the
secondary shoe out into contact with the brake drum.
Increasing the current ow to the electromagnet causes the magnet to grip
the armature surface of the brake drum more rmly. This results in increasing
the pressure against the shoes and brake drums until the desired stop is
accomplished.
Braking Systems - Electric
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