jkwilson wrote:
fj12ryder wrote:
Just curious how a person would adjust a manually adjustable drum brake unless they used the "tiny hole on the backing plate"?
Me too.
Your remove the drum, adjust, put drum back in place. You will feel a slight drag when sliding drum back on when brakes are set correctly. If to much resistance or drag is felt you have the brakes set too tight. If no resistance or drag then you do not have the brakes set tight enough.
Once you have established a slight drag, reinstall the outside bearing and lightly set the nut to allow you to spin the drum by hand. Should turn easily with only a slight drag noticed.
Anything tighter and you are simply burning the brakes off.
Adjust the star wheel only one or two spaces at a time, it typically does not require much if you do the routinely.
Sounds like a lot of work, but once you have a good feel for how it is done, it only takes one or two tries to get them set.
My Dad taught me how to setup drum brakes back in the 1970s on automobiles, the same technology used for drums on trailer axles is the same as drums on automobiles and so far that advice has worked very well for me for 40 yrs with autos and trailers.. Setting drum brakes on cars with drums on the front can be rather tricky, get one side too tight and the other too loose and it takes you right off the road or will pull you across the road if you stomp on the brakes..
PA requires a yearly safety inspection for trailers with brakes, mechanic is required to pull two out of four drums to inspect the bake components. May as well pull them myself, measure and adjust as needed. This ensures I have zero surprises that the mechanic can fail the inspection.
Besides, some trailer axles like mine are drop axles, pretty much obscures the littler tiny opening on the backing plate and adjuster spoon tool simply is not usable on my axles..
