Brakes on Passenger Side Not Working - Please Help

[Mookie]

I was doing general maintenance, getting ready for a road trip, and I noticed that neither of the brakes on the passenger side (tandem axles) are functioning. I can clearly hear the magnets engaging on both of the left wheels but nothing on the right side. Measured the temperature after a road test and both of the wheels on the left side measured 170 degrees but the right side only 70 degrees. I spun the wheels on both sides - left side stops, right side keeps spinning when brakes are applied. I replaced all of my brake backing plates about 2 years ago and was very careful to solder and heavily insulate all connections. Yesterday, I checked all of the wiring that I can see looking for obvious problems but everything looks in order. I've read on the forums that the brake wiring travels down the left side to each wheel and over the axle to the right side. That makes this problem seem especially strange to me since both left wheels are working properly and no power seems to be getting to the right side.

Has anyone experienced a problem like this? I would appreciate any help you can provide.

Thanks!

-Mark

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by Mookie

I was doing general maintenance, getting ready for a road trip, and I noticed that neither of the brakes on the passenger side (tandem axles) are functioning. I can clearly hear the magnets engaging on both of the left wheels but nothing on the right side. Measured the temperature after a road test and both of the wheels on the left side measured 170 degrees but the right side only 70 degrees. I spun the wheels on both sides - left side stops, right side keeps spinning when brakes are applied. I replaced all of my brake backing plates about 2 years ago and was very careful to solder and heavily insulate all connections. Yesterday, I checked all of the wiring that I can see looking for obvious problems but everything looks in order. I've read on the forums that the brake wiring travels down the left side to each wheel and over the axle to the right side. That makes this problem seem especially strange to me since both left wheels are working properly and no power seems to be getting to the right side.

Has anyone experienced a problem like this? I would appreciate any help you can provide.

Thanks!

-Mark

Hi Mark, Do you have a stab light or a volt meter? Start back at the wires that enter the drums and see if your getting power and work your way to the tongue. There is an open in the wiring somewhere. Make sure you have a good ground for the testing equipment. Since you know that the left side is working get reading off that side so you know what to expect on the right.

[Excella CM]

The powerline to the curbside is broken. look for the break.

[HowieE]

Yes the wireing is down the drivers side and then cross to the passangers side but the crossover is up inside the bellypan not inside the axles. That makes it a bit hard to trace.

If you can drop the edge of one of the belly pan panels just forward of the front axle you might be able to see the connection to the passanger side. If you do not want to drop a panel consider running a new wire from the tongue toeach of the passanger side brakes. wires that I run under the trailer I run inside 1/8 in tubing for protection.

If you run new wiring consider installing a 10 amp fuse on each side if you have 2 axles. Magnets draw about 3 1/2 amps per so 10 amps is a good choise. This is especially a good idea if you do in fact have a broken wire in the body that you have not located and capped off as it may short in the future and cause you to loose all brakes.

[Tarheel]

Check the wires at the wheel that is the most common place for a break. A break is hard to find but easy to fix once found.