Tow Brake, LLC.
3606 Highway 62/412 S.
Hardy, Arkansas 72542
HD3000 - Hypowered Actuator
Frequently asked Questions:
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Is the HD3000 running constantly while the brakes are applied?
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Do you have a timed reading for the HD to hit full pressure in a “dead head” mode?
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I have heard that brake release time can be an issue. How fast does the HD3000 release the brakes?
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I have a time based controller. Is the HD3000 compatible with this style of controller?
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Does your system work with the new Ford Super Duty Built-in Brake Controller?
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Can this system be used to replace a air over Hydraulic or vacuum over hydraulic pump?
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I understand you have onboard diagnostics. How do they work?
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I see you have an auxiliary battery charging circuit. How does that work?
Have a question that is not shown above? E-mail us.
What are the dimensions of the HD3000?This unit is 22 inches long by 7.75 inches high and 4 inches wide. It weighs about 32 lbs.
There seem to be many different approaches to supplying hydraulic brakes. Can you explain the differences? This should probably be a short course in college. In short, we are what is referred to in the industry as an “electric over hydraulic” system. This phrase is usually shortened to “electric/hydraulic”. That means the HD turns electric energy into hydraulic energy for the brakes. Other approaches are to use an air pump or vacuum pump which gets you to “air over hydraulic” air/hydraulic or “vacuum over hydraulic” vacuum/hydraulic. Air/hydraulic is utilized in the commercial trailer industry.
How much power is needed to run the system? The HD3000 uses about 30 mAmps when idle (to power the circuitry) and may draw up to 24 amps when transitioning to pressure. We recommend a 30 amp circuit with a resetable circuit breaker. The unit must have power at all times to operate correctly.
Is the HD3000 running constantly while the brakes are applied? No. The HD motor only uses power when moving to pressure. For instance, the vehicle brake is applied at a stop light, the HD uses electrical power to move to pressure and returns to idle power while maintaining brake pressure. When the brake is released, the motor uses a brief bit of power then returns to idle power and zero brake pressure. The HD Actuator operates only when there is a brake pressure transition required.
Does your system work with drum hydraulic brakes? Yes, we provide a unit tailored to operate with Drum Brakes. These systems require less pressure to operate than Disc systems. When ordering and HD for Drum Hydraulic Brakes ask for the HD3000D!
What if I don’t want to use 2 ports? We offer a single port system with the same great features.
It appears you are using a master cylinder. Why? It is a proven technology that has been in use since the early 1900’s. Proven technology.
What are the advantages of 2 hydraulic ports? Efficiency and SAFETY! As with a car, two ports provide the advantage of one axle (in this case the front) getting pressure quicker than the other (the back). The dynamic forces of braking puts more pressure on the front axle and less on the rear axle(s). Our design supplies fluid and pressure in approximately a 60/40 split. In the case of a line rupture, a second port provides a measure of backup. The other hydraulic line will provide pressure until the reservoir runs dry of fluid. In this scenario your stopping ability will be diminished but you won’t loose all your braking ability.
How fast to full brake pressure? The HD series can achieve a full 1600lbs of pressure (for disc) in as little as 8/10ths of second. Understand, the 8/10ths of a second test result was to activate 6 disc calipers on 3 complete axles. For tandem axle disc systems the time to pressure is less than 1/2 a second. To reach full pressure on a drum brake system (1000 lbs) the time is a little over ½ second.
Some actuator manufacturers reference their time to reach pressure to something I’ve heard referred to as “Dead Heading”. What does that mean? That usually means that they are achieving maximum pressure while pumping into a pressure gauge at the end of a brake line. They are lacking the volume movement associated with the calipers on the circuit. Just for comparison, how long does it take for the HD to hit full pressure in a “dead head” mode? .185 seconds. Don’t blink you may miss it!
I have heard that brake release time can be an issue. How quickly will the HD release the brakes? Our units release faster than they set the brakes. In our design, the master cylinder works to speed release. Our actuator is merely getting out of the way of the spring loaded cylinder on release. To release from full 1600lbs pressure takes around a half second. This does not mean you will need to wait a half second to move. The release is near linear, so you feel the brakes release almost immediately with full release as noted above.
Cequent’s literature does not recommend the Prodigy for electric over hydraulic systems. Yet your suppliers recommend the Prodigy for use with the HD3000. How is that? The simple answer to your question is “because we designed it that way! When we designed the HD, our goal was to assure compatibility with all controllers. Most of the high end controllers on the market, until recently, assumed that the world was made up of only electric brake systems. To best utilize these systems, they built in special tickler circuits that periodically test the magnets to determine the best power setting. This tickling pulse while undetectable by the electric magnet folks can wreak havoc with an electric over hydraulic unit. Soooo...... First, we only use the “blue” cab control wire as a sense lead. We draw very little power from it so the cab controller does not need to determine axle counts etc. Second, during the trickle pulse we condition the reflected signal back up the blue wire to tell the controller it’s got a good connection. We then discard the pulse.
I have a time based controller. Is the HD3000 compatible with this style of controller? Yes and no. The HD will work with a time based controller, but, you will not necessarily like the performance. Time based controllers work by increasing the brake voltage (blue wire demand) for the amount of time you have the brake pedal pressed. You’ll find the operation jerky. We recommend use of an inertia controller with hydraulic brakes. We’ve had great success with the Prodigy from Cequent.
Does your system work with the new Ford Super Duty Built-in Brake Controller? Yes.
Where is your unit manufactured? We manufacture the HD3000 actuator in our new factory in Hardy, Arkansas in the foothills of the Arkansas Ozarks.
How much of the HD3000 is made in the USA? Good question! By dollar value we estimate that 85% of the HD3000 is US made. By part count we are at about 92%.
Do you market the HD series outside the US? Yes we do. We have product in Canada and the UK. All Dealer/Distributor inquiries are Welcome, foreign and domestic!
Can this system be used to replace a air over Hydraulic or vacuum over hydraulic pump? Yes. All you need do is install the HD and replumb the hydraulic lines to the dual ports. We have a lot of folks converting with great success.
How does your unit operate? The HD interprets a signal from your cab controller and causes an actuator to move a hydraulic master cylinder. By monitoring the pressure readings at the master cylinder output we have a feedback loop to maintain specific pressure.
Can your system achieve 1600lbs pressure? Yes, but we are still wondering who set that bar. We’ve found in our testing that 800 – 1000 lbs of pressure will lock up the wheels on most trailers. When one goes beyond those pressure levels brake component degradation begins. We do have extra capacity if needed.
How granular are your pressure changes? The HD3000 can walk up to maximum pressure in 50-75 lbs increments. What is interesting is that once we get to the pressure (or brake force) required we require no power to hold that pressure. The HD3000 only uses power when it transitions up or down the pressure gradient. “It works just like my car”.
I understand you have onboard diagnostics. How do they work? By pushing the test button the unit is activated and a set of lights indicate the status at each pressure port. Green indicates good pressure, yellow indicates low pressure and red indicates a port failure. With the simple push of a button, the user can determine system status in the parking lot, BEFORE TRAVEL!
How can you offer a longer warranty than everyone else? Our system has a duty cycle about 1/10 that of our competition, plus we utilize proven technology with reliable components.
What do we mean by a 1/10 duty cycle? Our system only needs to operate when a pressure change is needed. For example if you press the brake at a stop sign and hold it. The HD3000 moves to the appropriate pressure setting then waits for another command. The time of operation is a fraction of a second each time. Compare that to the operational “on time” of our competitors.
I understand you have a separate wire for break-away. Why? Full brake power on the system in the event of a break-away, is not necessarily a good thing. Our system supplies the necessary voltage to bring the trailer to a stop, without brake lockup, should it become disconnected.
I see you have an auxiliary battery charging circuit. How does that work? In the event of break-away you will need a power source on the trailer to power the unit. We figured since we were connected to that battery anyway we might as well trickle charge it while you are running. It’s built into the system.
