What is this strange wire inside boat trailer axle?

Question

I found a 16 or18 ga. pair of wires coming from inside a hole of the tube/axle of a 2 axle boat trailer. What could they be there for? The trailer has surge brakes.

Answer 1

so it couldve been used either way, depended on how they used the axle, most are made in a production line, so they can use them on several types of trailers.

Answer 2

Most dual axle trailers were built to accomodate electric brakes. Those are the wires that run up to a break controller inside the vehicle for the electric brakes.

Answer 3

Slicing off the insulation is a bad idea as it will likely cause corrosion problems later on. The best and easiest way I have found is to go to an auto parts store or Walmart or somewhere like that and get some 'Scotch Lock' connectors that you insert the wire from your trailer connector and simply squeeze onto the existing wire on your vehicle. It pierces the wire of your vehicle but leaves only a small nick in the wire and does not damage it. You can hook up the wiring very quickly and easily this way and if you ever remove the wiring it is easy to simply tape up the small nick in the wire so as not to cause corrosion at a later time. Good luck.

Answer 4

On electric brakes, there is a fusible wire inside the axle that'll melt and shut the brakes off at some temperature. So that's what it sounds like. I know your trailer doesn't have electric brakes, though. Maybe there's some reason that's there anyway.

Answer 5

It sounds like a previous owner may have added a new light package and just left old wires inside the axle.

Answer 6

Probably goes to the brakes---what color and where do the wires go on the harness? Brakes are usually blue wire.