Adjusting The Brakes

[bigbob7777]

I still have my dummy hat on - sorry. 18 clicks down: you mean push the screwdriver handle down 18 clicks or move the star wheel down 18 clicks? Also, a click being a complete turn?

[bigmurf]

Boy am I glad I don't have any place to adjust my brakes.g

[Art-n-Marge]

Bad news for you bigmurf. The brakes must still be adjusted periodically - maybe your deep pockets have this taken care of at a service center.

But for us poor DIYers I hope to clear up some terminology issues. I hope to describe the procedure in detail. It will look like a lot but over time and with practice this becomes easier:

Defininitions and procedures:

1. Brake assembly - Your wheel fastens to the round brake drum whereby the wheel bolts protrude outward to mount the tire. Inside the brake drum, there are brake shoes, bolts, nuts, brackets, levers, springs, etc. All of this is the brake assembly.

2. Brake drum - large metal portion that your wheels attach to.

3. Brake shoes - Inside the drum there are two spring loaded heat-resistant shoes to stop your trailer. Over time the friction will wear down these shoes (by design) so that the distance to travel to the drum increases and hence will not stop as well. The amount of wear will vary depending on driving/braking conditions, frequency and pressure.

4. Brake adjuster opening - a small hole on the inside bottom of the brake assembly accessible at the back of the brake assembly and could be covered with a rubber plug. Removing the plug will allow access to the star gear adjusting screw. If looking at the tire facing you, you must crawl under the rig to find the opening on the bottom/rear of the brake assembly.

5. Brake adjuster - Through the opening this is what is used for adjusting the brake shoes. The goal is to minimize the distance traveled by the brake shoes to contact the brake drum to stop or slow down your trailer. The adjuster is inside the opening and is adjusted using the gear teeth. One side attaches to the front brake shoe and the other side attaches to the rear brake shoe.

6. Adjusting Gear - This is a gear tooth part of the brake adjuster that allows you to increase the length of the adjuster to tighten the brakes or decrease the length of the adjuster to loosen the brakes.

7. Preparing to make a brake adjustment - With time and the proper equipment you may do two or more brakes at a time, but at this time, I will describe the one-at-a-time procedure. Stabilize all other tires with chocks. Raise the tire with the brake to be adjusted. NEVER jack up or support the RV using the axle itself - locate a more suitable stronger point to provide this support. Now, rotate the tire in its forward direction (as if the trailer were moving forward). If you feel NO resistance the brakes need adjustment. If you feel some resistance (caused by the shoes being in contact with the drum) you should still "click" the brake adjustment so all brakes will be evenly adjusted.

A note about brake shoes - In each brake assembly there are two shoes, one in front and one in rear. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but the brake shoe facing the rear of the RV is larger in size than the one facing towards the front. For this reason, the brake adjuster will need to be clicked up to increase length on the passenger side, and clicked down to increase length on the driver side. You might still need to experiment to confirm this, refer to the next step.

8. Part one of adjusting the brakes, aka "Click" up or down - While rotating the wheel in its forward direction (you might want to wear some work gloves), using a flat blade screwdriver inserted into the opening you can use it to click the adjusting gear upwards OR downwards, but once you go in one direction STAY in that direction until it stops. If the wheel still turns freely, then you went the wrong way because you were shortening the brake adjuster. Now click in the other direction until it the wheel stops turning. Anyway, the goal is to get the brake shoes in complete contact with the brake drum and that's why the wheel no longer rotates. It is recommended you click a gear tooth one at a time until you are familiar with the procedure in order to properly adjust ALL brakes with the same setting. For example, if it has been a while since the last adjustment you might have to click the gear a lot until it stops the wheel.

9. Final step of adjusting the brake - Now that the wheel no longer moves, back the gear tooth in the opposite direction about 3 clicks and Voila! You are done. There will be some scraping sound but this is normal because the brake shoes are right at the surface of the brake drum WHERE THEY SHOULD BE AT THIS TIME. DO NOT worry about the scraping sound. When you drive the trailer a few miles it will wear down to exactly where it should be.

10. Replace the dust cover on the brake adjuster opening, lower the tire back down and repeat for the other brake assemblies starting at step 7.

As you will see from the steps needed this procedure is often done when repacking wheels bearings or even changing tires. This should be done at least once a year or every 10-12K miles. If you drive lots of downhills or city driving you might want to check more often.

Everyone, I have attempted to provide as much detail about this DIY procedure as possible. Since it's a lot of typing I might miss something or have a typo or two. PLEASE feel free to add what you feel is relevant.

Back in college I worked at a service station (back when they did more than provide fuel that you pumped yourself) and performed many of these types of preventative maintenance procedures for our regular customers. I learned enough doing all these maintenance procedures to know that I preferred to become an engineer and keep my hands clean. But I am smarter for it!

Good luck on your next brake adjustment.

[bigmurf]

Art: Never adjusted after 5 years of full time travel. Don't ever have a hole back there.

[bigbob7777]

Art,

Thanks alot for this informative post. It clears it up for me. Now, if you could do the same for repacking the bearings - LOL.

bob

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by TLightning

Don't know how they used to work, but on my 07, the backs of all four wheels were the same, and the star wheel worked the same for all of them.

I'm glad they do that. It's much simpler that way. I haven't checked our new (1 yr) axles. They're self-adjusting but I assume they still have provision for manual adjustment.

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by simonsrf

Yep, that is the way all of them were, Steve. We did all the new rigs and all the older ones that way too....I know what you are saying, but it was unmistakable after lying on your stomach bonking your head several times, we did it the same every time for all of the different years of rigs...tighten (down, usually 20 clicks) and then loosen (up, about 3 clicks) to where they would turn.

I could have sworn one of our Montanas (2001 or 2003) was reversed on one side but I will take your word for it rather than relying on my memory. I do recall on cars from back in the 1950's they were reversed on one side. Maybe that's what I'm remembering. Thanks for the correction.

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by PackerFan

After you feel the drag on the wheel hub - How much do you back it off?

I need to do mine also before the next trip.

Also, where is the best place to jack it up at.....Under axle or frame?

Scott

Scott, I was taught to tighten until I can't turn the wheel any more, which is beyond feeling drag. Then back off until the wheel turns with slight drag. Count the clicks when backing off and use that same number of clicks to back off the other wheels. Maybe there's a better way but this is how I was taught.

Robbie, I don't have to manually adjust any more. My axles have self-adjusting brakes.

[simonsrf]

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

quote:..............Robbie, I don't have to manually adjust any more. My axles have self-adjusting brakes.

Steve, You must have been able to tell that I didn't have self-adjusting brakes... the dents in my head still show!

Bigmurf, come to Q, I'll adjust your brakes for free...trying to make the trip worth your while.

[bigmurf]

Robbie: My brakes never need to be adjusted. Been to Q for 5 years now, just a little later than you guys.g

[Carl n Susan]

Robbie: bigmurf's normal sig (which he has not used in this thread) says:

6 wheels, 6 speeds and 6 cylinders. 2004 3655FL, discs, air ride, FULL water tank,Solar,gas Onan, Lazy cat whom I talk to (NOT crazy, he's the only one who understands.)

I bet that cryptic "discs" is referring to his disc brakes which by definition are self adjusting.

bigmurf: you wrote:

quote:
....Been to Q for 5 years now, just a little later than you guys....

It is hard to believe you are a "little later" than we when visiting Q. We are there well into Feb. This year we were there until the end of Feb. It starts getting real warm (and very empty) in Q by then.

[bigmurf]

Got to Q on 3-23 this year. Believe me if it was HOT I would not be there.

[Art-n-Marge]

sreigle... you are right. I mentioned in Step 8 to click closed until the wheels stop turning, then back off 3 clicks. I also was not sure which direction to click the gears but after about 1/2 hour if the wheel still turns then go back the other way.

When I had self-adjusting brakes on my cars, I found an improvement but I still needed to go up under there and adjust them on occasion.

By NEVER adjusting them I hope they are working optimally. Oh well, it's not like the trailer is by itself. You can still stop using the truck.

Did anyone see Orv's posts on his brake problem? I'll paraphrase but I recall he lost his front brakes completely on his TV. Since he was towing I'll bet the RV did all the stopping. The reverse applies if your RV loses its brakes, but the bad news is that the RV is way heavier.