Are trailer brakes adjustable?

ronny7800 wrote:


Be prepared though... the Dexters on mine have an arm you need to lift up when you loosen the shoes back (ideally you want a bit of drag). Had to insert the brake spoon in one hole, and lift that arm with a flat screwdriver in the other hole.

Then you have self-adjusting brakes.......that lever is attached to pivot point of shoes and engages the star wheel when brakes are used.

They are forward self-adjusting (and should adjust in reverse also)

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Find someone else to handle your repairs!!! Better yet learn to do the repairs yourself........cheaper.

Yes trailer brakes are adjustable otherwise you would not be able to back them off in order to remove drums AND they would just be good only when first installed.

There is a slot on backside of drum (rubber cap) that a brake spoon can be inserted thru to engage the star wheel on the 'adjuster' to loosen/tighten brake shoes.

Jack tire up
Tighten star wheel until tire just barely does not move
Then loosen star wheel until tire turns freely with a slight drag of brake shoes

Then you will need to readjust your brake controller.

Be prepared though... the Dexters on mine have an arm you need to lift up when you loosen the shoes back (ideally you want a bit of drag). Had to insert the brake spoon in one hole, and lift that arm with a flat screwdriver in the other hole.

Depends on the year of his Arctic Fox. The never lube bearings came on the Silver Fox edition but, not sure what year they started. OP doesn't say what year his Fox is. My 2008 29V has the never lube bearings. There's a decal on the axles on mine says, "Never Lube".

If the guy told you the brakes are not adjustable and charged you for packing the bearings if you have the sealed, "Never Lube", bearings, he is not only an idiot but a liar.

He probably would have had to back the shoes off to pull the drums which means he knows they are adjustable. He just didn't adjust them back up when he put the drums back on.

I would wonder if he didn't do anything but write a bill were it not for the fact that your brakes quit working. You not only want to find a new shop, you may want to mention what happened to the manager where you had the work done. I think Les Schwab is, generally, pretty reputable so, the manager might want to know if he has people working for him that are either that dumb or that dishonest or both.

The best case is that the tech didn't adjust the brakes after packing the bearings. Next is grease on the drums. I haven't packed bearings or adjusted brakes in over thirty years but, when I did, I usually had to back off the brake adjuster to get the drum off and then adjust the brakes at the end. I am hoping that they neglected the adjustment. When I pick up the trailer in three months the first stop will be at a brake shop.

The service writer at Les Schwab may have been fooled by the adjuster being behind the magnet when he said that there was no adjusting wheel.

Thanks for your help.

Another link for Adjusting trailer brakes . Good luck.

Old-Biscuit showed the brake adjustment procedure for the axles on my Arctic Fox, I will BET it's the adjustment procedure for the one on your Fox also.
Now, here is another question, the axles on my Fox are sealed, that is they do not require lube service (while the brakes do)

I would guess that the "guy" that packed your bearings hosed up the system.

Regardless of already given and forthcoming speculations, apparently the "guy" did not know what he was doing. Either take it to a trusted "brake repair person" or learn to do it yourself so that you have adequate braking with the trailer brakes. To not do so could be disastrous for you and maybe others on the highway.

Or...he backed them off to get the drums off to grease the bearings and didnt readjust them when he reassembled them

This does not sound good at all. If they were working fine before you took the trailer to him, and immediately after, you have this problem, I fear that he has seriously contaminated the brake shoes with grease. If that is the case, you will be looking at having to replace the shoes. Once they are contaminated with grease or oil, you cannot "clean" then effectively.

And yes, as others said, they are adjustable.

Find someone else to handle your repairs!!! Better yet learn to do the repairs yourself........cheaper.

Yes trailer brakes are adjustable otherwise you would not be able to back them off in order to remove drums AND they would just be good only when first installed.

There is a slot on backside of drum (rubber cap) that a brake spoon can be inserted thru to engage the star wheel on the 'adjuster' to loosen/tighten brake shoes.

Jack tire up
Tighten star wheel until tire just barely does not move
Then loosen star wheel until tire turns freely with a slight drag of brake shoes

Then you will need to readjust your brake controller.