Towing above 65

BurbMan wrote:


Lynnmor, did you get the new self-adjusting brakes from Dexter? Those are on my upgrade list. I feel like Fred Flintstone under the TT with a brake tool adjusting drum brakes....they've had self adjusting brakes for what, 75 years, and still not standard equipment on an RV?

I didn't get the self adjusting type. I find that the brakes wear very little, after initial break-in, and don't require frequent adjusting. I do have indoor storage and a concrete floor making adjustment rather simple. In PA it is required that a safety inspection be performed each year and the brakes can be adjusted at that time. I still have to go back over the brakes and bearings to undo the damage from that inspection. But the main reasons for not going with the self adjusters are the added parts and the fact that the self adjusters may not work correctly if the drums have too much run-out. That said, I found the Dexter drums to be of higher quality, run truer, and almost in balance. The worst one was only about 1.5 oz. out, and the rest were about 1 oz. The AlKo drums were 2 to 5.5 oz. out of balance. No attempt is made to balance the drums by either manufacturer. The Dexter castings were better. I get a kick out of all those folks that do a feel good balance of the tires and still have no clue that the rotating assembly is way out of balance.