Adjusting the Brakesmart Controller, What is your method?

[ljthawk]

I'm fairly new to using trailer brakes and recently installed the Brakesmart controller. Since installing the controller I have towed various set ups, that is different trailers and different loads on the different trailers (sometimes even empty) . I' still trying to get a feel of how to properly set the controller's settings and am interested in hearing how others go about adjusting their Brakesmart unit.

Specifically the two adjustments I play with are "initial braking" and "gain". Since "initial braking" sets the initial brake psi, I am under the impression that setting the gain also changes the initial braking current for a given initial brake psi; therefore the two adjustments are somewhat coupled.

Anyway, what I have been doing is to turn up the gain until the tires start to skid on pavement under hard braking. Then I turn up (or down) the initial braking so that I feel the trailer start to slow the truck at initial brake tap (just enough to set the lights), but doesn't skid the tires when stopping on pavement. I often find that I'm constantly playing with the settings. Few times I had it set so that I couldn't tell there was a trailer behind the truck, that is the trailer brakes didn't grab and the trailer didn't push the truck, it felt just as if there was no trailer. I assume that is the goal.

Anyway, any insight on how you adjust the Brakesmart settings would be appreciated.

Thanks,

L.J.

[johnmart]

My approach was to leave it the factory out-of-the-box setting and run it for a while.
With two different travel trailers, it just stopped in a straight line with NO push or jerk to the truck.

Being somewhat of an experimenter, I then did some of the adjustments and things got different. The trailer would jerk the truck if I had too much gain, so I re-set it to the default settings and have left it there for over 12k miles. I see no reason to change anything as long as my stops (including very hard braking panic situations) continue to be straight and smooth.

If you get the trailer braking too light, you may find yourself jack-knifed. Even a hint of the trailer coming around or pushing the rear of your tow vehicle around can put some very large pucker marks in the driver seat. Don't ask!

Too much trailer braking just wears tires and brake linings and in my opinion is downright uncomfortable. Remember that once a tire breaks loose and slides, it's braking effect is greatly reduced.

[j_apetersen]

The only setting you should have to change is first set the brakes to elec. and hold the red button down when it tells you how many amps it has then you can change it to any of the faces you pefer mine is the clock and date. then set the gain try center if they lock up lower if they dont try more gain.

[dcates]

With my 2004 I never had to fiddle with it. I just hooked it up and used the calibration, which is automatic with 2 axles. However, on my 1997 which has lower braking pressures I have had to increase the gain. I'm still working with it since I don't use the trailer that often. Let us know what you do.