Picture of notched wheel for brake adjust. - Montana Owners Club

Wrenchtraveller · 06-03-2007, 07:34 PM

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f7...r/P1000104.jpg

This is what you see when you pull out the little rubber plug on the inside of your brake drums on the Montana Dexter axles. In this pic you can see one of the notches on the star wheel that you turn to adjust your brakes.
I did mine today. It is a 10 minute job once you have done it a few times. I have done a 3000 mile trip and a 2000 mile trip on my Montana plus the haul from the factory. On the way home I could feel that my brakes were not as good as they were were when we left and I had to turn my Ford brake control up to 7.5 to have good brakes so I wanted to set up the brakes before I leave on Wed for another 2000 mile trip. First put a bottle jack under the axle and lift the wheel so that it freely turns. Keep the jack between the U bolts close to the wheel to avoid putting extra stain on the axle.
Keep turning the wheel every so often as you adjust the linings so you can feel the brakes coming on.
Use a slotted screwdriver to turn the adjuster nut clockwise. This will be prying up on each notch and you only move the wheel not even 1/4" each lifting motion. The wheel should turn freely and it really helps to shine a good little flashlight in the hole to see that your screwdriver blade is on the notch and not under the adjusting nut.
My brakes needed adjusting and I counted 18 lifts on the notches before the wheel locked up too tight to turn by hand. 3 clicks down in the opposite direction had the wheels turning freely. All 4 wheels were 18 to 20 clicks so I think the linings are wearing evenly.
Most of the experienced RVers know how to do this but I wanted to try out my new camera and thought some people might like this info.

Ozz · 06-04-2007, 03:01 AM

Thanks, Don. Good info.

DHenry · 06-04-2007, 05:04 AM

Great information, thanks for posting.

simonsrf · 06-04-2007, 05:52 AM

Wrenchtraveller,

Thank you, that is the exact information I've been trying to find.

Cat320 · 06-04-2007, 10:45 AM

Good information...I saved it.

Glenn and Lorraine · 06-04-2007, 11:12 AM

GRRREAAAATT post. I haven't done a brake adjustment in years and your post does bring it all back.

There is only one thing I would like to point out..
Your comment...First put a bottle jack under the axle should be clarified.
Place the bottle jack under the axles spring shackles or as close to the shackles as possible. NEVER place a jack under the unsupported part of the axle as this would cause bending of the axle.
Also be sure the axle is of a capacity to handle the weight. I personally carry a 12 ton bottle jack which would also come in handy should you ever have to change a flat and your out of cell phone range for Good Sam ERS.

sreigle · 06-04-2007, 01:10 PM

And if you have a tripod under the pin, remove it first. A replacement screw for the tripod cup is available at your local machine shop for roughly $25, IF you can get the old one out. But it won't be chrome plated. It will be severely bent...

Wrenchtraveller · 06-04-2007, 06:37 PM

Glenn, thanks for pointing out the jack location. I always put it between the U-bolts close to the wheel but I neglected to point that out. I edited my original post. Thanks again.

Fire5er · 06-05-2007, 02:58 PM

Wrenchtraveller,

Thanks for the info, this is very helpful to us new to RVing.

Karl

richfaa · 06-05-2007, 04:47 PM

Great information Don. We are mechanically challenged but with that information I can do it.. We have perhaps 12K on the 3400 and I know it will need the adjustment. We currently have the Ford Controller set at 5.5 and we have, so to speak, good stopping power.

Cat320 · 06-06-2007, 03:23 PM

Don...I looked at my brakes today, and the star adjustment wheel and notches faced me, making the adjustment up/down. They do not look like yours with a clockwise/counterclockwise adjustment. There is a photo on the Dexter site that looks like mine...do you suppose we have different brakes??

JH Sechelt · 06-06-2007, 08:25 PM

Hi Bert,

You pry up on the Adjuster to expand the brake shoes, and pry down the adjuster to loosen them. As Don says pry up until you can't turn the wheel, than pry down 3 - 4 notches until the wheel spins freely.

J&D

Wrenchtraveller · 06-07-2007, 12:56 PM

Bert, like John says, you are just turning a nut on a stud and some of my other trailers had notches that looked more like a boot spur but do the same thing. They are made to allow a flat blade to turn the nut.You can buy a brake adjustment tool that is a flat blade bent to an angle that makes it a little easier to turn the nut. I am happy using a medium sized common slotted screwdriver.
I pulled my Montana just over 400 miles yesterday and the brakes are great. I had to drop the brake control down to 5.5 or I was locking up my brakes. I just signed up for a WIFI service called wizone. Works great so far.

Cat320 · 06-07-2007, 02:32 PM

Thanks, guys.

mtnhntr · 06-07-2007, 04:33 PM

Thanks Don. Your timing is perfect as I have that on my list to do this week.
Ken

sreigle · 06-08-2007, 01:55 PM

Isn't it like automobiles and you move it up on one side and down on the other? Here's a post not long ago by LightningJack11..

There is an easy way to remember it. First the star adjuster is off center. If you look at the the adjustment hole on the drum it is also off center so you can easily tell for each wheel which side on the adjuster the star is located. Now that you know where the star is ...imagine looking at the star from the star side. (look length wise)

Now Clockwise star movement tightens and counterclockwise loosens.

Look down the star end and turn clockwise to tighten brakes. no guesswork. (Right side in the picture is what I call the star side)

Wrenchtraveller · 06-09-2007, 04:59 AM

Hand does not change. Hold a drill bit, stud, or bolt in a vertical position and take note of the thread angle of the bolts or flute angle of the twist drill. Right hand will have these angles moving up to the right. Now turn your bolt or drill bit end for end and you will see the angle direction stays the same. We do use left hand drill bits in industry and I always teach my new apprentices how to recognize right or left hand. I give them two 3/8" drill bits, one left hand and one right hand. I ask them to show me the difference and they never can until I show them.
My point is the brakes on my Montana are right hand thread on both sides of the unit so adjust the same on both sides. I think there were brakes made with left hand thread adjusters on one side of the unit and they would be different. Remember when Chrysler cars had left hand studs on one side of the car.

wileecoyote985 · 06-10-2007, 10:17 AM

Been a while since I did mine but I could've sworn that I had to click it up on one side and down on the other to tighten the brakes. It's got me wondering now.

Gary

Andy · 06-11-2007, 10:25 AM

Last May we purchased an ’06, 2955RL, brakes weren't an issue. This May we traded for a new 3400RL.

It’s a 2 1/2 hr. trip home from the dealer, I had to turn my Prodigy brake controller all the way up to get decent brakes on the Montana. Then I came across this thread, I knew immediately what the problem was. The wheels on the front axle took 29 - 30 clicks to bring the brakes up to where I had to back them off. On the rear axle it was about 20. Me thinks it didn’t leave the factory properly adjusted.

Brakes are very important!! Thanks so much for this thread!

Andy

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