Integrated Brake Controller Settings Help

[Skrap]

Need some suggestions from those that know more than I. I ahve experience towing heavy load around town nut most has been with work truck and surge brakes. The family is moving from Socal to Tulsa OK area. We are moving ourselves do to cost and convience, believe it or not. My truck is a 2015 Ram 2500 Mega Cab with the 6.4 Hemi. On our first load out my 10K GVWR 24' enclosed cargo trailer is at full capacity. Earlier in the week i had it overloaded and scaled at 12,080 lbs so i took some stuff out and go it within about spec. Taking it to the scales today it is about 20 miles round trip in city driving. With the trail at 10K lbs i set the integrated brake control module at Heavy Electric with about 6-7% gain. When i got home this afternoon I checked the hubs and rims (the actual wheel hub is covered by an alumin chrome cover for looks) I noticed the rims that are right around the lug nuts were fairly warm. All four where this way. Being a new trailer, i fully greased the hubs/bearing until grease came out of the EZ **** hubs so I know they have proper gease.

I want to know if you think my brake controller may be set properly with the full 10K# trailer i'm towing. Do you think the Heavy Electric with 6-7% gain is too much? Does any of this cause more "drag" on the trailer drum brakes. The last 3 miles was stop and go traffic so it probably cause some extra heat to transfer to the rims. Should i be looking at using the Light Electric setting. The way it is set now is when I'm moving on the street at a crawl and squeeze the brake controller it will noticably slow the truck but not totally stop it unless I kept it squeezed for an extened period. I can get an IR heat gun but I wouldn't know what is a normal temp for hubs and rims to get during normal city driving situations. What say you more experienced towers.

 

[2003F350]

I don't think you need to be on the heavy electric setting. I would run it on light electric. With that much weight I would run about 6-7 on the gain - I run light electric on 5-6 gain when I'm pulling my 8k-ish travel trailer and have no issues. If I squeeze the controller too hard it will lock the tires on my trailer.

Setting up an IBC is somewhat a 'play around and see what works' but yours is definitely set up wrong.

 

[John Jensen]

I tow a 30', 9800 lb travel trailer and have my controller set exactly as you have done. Your warm wheel hubs are normal for the stop and go you described.

I suggest when on the hiway find a safe place to stop and check the hubs. If hot, you either have bearings set too tight or brakes are dragging. I don't think it would be related to your controller settings. I'd bet a nickle your hubs will not be hot.

 

[Earl Zeis]

Owners manual will tell you when to use light or heavy settings. I don't recall but at 10 to 12k, I'd think heavy. I use heavy for my 12.5K trailer, which is what the owners manual called for at that weight.

Gain is set the same as any other brake control. Mostly feel. You want as high as you can get without locking the wheels. But there is a procedure. I don't recall if it was in the owners manual, but should be. Otherwise any trailer brake controller instructions will work.

Your hubs will get warm/hot from driving and braking.


Earl