Self adjusting brakes - Mod
Well I made a decision to install self adjusting brakes as a part of my brake replacement this spring. Now after reading some posts I am sufficiently spooked and wonder if I should not have stayed ...
Forum Discussion
Gdetrailer wrote:
An out of round drum causing problems is NOT the fault of self adjusters, period.
An out of round drum is easy to find, heavy vibration while braking is one sure sign that a driver WILL FEEL even as far back as the trailer axles..
Another sure sign of out of round drums is the brakes lightly dragging then no drag or complete stop while turning wheel or drum when you have the tire off the ground during your own inspection (you DO periodically INSPECT your drums/brakes, DON'T YOU??? I sure do!).
PA has an annual inspection, so I CHECK MY OWN BRAKES BEFORE DRAGGING THE TRAILER TO THE INSPECTION STATION. Saves time and aggravation of a failed inspection.
I am in PA as well and hate having anyone mess with my brakes, bearings and seals. My vehicles get three inspections per year. First I inspect, second the inspection and third I fix what they touched.
Yes, I do all of my own work including the turning of brake drums. The idea that over-adjusting is not the fault of self-adjusters, you have to remember that the axle manufacturer often turns out poor quality. Folks that want the self-adjusting feature are just trying to get out of one more chore and they will never detect the grabbing of the brakes because they will never check.
