Forum Discussion
JBarca
Jan 13, 2014Nomad II
ScottG wrote:
Most people (even many shops) adjust them too loose. They should drag all the way around and when you give the wheel a spin it should only rotate *.75 to 1 full turn before stopping.
*From Alko manual.
Hi,
Your post seems to indcate what you said came from the Alko manual. Did we understand that correctly? Alko has changed things from time to time so just asking as your reponse is different than I have seen.
Page 14 of the Alko manual does not say the same thing as you where describing.
http://al-kousa.com/download/ALKO_2kto7k_OwnerManual.pdf
Alko wrote:
3. While spinning the wheel, use a standard brake adjusting tool or the blade of a screw driver to rotate the star wheel until there is a heavy brake drag.
4. Loosen until the wheel turns freely about 3/4 to one full turn.
They are now stating the wheel should spin free for 3/4 to 1 full turn of the wheel. Did not notice they referring to spinning the wheel and it stop in 3/4 to 1 rev. That is a difference as spin free for 1 whole turn is no drag.
It is hard to decribe in words sometime the right amount of light drag that is acceptable and how much around the drum.
While not impossible, having even drag 360 degrees is sometimes hard to come by on trailer wheels. The spec for trailer drums is the drum face can have run out of 0.015" TIR and be considered in spec. Which I feel is totally wrong, but that is what Dexter told me is spec. No one rides in the trailer like in a car so they do not feel the vibration. My Alko drums ran out 0.020"... You have got to be kidding, they can't machine it better???? On drum brakes that much runout can create a skip. You drag on the low spot and spin free on the high spot. Sad too as automotive did this back in the 50's a whole lot better. Getting a brake drum to spin wihtin 0.005" TIR or less is not that hard. Takes more skill and a little more time.
John
About Travel Trailer Group
44,029 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 13, 2025