Dragging brakes

[DonandJudy_12]

I have 1 brake of the 4 on the fiver that drags when I brake easily- This wheel will lockup under heavy braking- The wheels were off for a manual repack last month- The work was done by a pro I have used in the past- New grease seals were used as always- The magnets and brake shoes were still good to go- What can an old man [me] do to check out this problem before I go to a garage? THANX for all replies- I'm sure some great suggestions will be forthcoming- Don

[H. John Kohl]

Don,
My first impression is that is the only brake working. I can not get my brakes to lock up.
I would check that all the magnets are working. Have someone hold the manual brake controller and then take a compass and pass it by each wheel at axle level. The compass needle should swing to the magnet location as you move it pass the drum for each wheel.
This is just my waking up reaction. Let us know what you find.

[camper4]

Another quick thought... That brake is adjusted too tight. You can raise that wheel off the ground and spin it. If the shoes drag it is too tight. Even if it doesn't drag it may be tighter than the others, that is just a quick check.

[Art-n-Marge]

I'm assuming you have drum brakes on your rig. Then I would do what camper 4 suggests. Check each wheel for the same feel (slight rubbing of the brake shoes against the brake drums when you jack up each wheel and spin it) and adjust them to make them the same. Do you need help on how to adjust the brakes?

Then if you take the rig for a spin and still have the problem, it's maybe the magnets or some other electrical problem. In the future when your pro is doing the bearings have him check for even brake wear, or ask him to let you take the proper measurements (you might need some tools). Unlike a vehicle, the trailer brakes should ALL be wearing evenly. The trailer brakes should always be serviced or replaced all around to keep them operating evenly. For example, it something is wrong with that wheel's brakes and gets fixed, then all the other wheels might need or get the same work (magnets and shoes and possibly drums).

I'm guessing your pro does the seals but has not done the brakes at all. I don't think this might be his fault. If you have disc brakes, I'd take the rig to a brake shop for checkout and preferably one familiar with magnet brakes on RVs or maybe some other MOCer can provide some better tips.

[1retired06]

agree with the great advice above, first check the adjustments

[DonandJudy_12]

The tech in Deming, NM adjusted all 4 brakes- He said all 4 needed to be adjusted but the 1 that grabbed was not equal to the other 3- We have about 200 miles on the repair and all is well- THANX to all who replied- The MOC is the greatest!!!! JMHO- Don