One brake over adjusted

enahs wrote:
Not fretting but very curious. The shop is good. Does a lot of this work. I trust that brake was over adjusted. Question is how or why. It will be tested though.

How or why doesn't matter anymore if it was the problem in the first place. That brake nor any of the others can self tighten themselves unless it is equipped with the correct self adjusting parts (which yours is not supposed to have).

As to address the how and why, it comes down to these possible reasons..

#1 Dexter BOFFED the setting on one side of the axle setting it to tight on the assembly line.

#2 Dexter BOFFED the setting on one side of the axle setting it too loose, but that would require the next random axle that was added to the unit to have both brakes to be set too loose.

#3 Someone on the frame assembly line played mechanic and adjusted the brake adjustments with a screw driver setting one too tight.

#4 All brakes set correctly at Dexters assembly line, made it through the frame assembly line untouched and someone at dealer decided to mess around with the brakes.

#5 All brakes set correctly from Dexter, made it through frame assembly with no adjustments made and someone (your kid or Kids mechanic) adjusted them with a screw driver..

#6 Everything was setup correctly mechanically but you have an electrical problem (bad connections) with some or all brakes causing three of the brakes to wear down leaving only the one working and overloading it (smoking).

#7 The mechanic you took it to made up an excuse to charge you for labor to correct it.

#8 and so on..

Could go on all night with many, many scenarios on what may have happened but the scenario of one brake suddenly deciding to crank its adjustment up above 11 all by it's self is just not possible.

Those star wheels do not turn easily, I have to use a pair of Channel lock pliers to turn mine. Never been able to turn them by hand only, the spring that goes across the star wheel actually touches and holds the wheel from randomly turning. Makes a ping noise when I turn the star wheel at each notch.

It is possible that three of the brakes on the other wheels wore down a bit faster than the one that was smoking and those needed adjusted tighter and the one that was smoking was correctly adjusted..

The problem now is the proof is all gone and it is a guessing game as to what really happened.

What the mechanic says as to tight may have been in reality correctly set.. Only the mechanic knows for sure..

Did the mechanic struggle to get the drum off?

Or did it come off with some resistance?

Did the other three drums come off with zero resistance?

Some very slight resistance is normal and desired.. If any drums came off with zero resistance then issue was more likely those brakes were excessively worn down or needed to be adjusted tighter..

A lot of he said vs mechanic said, which is why I do all of my own brake maintenance..

In PA any trailer with brakes must have a annual safety inspection, I make sure that I am present and watching the mechanic at all times when they remove the drums for inspection..

It is for my own safety and sanity since now days many mechanics have zero clue about drum brakes..

And yes, I have had a few inspection mechanics that decided to check and "adjust" the brakes using the inspection hole.. And yes, I HAVE had to undo what they did through that hole when I got home by removing the drum and resetting the start wheel :E