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On page 3 of the 2001 Chevrolet "Trailering Guide" under the
heading "Trailer Brakes", the following statement appears in
the middle of the paragraph: "In addition, you should not tap into your
vehicle's brake system if that brake system will use more than 0.02 cubic inches
of fluid from your vehicle's master cylinder."
Ford Motor Company does not address the question in any of the
printed material it distributes that I have seen and I have not inquired of Ford
Motor Company or Ford dealerships. I don't know about Chrysler
Corporation, Daimler-Benz, or Dodge dealers.
I use the K-H controller on a '94 Ford after tapping into the
rear ABS brake line as recommended by a Hayes-Lemmerz company spokesman and a
local RV dealer. It works great providing trailer braking modulated
to match truck braking. In several thousand miles of towing with
the controller installed I have been forced to make several
hard stops with the trailer in tow. Stopping ability of the combined
13,500 pounds of truck and trailer is better than with the truck
alone. I have also made a number of hard stops in fast moving city traffic
without the trailer when a traffic light suddenly changed from green to
red. The rear ABS brakes operate exactly as designed and as they did prior
to installation of the K-H controller. Rear ABS kicks in and
modulates the rear brakes to prevent lockup and skidding.
Printed literature provided with the Kelsey-Hayes
hydraulic actuated electric brake controller kit model number 81740C states:
"ALL KELSEY HYDRAULIC ACTUATED ELECTRIC BRAKE CONTROLLERS REQUIRE LESS THAN .02
CUBIC INCH (0.3 CUBIC CENTIMETERS) OF FLUID FROM THE MASTER
CYLINDER."
Another statement that appears in the Kelsey-Hayes Tee fitting
application chart states: "Kelsey-Hayes controllers are compatible with Ford
light trucks and vans equipped with anti-lock brake systems."
On the outside of the box that the K-H controller model 81740C
is shipped in the following word are printed: "Meets Current Automobile
Manufacturers Hydraulic Brake Fluid Displacement Requirements."
I am not familiar with the federal regulation cited but I
think we can safely assume that if literature distributed by the Chevrolet
division of General Motors Corporation cautions only against the use of trailer
braking systems that use more than a specified amount of brake fluid, and
Kelsey-Hayes states unequivocally that hydraulic-electric brake controllers
use less than that specified amount, meet manufacturer's specifications, and can
be used, the controllers probably don't violate federal
regulations.
Tapping into the brake lines of the towing vehicle does not reduce the
hydraulic braking pressure applied to the brakes fed by the line that has been
tapped nor does it alter the braking pressure or balance between the front and
rear brakes.
In any case, the Kelsey controllers work exceptionally well when
installed. The difference between using that old-fashioned K-H controller
that is no longer manufactured or sold and is generally disparaged by RV dealers
and using the modern pendulum type controllers is like the difference in towing
a trailer equipped with brakes and one with no brakes at all.
I don't sell brake controllers or any other automotive or trailer products,
I simply want to state the facts as I know them. Everyone is free to make
their own choices about equipment and to express opposing opinions.
Harvey Barlow
Lubbock, TX
WBCCI # 1171, WDCU, VAC
'94 Ford F250HD
'93 Airstream Excella 34', 84 Airstream Excella 31', '66 Airstream Safari
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