Brakes

Bigbird65 wrote:
"Yep, I read this, too. So, l ended up doing one side just fine and the other was adjusted to the loosest point. No where did I read that they might adjust differently.
All is well now, though."

I'm sure RV manufacturers do things differently. About 10 minutes ago I finished adjusting all 4 brakes on our Winnebago 2250DS. About 3 minutes per wheel is all it took. The time was spent jacking up the trailer and putting jack stands under it. All 4 wheels adjusted the same way, that is, pull down on the adjusting tool until the wheel locks up, then push up on the adjusting tool or screwdriver 8 clicks. A very easy simple job. Glad yours is working fine GrandpaKip.

Thanks. Yep, pretty simple, once I figured out what was going on. My previous camper adjusted like yours.
I run up one tire on a Trailer-Aid, then put down the stabilizers on 6x8’s while still hooked to the truck. Then I can get one of the grandkids to operate the controller to make sure the brakes are grabbing properly.

"Yep, I read this, too. So, l ended up doing one side just fine and the other was adjusted to the loosest point. No where did I read that they might adjust differently.
All is well now, though."

I'm sure RV manufacturers do things differently. About 10 minutes ago I finished adjusting all 4 brakes on our Winnebago 2250DS. About 3 minutes per wheel is all it took. The time was spent jacking up the trailer and putting jack stands under it. All 4 wheels adjusted the same way, that is, pull down on the adjusting tool until the wheel locks up, then push up on the adjusting tool or screwdriver 8 clicks. A very easy simple job. Glad yours is working fine GrandpaKip.

Bigbird65 wrote:
On both our previous Winnebago 2101DS and our current 2250DS I have adjusted the brakes the same way on both sides of the trailer. Here is a website that verifies the same way that I do it. Your trailer may be different.

http://www.rverscorner.com/Trailer_Brakes.html
Insert the brake adjuster tool and maneuver it so that the tool engages with the teeth in the star wheel. The star wheel looks like a gear with exposed teeth on the perimeter. On most trailers you would pull down on the tool handle which levers on the bottom of the hole and turns the star wheel up (as you are looking at it from the back of the wheel. Just to make it more difficult, the star wheel is located well inside and some maneuvering is required - a flashlight will help to locate the starwheel.
Turn the adjuster until the brake locks up, i.e. you can no longer rotate the wheel by hand. This centers the brake shoes on the brake drum so that they are in the correct position.
Now back off the star wheel 8 to 10 clicks or as specified by the manufacturer. The wheel should spin freely with no apparent drag to slow it down. A slight scraping noise is normal as the wheel turns.
Repeat this procedure for all the wheels.

Yep, I read this, too. So, l ended up doing one side just fine and the other was adjusted to the loosest point. No where did I read that they might adjust differently.
All is well now, though.

Dexter says this:

General Maintenance - Electric Brakes Brake Adjustment

Dexter electric brakes that have a self adjusting feature require no
manual adjustment. Brakes not equipped with this feature can be
adjusted by using the following procedure:
Brakes should be adjusted (1) after the first 200 miles of operation
when the brake shoes and drums have “seated,” (2) at 3,000 mile
intervals, (3) or as use and performance requires. The brakes
should be adjusted in the following manner:

1. Jack up trailer and secure on adequate capacity jack stands.
Follow trailer manufacturer’s recommendations for lifting and
supporting the unit. Make sure the wheel and drum rotates
freely.

2. If equipped, remove the adjusting hole cover, if present, from
the adjusting slot on the bottom of the brake backing plate.

3. With a screwdriver or standard adjusting tool, rotate the star
wheel of the adjuster assembly to expand the brake shoes.
Adjust the brake shoes out until the pressure of the linings
against the drum makes the wheel very difficult to turn.
Note: For drop spindle axles, a modified adjusting tool may be necessary.

4.Then rotate the star wheel in the opposite direction until the wheel turns freely with a slight lining drag.

5.Replace the adjusting hole cover, if available, and lower the
wheel to the ground.

6.Repeat the above procedure on all brakes. For best results,
the brakes should all be set at the same clearance.

On both our previous Winnebago 2101DS and our current 2250DS I have adjusted the brakes the same way on both sides of the trailer. Here is a website that verifies the same way that I do it. Your trailer may be different.

http://www.rverscorner.com/Trailer_Brakes.html
Insert the brake adjuster tool and maneuver it so that the tool engages with the teeth in the star wheel. The star wheel looks like a gear with exposed teeth on the perimeter. On most trailers you would pull down on the tool handle which levers on the bottom of the hole and turns the star wheel up (as you are looking at it from the back of the wheel. Just to make it more difficult, the star wheel is located well inside and some maneuvering is required - a flashlight will help to locate the starwheel.
Turn the adjuster until the brake locks up, i.e. you can no longer rotate the wheel by hand. This centers the brake shoes on the brake drum so that they are in the correct position.
Now back off the star wheel 8 to 10 clicks or as specified by the manufacturer. The wheel should spin freely with no apparent drag to slow it down. A slight scraping noise is normal as the wheel turns.
Repeat this procedure for all the wheels.

ktmrfs wrote:
the "up on one side down on the other" on drum brakes has been standard practice for adjusting screw since almost forever. But then drum brakes have disappeared on almost every vehicle for 20 or more years, coupled with self adjusters, it's been a generation since anyone other than trailer guys have had to adjust drum brakes.

So..... I guess they were relying on history. I never can remember which side is which so I just painted an arrow (up or down) on each drum to let me know which way to adjust!

On automobiles with self adjusting brakes and having star wheels (some newer drum brakes have weird or unusual adjuster setups) the star wheels are left and right hand thread depending on which side of the vehicle they are on. This is because of how the self adjuster works, it is always pushing down to tighten thus you use the brake spoon and turn the back side of the adjuster up to tighten, and of course if you get too tight, you use a small screwdriver to push the self adjuster out of the way to reverse the star wheel.

I just the other day replaced all of the China bearings and races on my new to me 2008 Thor/Dutchman FS180 with Lippert axles and "Axletek" brakes. I was surprised to see that the adjusters were not left and right hand thread.

Put in new Timken USA made bearings and races. Got a good price, $132 for all eight bearings and eight races. $12 at the trailer place for the double lip seals. Money well spent on peace of mind.

Charles

Wow I really need to get with the times! Not just my travel trailer, but two of my three cars in the household have rear drum brakes!

ktmrfs wrote:

GrandpaKip wrote:
Well, got it all sorted out. Found a broken wire inside a drum, then noticed a cut on the umbilical. Of course, the blue brake wire was cut halfway. Replaced the cord and spliced the wire. Brakes all good on the port side.
Still no brakes on starboard side. Then something my son in law said about how the brakes were basically just reversed on each side. So, l adjusted by going up with the spoon instead of down.Amazing! And a headslap.
Why in the world nothing was written or said about this, I have no idea. The Lippert video did not mention anything about doing one side up and the other down.
Also, while perusing my library for help, it was mentioned in a warning not to pull the breakaway while hooked to the truck. It could fry the controller. I didn’t know that or may not have remembered. Fortunately, the controller works as always has.
Joys and privileges of RV ownership, but I now know a whole bunch more about brakes.

the "up on one side down on the other" on drum brakes has been standard practice for adjusting screw since almost forever. But then drum brakes have disappeared on almost every vehicle for 20 or more years, coupled with self adjusters, it's been a generation since anyone other than trailer guys have had to adjust drum brakes.

So..... I guess they were relying on history. I never can remember which side is which so I just painted an arrow (up or down) on each drum to let me know which way to adjust!

That’s a good idea.
This was my first experience with drums. No problem now.
Thanks.

GrandpaKip wrote:
Well, got it all sorted out. Found a broken wire inside a drum, then noticed a cut on the umbilical. Of course, the blue brake wire was cut halfway. Replaced the cord and spliced the wire. Brakes all good on the port side.
Still no brakes on starboard side. Then something my son in law said about how the brakes were basically just reversed on each side. So, l adjusted by going up with the spoon instead of down.Amazing! And a headslap.
Why in the world nothing was written or said about this, I have no idea. The Lippert video did not mention anything about doing one side up and the other down.
Also, while perusing my library for help, it was mentioned in a warning not to pull the breakaway while hooked to the truck. It could fry the controller. I didn’t know that or may not have remembered. Fortunately, the controller works as always has.
Joys and privileges of RV ownership, but I now know a whole bunch more about brakes.

the "up on one side down on the other" on drum brakes has been standard practice for adjusting screw since almost forever. But then drum brakes have disappeared on almost every vehicle for 20 or more years, coupled with self adjusters, it's been a generation since anyone other than trailer guys have had to adjust drum brakes.

So..... I guess they were relying on history. I never can remember which side is which so I just painted an arrow (up or down) on each drum to let me know which way to adjust!

Well, got it all sorted out. Found a broken wire inside a drum, then noticed a cut on the umbilical. Of course, the blue brake wire was cut halfway. Replaced the cord and spliced the wire. Brakes all good on the port side.
Still no brakes on starboard side. Then something my son in law said about how the brakes were basically just reversed on each side. So, l adjusted by going up with the spoon instead of down.Amazing! And a headslap.
Why in the world nothing was written or said about this, I have no idea. The Lippert video did not mention anything about doing one side up and the other down.
Also, while perusing my library for help, it was mentioned in a warning not to pull the breakaway while hooked to the truck. It could fry the controller. I didn’t know that or may not have remembered. Fortunately, the controller works as always has.
Joys and privileges of RV ownership, but I now know a whole bunch more about brakes.