Looking to upgrade(?) from regular manual trailer brakes to the self-adjusting type (Nev-R-Adjust) - I'm tired of crawling under the camper and struggling with the manual adjusters. Brakes work great when adjusted correctly but.......Like to hear from people who have long-term experience with the self-adjusting brakes. Do they still work 1 year, 2 years...... after install or do they jam after they get dirty?(PS - not interested in changing over to discs)thanks - Gerry

When is the last time you heard of issues with self adjusters in the auto industry? Of course they will never adjust if you never back your trailer up.

Yes they self adjust, yours worked great until the day I removed them to install disk brakes. It was cheaper to install disks than replace my Dexter HD brake drums and backing plates,they were wore out after 12 years of heavy use.Denny

By the time I did the swap I would have disk brakes installed.BTW for donn0128, Nev-R-Adjust is forward adjusting.

They work fine, but you have to back up quite a bit. Going backwards 10 feet once a month isn't going to do it. When cars had self adjusting drum brakes, look how often you backed up and applied the brakes so they'd adjust.

Are self-adjusting brakes really self-adjusting?

16 Replies

time2roll
Nomad
Oct 25, 2015
elkhorn98 wrote:
Not sure how it could cost more than disc brakes.
For sure it is less than disks. Disks get reported as a huge improvement over drum. Yes drum will work better if always adjusted up right but you still have drums. If I was to make the effort to replace the whole business I would probably take the next leap all the way to disk. That is all I am saying.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Oct 25, 2015
Well.. Being as I've been around a while I have had problems with self adjusters.

But that said they are few and far between You just need to check them from time to time to make sure the adjuster does not size up. that is the most common issue.. You should check it every year during your bearing maintenance.
elkhorn98
Explorer
Oct 24, 2015
For less than $200 I switched all 4 of mine. Was going to replace the shoes and for a little more i switched to the never adjust with all new assemblies. Not sure how it could cost more than disc brakes. I reused my old drums. So far so good.
fitznj
Explorer
Oct 22, 2015
Thanks for all the responses - looks like another winter project on the list

Gerry
j-d
Explorer II
Oct 22, 2015
I found Eastern Marine several years ago when I needed brakes for our boat trailer. I've since seen that they have a lot of RV parts. In RV, they're strongest in Brakes and Lights. They run some pretty good sales and specials. Particularly at those prices, it really does make sense to Out with Old and In with New. They also have some sales people who know something about their products.
doughere
Explorer
Oct 22, 2015
I replaced all my brake backing assemblies, drums, and bearings (4 wheels, 3500 # axels) for $400.00 on my 9 year old 5er about a year ago. They work perfectly. Replacing the brake assemblies costs about $5.00 per wheel extra for the self adjusting; what a deal !!

By the time you buy pads, magnets, bearings and seals, and get the drums turned, its cheaper to just get entire new assemblies.

Doug
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Oct 22, 2015
I had good luck by doing a retrofit right off the bat. Meticulously clean all parts even though they were new, then carefully apply DRY SLIDE® dry lubricant. Brake residue does not seem to stick to treated parts.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Oct 22, 2015
Actually Dexter Nev-R-Adjust Electric Brakes adjust forward and/or reverse.

But in reverse there is a higher degree of adjustment
Learjet
Explorer
Oct 22, 2015
MFL wrote:
dbbls wrote:
You do not have to back up for the brakes to adjust. Yes, automotive brakes require this but Dexter never adjust brakes adjust while braking going forward.

X3

x4

had them on my last trailer and they worked great.
MFL
Nomad II
Oct 22, 2015
dbbls wrote:
You do not have to back up for the brakes to adjust. Yes, automotive brakes require this but Dexter never adjust brakes adjust while braking going forward.

X3