FORD F-350
Brake Smart Controller Custom Install

     When we bought our 2002 F-350 it came with a SurePull DigiTrak brake controller. The SurePull is a Class-I, time delayed controller and after using it to stop our Everest 343L for a year we decided to upgrade to something better. We searched the forums and found that there were 5 types of brake controllers, each with different features and costs. We did a lot of research and when we considered that the replacement cost of our truck and 5er was over $100,000 it made no sense at all to save $200 to $250 by installing anything but the best controller. The only two Class-V controllers we could find were the integrated system on the new 2005 Ford Super Duties and the Brake Smart controller. Since a new Ford F350 would cost $54,000 and the Brake Smart costs only $350, we opted for the Brake Smart!

     We searched RV.net for information on installing the Brake Smart controller in a Ford and came across a thread by SmokemanGRP: Brake Smart Controller Custom Install in F250. We sent an e-mail to SmokemanGRP and he sent us a word document explaining in detail how he did his install. Our thanks and gratitude go to SkokemanGRP, his document was immensely helpful in our final install.

Our F-350 Brake Smart Install

     Disclaimer: This article demonstrates how we installed our Brake Smart controller in our Ford F350. The construction of your vehicle and your installation might be different.

     SmokemanGRP's document talked about pushing a 7mm socket between the upper and lower dash panels to remove the two top screws that held the lower dash in place. Our F-350 has a wood grained plastic upper dash that makes this step impossible.

     We searched for information on removing the upper dash, but nothing was available on the web. We went to two Ford dealers in our area and both of them told us that the entire dash frame had to be remove if we wanted to access the lower dash panel. Thanks to SmokemanGRP's document we knew they were wrong and we were able to talk the second dealer into helping us. He was able to remove the upper dash in less than 10 minutes and then, thanks to SmokemanGRP, we were able to tell him how the lower dash was removed.

     The upper dash is held in place by a series of clips and two screws inside the radio pocket.

     There are a series of slots in the dash frame that hold the clips in place.

     Here are the steps we followed to remove the dash panels:

• We used special tools to remove the radio. The tools were U shaped metal handles that slid into the holes on the sides of the radio. The pins activated the release mechanisms on the sides of the radio and the back of the U acted like handles to remove the radio.
• 
• At the top of the radio compartment there are two screws that hold the dash in place.
• We then pulled the upper dash out. You have to pull where the clips are located so you don't bend the dash.
• We unplugged all the wires from the back of the dash and unclip the headlight assemble.
• Finally we put the truck in low gear so the upper dash could be removed from around the gearshift.
  Now for the lower dash
• Open the cup holder and remove the two screws that you can see from the front.
• Remove the two screws holding the access panel below the cup holder and remove the panel.
• Reach inside the access panel, locate and remove the two screws from the bottom of the cup holder assemble, then remove the cup holder.
• Feel along the bottom of the lower dash panel, locate and remove the two screws that hold the bottom in place.
• Now remove the two screws from the top of the lower dash panel and remove the wire from the power outlet.

The panel was now free to take inside and work on it. Our local dealer didn't charge us anything for his time because we were coming back after we installed the controller in the dash pocket to have them do the brake line installation.

Brake Smart install:

We decided to use silicon caulk to hold our Brake Smart in place instead of screws because we did not want to void the warrantee on our Brake Smart unit by drilling into the side of the case. Here are the steps we followed and the problems we had doing the install:

• 
• We first we cut the pocket deeper than the controller so the entire unit would fit inside the pocket. That is when we discovered that the Brake Smart case and the Ford pocket are both tapered and only the first half inch of the case would fit in the pocket the way we cut it.
• We then made back to front cuts in the corners with a bucksaw to allow the pocket to expand when we gently forced the Brake Smart case into the pocket.
• 
• These are the cuts on the bottom of the pocket, the same cuts are also on the top. They allow the sides to expand as the case is pushed into the pocket.
• We pushed the Brake Smart case in as far as it would go to see how the face plate looked in the front of the dash panel to determined how much further the brake smart had to be pushed into the pocket to make it look right.
• 
• Using a bucksaw for the vertical cuts and a coping saw for the horizontal cuts, we made notches in the sides of the pocket for the ears on the brake smart controller. We purposely made the cuts too short so we could play with the adjustments.
• 
• Sorry we didn't take pictures before we filled it with silicon, but you can see how we notched the sides of the pocket for the ears of the brake controller.
• We pushed the Brake Smart in again and recut the side pockets to adjust the depth until the face plate looked right inside the dash with the case pushed in as far as it would go.
• CAUTION: Make sure the RED button on the right side of the controller moves freely with the controller pushed in the pocket all the way. If the controller is slanted the wrong way in the pocket it will bind on the button and you will not be able to manually apply the brakes. If you tilt the controller to point slightly toward the driver, it works properly.
• 
• In the above picture, if you look at amount of tan controller body that is exposed on the left side of the black face plate compared to the amount on the right side you will see what I mean by "slightly". If it is tilted that much in the other direction the RED button will not function properly.
• To make room for the silicon caulk we marked the back of the pocket about a quarter inch shorter than the back of the Brake Smart case with the case pushed all way in, then removed the Brake Smart case and used a bucksaw to cut off the back of the pocket to that point.
• We used two flat screwdrivers to hold the centers of top and bottom of the pocket away from the controller case as we slid the case back into the pocket. We did not push the case in all the way.
• We filled the gap created by the screw drivers between the case and the pocket with silicon caulk and pushed the case in a litter further. We did this a couple times until the case was in as far as the tab notches would allow it to go.
• We removed the screw drives to allow the top and bottom to press against the case and squeeze the silicon caulk for a good seal.
• We double checked for proper operation of the RED button.
• We also caulked around the notches and tabs and the slits we cut to allow the case to push into the packet.
• We triple checked for proper operation of the RED button. (Do you get the impression how important this is?)
• We let the whole thing sit for 2 days before we touched it again.
• It is now firmly in place, but I'm sure we could use a putty knife to break it loose if we had to.

We installed the T in the brake line and mounted the sensor above the master cylinder

And this is what the final installations looks like in the dash

     Again, our thanks go to SmokemanGRP for pointing us in the right direction and Ramsey Ford in Rising Sun, MD for helping us with the final install. We hope that this article will help others to avoid the problems we faced.

Update: 23 May, 2005

     We have taken out 5er out twice since we installed our Brake Smart. The first time was just a short Sunday morning trip to an empty parking lot at the local community college to practice backing up into a campsite and also to "play" with the brake controller to see how it reacted to emergency stops. The practice was well worth it and we'd highly recommend it to everyone. However, the Brake Smart did not respond as we expected! It felt as if our fifth wheel was still pushing us while we were stopping. We read the manual when we got home and found two settings that we decided to play with.

• Power Factor: What this function does is limit or increase the amount of maximum brake you can achieve. Roll it down past 1.0 and essentially maximum brake availability will not be achieved. Raise this up past 1.0 and you will achieve maximum brake at a lower brake pressure, essentially achieving maximum brake faster.
• Initial Brake Constant: This feature allows you to adjust the initial voltage that is sent back to your trailer brakes as soon as you have a brake action.

     We increased both of these factors "2 clicks" before we went on our trip to the Gettysburg Rally that past weekend.

     The results were absolutely perfect. We took mainly interstates on the way to Gettysburg and mainly rural routes through a number of towns on our way back. Our truck felt as if our fifth wheel wasn't even there in every braking situation. The most impressive response with the Brake Smart was in heavy city traffic. I like to stop a little short when approaching a traffic signal, then let up on the brake a little to drift slowly forward until I push harder again to come to a final stop. The most irritating part of this with our old brake controller was if the light changes while I was drifting forward. If I would let go of the pedal with the old controller, the fifth wheel would lurch forward and bang into the hitch. Not with the Brake Smart! With the Brake Smart my truck and fifth wheel combination acted exactly as if the fifth wheel wasn't even attached. And that was true coming to a smooth stop and even interrupting the stop and any point if the light suddenly turned green. The performance of our new Brake Smart was even better than we expected. On a scale of 1 to 10, after adjustment, we'd rate our Brake Smart at least a 12!

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