Trucks & Trailers - Replacing Solenoid Wiring on Tie Down 70E Brake Actuator

My basic question is - how do you access the place on this Tie Down actuator to connect the wiring from a 5-pin harness to the actuator.

On a recent trip my trailer pin came loose and wore down the pin that activates the disengagement of solenoid on the brake actuator so there is no more contact the pin can make to my tow vehicle. Luckily this Tie Down Model 70E has a pin you can put in place to de-activate the back up brakes but I need to replace the wiring and the 5-pin connector harness so it will work as it should. I have a Wesco trailer and they sent me the 5-pin connector that has enough wiring to it to re-wire everything on the trailer but I don't need, or want, to do that. I just want to splice the old wiring on my trailer in with the new wiring that goes to the new 5 pin harness.

I probably have a 3 - 4 section of the trailer tongue that holds the Tie Down brake actuator and that the wiring goes thru and exits to go to the running lights and ground to the trailer. Wesco suggested I leave enough wiring on the new harness to go about 3/4 of the way in this section of the trailer tubing and splice the running light wires so they are enclosed in this protected area. They then suggested I have the new ground wire from the new harness left un-spliced and connnected directly to the trailer. I woud do the same with the solenoid wiring so that it is connected unspliced from the new harness to the solenoid.

All this seems doable by me except for the solenoid portion of it. I can follow all wiring in and out of the tralier tongue but this one as it appears to be connected within the Tie Down acuator. It appears to me that you have to unscrew the 5 bolts holding the actuator to the tongue to replace this wiring. Is this what you have to do with this model because I don't see any other way to access the wiring to the solenoid? I'm a relative novice when it comes to wiring but I can follow instructions so I thought I would throw this out to you guys to see if what the Wesco guys told me makes sense before I start taking stuff apart.

Prior to calling Wesco I thought I would just splice everything before it goes into the trailer tongue but Wesco advised against that since that area would be more exposed to the elements.

Attached is a picture of the acuator I have that I found from another post on THT.

I just replaced the same model hitch on my rig. The selenoid was under another shield just behind what your picture shows on mine. It had the brake line and a single wire running into it. I replaced with a tie down 6600 that had the selenoid under what you show. Take ff the little plate on the rear for more access. If you want to take the whole thing off to look at or replace, it's only 3 bolts holding it on. The 2 with the grease fittings do not hold the hitch on.

I just replaced the same model hitch on my rig. The selenoid was under another shield just behind what your picture shows on mine. It had the brake line and a single wire running into it. I replaced with a tie down 6600 that had the selenoid under what you show. Take ff the little plate on the rear for more access. If you want to take the whole thing off to look at or replace, it's only 3 bolts holding it on. The 2 with the grease fittings do not hold the hitch on.

So, as I'm looking at my picture, it is the smaller plate on the back side of the actuator? If not, I guess I will start removing any smaller plates I see that will give me access to where the actuator wire ties in. If all else fails then I remove the 3 bolts to gain access.

Yes. Mine was not in there on my 7000, but located alone under another shield that would not show in your picture behind the actuator. On the new 6600 I bought, it was inside the cover that you mentioned.

Yes. Mine was not in there on my 7000, but located alone under another shield that would not show in your picture behind the actuator. On the new 6600 I bought, it was inside the cover that you mentioned.

Thanks! I'll give it a shot.

No need to take the actuator apart.

Splice the wires where you can get to them...use heat shrink butt connectors and cover them with liquid electrical tape.

If you want to make it look nice and protect it at the same time, pick up some split loom tubing at your local auto parts store or Radio Shack and put that over it.

Parthery got it right.

On most of those solenoids, the wire is potted in the solenoid and there is no ring or spade terminal to get to. So like said above, just splice into it where you can.

No need to take the actuator apart.

Splice the wires where you can get to them...use heat shrink butt connectors and cover them with liquid electrical tape.

If you want to make it look nice and protect it at the same time, pick up some split loom tubing at your local auto parts store or Radio Shack and put that over it.

Splicing would seem to make it easier and is what I was hoping before I called Wesco. Next dumb question, as far as purchasing heat shrink butt connectors and liquid electrical tape....can these be purchased at an Auto Parts Store or is it Marine store purchase?

West Marine will have everything you need....Walmart will have the heat shrink connectors and split tube looming, but may or may not have the liquid electrical tape.

If you can't find the liquid tape, you could always use heat shrink tubing over the butt connectors. The key is to get as many layers to cover the connection so that you can keep water out.

West Marine will have everything you need....Walmart will have the heat shrink connectors and split tube looming, but may or may not have the liquid electrical tape.

If you can't find the liquid tape, you could always use heat shrink tubing over the butt connectors. The key is to get as many layers to cover the connection so that you can keep water out.

Thanks!