TrailManor Owner's Forum  

Go Back   TrailManor Owner's Forum > TrailManor Technical Discussions > Towing and Hitching
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-30-2005, 07:10 PM   #1
hemi 4 3
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Very good info.

Rocky mtn Ray
Thanks for the concise controller information. I just ordered the prodigy and am glad that I did. My last experience was in the late 70's when I had an old gmc 2 ton and installed a hydraulic unit that was t'd in to brake master cyl. and was basically an adjustable rheostat and it worked great.

My new magnum wagon with abs and other electronics would probably not like to be t'd into.
thanks again for taking the time to write such an informational article.

Hemi 4 3

2000 2720
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2005, 10:04 AM   #2
Bill
Site Team
 
Bill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
Posts: 10,088
Default

Yes, my Dad had one of these tap-into-the-hydraulics brake controllers in the 60's and 70's, and it did work great. Instant response, and exactly proportional to brake pedal pressure. However, I do remember that adjusting the sensitivity was a matter of moving and reclamping a slider on a great big coiled-wire resistor under the hood.

There are a couple reasons why you can't tie into the hydraulics on a modern car. My understanding is that modern cars move a much smaller volume of brake fluid to activate the brakes than old cars did, and if you "steal" enough volume to move a trailer brake controller, it would disable the tow vehicle brakes.

The other reason seems to be that when the ABS is activated, the very high pressure pulses in the brake line would destroy any common brake controller.

Bill
__________________
2020 2720QS (aka 2720SL)
2014 Ford F-150 4WD 5.0L
Bill's Tech Stuff album
Bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2005, 11:54 AM   #3
RockyMtnRay
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 816
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by hemi 4 3
Rocky mtn Ray
Thanks for the concise controller information. I just ordered the prodigy and am glad that I did. My last experience was in the late 70's when I had an old gmc 2 ton and installed a hydraulic unit that was t'd in to brake master cyl. and was basically an adjustable rheostat and it worked great.

My new magnum wagon with abs and other electronics would probably not like to be t'd into.
thanks again for taking the time to write such an informational article.

Hemi 4 3

2000 2720
Welcome. Yes I too remember those old rheostat type controllers....had a little hydraulic slave cylinder to a slider along a rheostat. Way back in the '50s my dad installed one on the family car (a '53 Ford). The problem, as Bill notes, is ABS is not compatible with them, they required a substantial volume of fluid to activate, and you're quite likely to cause a malfunction code in one or more of your vehicle's ECUs (electronic control units...aka computers). So they're no longer being sold.

However, there actually is a modern day equivalent to the old style hydraulic actuated controller...it's the Brakesmart system...instead of a hydraulic slave cylinder/rheostat it uses a solid state pressure transducer. Almost zero fluid movement since it's pressure based so it does work well with all modern braking systems (including those with ABS and panic brake boost). The problem is it's exceedingly costly (about $350 plus shipping) and the small company that makes it is frequently out of stock and not taking any new orders. I have a hunch that if anything breaks, you might have to wait a substantial amount of time for repairs as well.

You made a good decision to buy the Prodigy.
__________________
Ray

I use my TM as a base camp for hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and climbing Colorado's 14ers


The Trailer: 2002 TM Model 2720SL ( Mods: Solar Panels (170 Watts), Dual T-105 Batteries, Electric Tongue Jack, Side AC, Programmable Thermostat, Doran TP Monitor System)

The Tow Vehicle: 2003 Toyota Tundra V8 SR5 4X4 w/Tow Package (Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Prodigy Brake Controller, Transmission Temperature Gauge)


RockyMtnRay is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:22 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 2022 Trailmanor Owners Page.