Quote:
Originally Posted by DRanger
Apparently there's no movement or clicking to be heard in my wheels when the brakes are energized while the wheels are not moving ... So, I think all is well. Nothing is wrong with my brakes, or, nothing will be wrong once I install a new breakaway switch.
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That sounds right.
When you energize the brakes, what you are doing is energizing a magnet, which rides very close to a smooth steel surface (part of the hub/wheel assembly). When energized, the magnet closes the small gap. If the wheels are not rotating, you hear nothing because the gap is so small. But if the wheels are rotating, the next thing that happens is that the magnet drags over the surface as the wheel turns. The dragging of the magnet is audible.
Incidentally, if you apply the tow vehicle's brake pedal, you can sometimes hear "singing" at the TM brakes, even if the wheels are not turning. The pulsed voltage from the controller causes the magnet to vibrate a bit against the steel surface, and you can hear the vibration. Not always, and not from the breakaway switch, since it doesn't produce pulses. But when you can hear it, it is an easy indicator that power is getting to the brakes, even if the wheel is not turning.
Bill