Tag Axle brakes

[gaiaenviro]

Im redoing the rear brakes on my 325 and noticed that the Tag Axle brakes don't function with the moho jacked up and running. Do all the tag axle brakes have a controller in the cockpit (mine doesn't), or could they be controlled by the brake light switch? Thanks!

[davejay]

Hey
My 325 has a controller under the dash to the left of the steering wheel.
It is electric, but it is activated by brake fluid pressure off the master cylinder.
Check your master, see if there is a 1/4 inch line going up into the coach. It is an adjustable unit. By turning the black knob, you get more or less brake pressure. The will move the little armature inside the unit. Giving the brakes more or less voltage. The thing is about 3 inches wide ,maybe 5 inches long, and about a 5/8 of an inch thick. There will be a little black knob on the one side. Mine has a light too. When you hit the brakes, the light comes on. Let's you know it's working. And it is part of the brake system, so it needs to be bled, like a wheel cylinder. Is it isn't t bled it won't activate, and you'll feel like your brakes have air the lines. Hope this helps Dj

[davejay]

Hey, again,
My 345 didn't t have a controller either, and the rear tag brakes never were used. My drums were totally rusty. Pitted rusty. So I thing they were never connected. Weird eh. This little controller unit can be purchased fron any trailor place. It's the exact same unit, you'd have on say your boat trailor. Not hard to plum in either. You run the 1/4 inch brake line off the master cylinder rear wheel line. Up under the dash to where ever you want it the brake electric wires from the tag should be locatable under the dash, or around there. One line to power, the other to the tag electric line. The controller is basically a voltage regulated.
DJ

[gaiaenviro]

Thanks! After crawling under the steering column I found one, that has a gain knob on it that was turned all the way down, so we’ll see if that corrects it. It appears to be all electric but I’ll look closer....

[jperrey]

I was told to start with 1.5 on my Cutter Bus

[davejay]

Gia,
You got under the dash? Brother, you must be like Houdini. If I tried that, that is where they would find my cold body. Your a better man than me. I would call one of my sons. Offer them lasania,garlic bread and fuel for there car. I'll bet my 345 had that controller. But I never looked for it.
1.5 volts at the knob? Depending on how you got your bags set. That weight on the tag will determine how much braking, the tag can take before they skid. I don't think in everyday use to much brake on the tags would be bad. But if you got to make a quick stop, then I can see them locking up. Then you just knocked the balance off on the tires, and maybe induced a whuup whuup sound. That is one reason I bought centermatics. Constant balance of the spinning unit. My only concern with the centermatics, is that when installed on the tag they are awfull close to the wheel well. Like one inch away. I'll have to. Keep an eye on them. But I like quiet when I drive. My 2 GMCs although, a much higher quality MH than AS they tended to shake. The wheels where steel. Probably a little out of round no centermatics back then. DJ

[gaiaenviro]

I took the trip this past weekend without the Tag axle brakes and didn't notice any difference from every other trip, so will give them a troubleshooting this week to sort out the lack of function. My gut tells me its a power supply issue as has been a common occurrence in other issues. I'll keep you posted...

[gunner]

On my 345 there was also a large blue resistor on the outside fire wall that had a slide that would change the output voltage going to the brakes.

[davejay]

Hey,
I'm not so sure of the nessesity for functional brakes on the tag . The 310 models are a foot and a half shorter. Weight wise, almost nothing, length wise, what's a foot. I think it was added for stability, and looks. And the axle mfger probably didn't make a non brake equipped axle. So they added it in, and put the brake side of it in as a extra sourse of stopping power. It's not much, but it would help on a mountain grade or a panic stop. It wouldn't stop me from taking a trip. And I personally wouldn't care if mine worked. You may have some trouble, IF, you ever got inspected. Highly doughtful, but a possibility.
Under the doghouse, I found two large black and white wires that do have a plug connector mine unplugged very easily. I think that was the tag axle power . They are on the drivers side, up by the AC. Compressed, kind of in the wire loom. Might be worth checking, I was putzing around under there and pulled one loose. Maybe you'll be so lucky. DJ