trailer brake wiring; how to keep it from getting terrorized by rocks

[summ-it-up]

as the title says, on my tandem enclosed trailer the wiring from the frame to the axles keeps getting busted apart by rocks and other debris. i drive about 70/30 on highway/gravel and it seems like no amount of tape or plastic conduit is doing the job. any body have this/ fixed it?

 

[Polarblu]

You start with good wire!! That grey stuff that is kinda stiff in the shop is made of glass on the road. Thick black outside coating, marked arctic. Then route it in places that the rocks dont hit, if you see paint in one spot and rust in another then the rusty spot is getting pounded. On connections use the crimp connectors that are covered in shrink tube and coated on the inside with glue.. For that trailer they are blue they are expensive and they are worth every penny. Next use the right crimpers!!! There are proper crimpers, they say on the jaws insulated and non insulated. If you use whatever kind of crimpers your defeating the purpose you will scar the connection, leading to corrosion aka the green powder.

 

[teeroy]

You start with good wire!! That grey stuff that is kinda stiff in the shop is made of glass on the road. Thick black outside coating, marked arctic. Then route it in places that the rocks dont hit, if you see paint in one spot and rust in another then the rusty spot is getting pounded. On connections use the crimp connectors that are covered in shrink tube and coated on the inside with glue.. For that trailer they are blue they are expensive and they are worth every penny. Next use the right crimpers!!! There are proper crimpers, they say on the jaws insulated and non insulated. If you use whatever kind of crimpers your defeating the purpose you will scar the connection, leading to corrosion aka the green powder.

nothing worse than band aid fixes on wiring. I hate the green powder

 

[tex78]

Use the good trailer wire called arctic flex.

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[papajake]

i used a old garden hose run the wire inside and clamped it to the frame with open end hose clamps use the self tapping screws to hold them to the frame i left the ends open just let them dry out but you could silicone them closed

 

[gibsons]

ran into the same problem. that thin wire running into the hub broke on 3 of the four hubs. I used an all weather wire which is flexible in the winter, basically looks like an extension cord and started inside the frame out of harms way, and i don't use wire connectors and crimpers but instead used solder and heat shrink. the wire is the perfect size to run inside the back of the hub. just have to make sure it's the proper length and mounted securely in the hub so it doesn't effect mobility inside.

 

[Polarblu]

ran into the same problem. that thin wire running into the hub broke on 3 of the four hubs. I used an all weather wire which is flexible in the winter, basically looks like an extension cord and started inside the frame out of harms way, and i don't use wire connectors and crimpers but instead used solder and heat shrink. the wire is the perfect size to run inside the back of the hub. just have to make sure it's the proper length and mounted securely in the hub so it doesn't effect mobility inside.

Solder joints cause a very stiff point in the wire,(brittle) also usually a pointy spike that pushes through the shrink tube(corrosion) Shrink tube has a wide variety of quality issues(no glue inside no good) Solder is for resistance crucial connections, has to be done right. AKA wires wound together and soldered have just as much resistance as a cheap pico connector!!

 

[summ-it-up]

i used a old garden hose run the wire inside and clamped it to the frame with open end hose clamps use the self tapping screws to hold them to the frame i left the ends open just let them dry out but you could silicone them closed

this is something simlar to what i was thinking. the only place the wires are taking abuse it on the 8 inches or so thats exposed from the frame to the axle. i initially wrapped the wires in plastic conduit and then taped them with several layers of electrical tape, but that lasted about 6 weeks. heres what it looked like the last time it happened.

 

[overkill131313]

years ago when I used to wire trailer for the farmers and the oil field......I used to run every thing in conduit.....and metal flex conduit for the axles.....every thing went to junction boxes.......with the proper fitting that treaded into the junctions box (with the nut behind)........drill out the backing plate and install one of those thread and nut/clamp to conduit fitting (I dont know the name of them lol)........yes those blue heat shrink with glue butt connectors are great! when I used to wire a trailer the boss said all his return customers that came in every year to get their trailer rewired with a wheel bearing greese job.....Never got the wiring redone! it cost more to do but you can drag the trailer behind a cat to the leases and you will never have an issue! just my 2 cents!

 

[Polarblu]

this is something simlar to what i was thinking. the only place the wires are taking abuse it on the 8 inches or so thats exposed from the frame to the axle. i initially wrapped the wires in plastic conduit and then taped them with several layers of electrical tape, but that lasted about 6 weeks. heres what it looked like the last time it happened.


View attachment 123492

Every mechanic out there knows that wire!!! Its horrible, Sorry dude but its a fact.