DP Brake Job Cost?

Also, if a brake is out of adjustment it will squeal. Very common on big trucks. I'd get a 9/16 box end and a ballpeen hammer, get under there and tap the boxend of your wrench onto the nut, this will collapse the lockring and allow you to adjust the brake. Turn it unitl its tight and back it off 1/4 turn. This will allow it to rub but won't hurt it. Then back off until the lockring pops back up. It takes 3 minutes to do a single axle and Freightliner will charge you $75.00. Inspect the pad and see what the thickness is. If you don't know what it should be look it up on the internet.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=adjusting+slack+adjusters&FORM=VIRE2#v

On my Peterbilt, with brakes the same, I had shoes, cams, bushings, etc replaced for $2200. Essentially everything except the drums. I would take it to a HD truck or trailer shop, and have them take a look. They can make sure everything is operating properly, and give you advice.

The brakes are the same as on 98% of the semis and trailers on the road.

Right after I bought my rig, I had a rear axle seal leak and they replaced the shoes on the one side and I asked if they needed to be replaced on the other to match them up and was told that I had over 80% on them and the brakes would adjust them selves. 81K on the 40' Tradewinds LTC at the time..

Just returned from a trip to Spartan Factory Service. Brake inspection said I still have at least 65% left on my brakes. My current mileage is 97,750 miles. No way that you should need a brake job at 40,000 miles. If so, there is a serious problem with the brake system and components.

Just spent right at $1150 for mine. New shoes and drums all the way around. We had about 270K miles on the coach when we had them done. They probably should have been done 20K miles earlier.

Most responders here are pointing to glazing and slack adjuster adjustment. From your description of the problem I agree with the diagnosis on the possibility of glazing and doing a proper adjustment of the brakes. There is no way at your mileage that you need new brake linings unless there has been severe abuse of the brakes.

Executive wrote:
Depends on what's wrong with them. I had to have mine replaced last year at a cost of $10,000. They had gotten wet when we were stuck in a flooded campground and the calipers had rusted. The calipers were $3600 EACH! Insurance paid for almost all of it...Dennis

Were just two of your calipers replaced? Of the $10,000 how much was for labor?

As many other posters have said, it is highly unlikely that you need a brake job. What most likely has happened is the brakes have gotten glazed over. The easiest way to fix that is turn off the exhaust brake and use the brakes like they were meant to be used. You definitely are not going to wear them out. Most people's problems are caused by too little use. A lot of folks will use the exhaust break almost 100% of the time, and then just touch the brakes for a few seconds to finish the last 20 to 0 stop. That is not enough time to drive all the moisture out of the pads. They will then get glazed over and make all sorts of noise. Use them like they were meant to be used for a couple hundred miles and you'll see that will fix 99% of your issues .

Last price I was quoted was $400 a wheel. That said, unless you have disk brakes, they are likely glazed and not properly adjusted. Do you do a daily air system check? That check, among other things, includes a portion that should allow your automatic slack adjusters an opportunity to adjust.

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