Brake ck in the Yuma/Phx area???

[kcsman]

Greetings: Coming down from Seattle to Yuma I had the unfortunate experience of a heavy/emergency braking to avoid a collision on I-10. Going to have the brakes checked (76K mi) due to the fact that it didn't feel like I was stopping as well as I should have. Don't know if antiskid played a part in it but it was the closest i have ever come to a major accident in my 70 years. If i wasn't able to pull over to the right lanes (quite frankly I didn't even have time to look) for clear lanes I just pulled over a number of lanes and stopped about 20 feet from the vehicles ahead from 70 mph. Flown a lot of large aircraft and owned and operated large commercial ships and the was the closest call ever. Anyone know of a quality truck/RV shop that can check my brakes in the Yuma/Phoenix area? Any help appreciated.
KC

[Happycarz]

Call Tom at Massey's. This is a highly rated shop. Explain your circumstances, as it is difficult to get an appointment.

Massey's RV & Diesel Repair
1417 S. 59th Ave.
Phoenix AZ 85043

602 233-1700


2008 Monaco Camelot 40' PDQ

[kcsman]

Masseys looks like the place. I will also ask them if they can reprogram my Allison tranny.

[JohnBoyToo]

kcsman:

good it was just a scare and not a real problem !

Curious,
did you use brakes alone or was your engine brake on at the time ?

Thanks and Happy New Year on no wreck

[bdpreece]

Had a similar situation happen to me going into Seattle. Crested a hill and as I broke the top at about 65 found traffic in front of me at a complete stop. Had to take the side of the road.

My problem was that since I had a very small toad I thought I did not need an aux brake system. You can be sure I have one now. If you were towing you might want to make sure you have an aux system and verify it is working correctly. Even a little push from the rear makes stopping take a lot longer.

[kcsman]

As to whether I had the exhaust brake on, I simply don't remember. I usually drive freeways with it on but at the time I was just glad to have averted a really serious crash not to mention shook up. Trust me after Vietnam, flying 30 years and owning a commercial vessel I don't spook easily. Now for the moment of truth. I had my brake buddy in the car(you are right about the "light weight" toad) mine is a Chevy HHR. The other part of lesson learned is that it was in a box in the back and that will not happen again. I flew for 30 years and every so often I would land and say ( I will never do that again!!). I am not particularly religious but maybe "someone" was telling me something. I remember hooking the brake buddy up and the remote that shows when the car brakes are on was not working and I was concerned that the unit would be applying the brakes all the way down the hills. The unit was purchased very used and I had never used it. I thought about setting it at the lowest sensitivity setting, I just didn't follow thru. Hopefully folks reading this will relate to what has been said here. In summary the brake will be installed and I will drive freeways with the exhaust brake on even if it is a little annoying/jerky

[kcsman]

Also added a GPS with traffic advisories. This worked great in the Seattle area but not so much elsewhere. Great GPS and the "traffic advisories" are great when they are available. Very accurate

[slickest1]

Sometimes your slack adjusters even though they are automatic adjusting, need to be adjusted manually. I would have them check that.
It is a real wake up call when something like that happens. When I used to train drivers for a company I worked for I would have them do a panic stop. It was surprising how many of them remembered that and drove accordingly.
Even at that there is always the unexpected like you experienced. I am glad it ended well for you.

[kcsman]

Good idea on the adjusters. From the work I have done years ago on car brakes I can remember having to free up stuck adjusters. Don't know if the coach brakes are supposed to self adjust when applied hard in reverse

[Cochise]

Originally Posted by slickest1

Sometimes your slack adjusters even though they are automatic adjusting, need to be adjusted manually. I would have them check that.
It is a real wake up call when something like that happens. When I used to train drivers for a company I worked for I would have them do a panic stop. It was surprising how many of them remembered that and drove accordingly.
Even at that there is always the unexpected like you experienced. I am glad it ended well for you.

If automatic slack adjusters need adjusting manually, DO NOT adjust them, replace them! They may not be working properly because of wrong lubricant, or excessive lubricant. Worn brake cams, cam bushings will also cause them not to keep proper adjustment.

[twinboat]

This,

NTSB: Don’t manually adjust automatic slack adjusters

By*eTrucker Staff

Published*March, 09 2006

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a warning that manually adjusting automatic slack adjusters is dangerous.

The board recommended Feb. 15 that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration develop with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance a North American Standard Inspection training materials module against this practice.

The FMCSA will work with the board to learn how often manual readjustment occurs and to keep this from happening, said Ian Grossman, FMCSA communications director.

“The agency has considered ways to deter manually adjusting automatic slack adjusters, but there is no information that indicates it is a widespread practice – though we do recognize that some drivers and mechanics do it,” Grossman said.

These adjusters are required on certain air-braked vehicles manufactured on or after Oct. 20, 1994. Motor carriers must ensure that the devices are properly maintained, Grossman added.

Manually adjusting automatic slack adjusters should be done only during installation or for an emergency move to a repair facility, the NTSB said.

Manual adjustment “fails to address the true reason why the brakes are not maintaining adjustment, giving the operator a false sense of security about the effectiveness of the brakes, which are likely to go out of adjustment again soon,” the NTSB said.

This practice also can cause abnormal wear to the internal adjusting mechanism, which can lead to brake failure, the board said.

[moisheh]

Never adjust auto slacks manually. You can do what is called a 6 pack. If that does not work you need to have a certified mechanic look at your brakes. Something is amiss.

[slickest1]

Originally Posted by twinboat

This,

NTSB: Don’t manually adjust automatic slack adjusters

By*eTrucker Staff

Published*March, 09 2006

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a warning that manually adjusting automatic slack adjusters is dangerous.

The board recommended Feb. 15 that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration develop with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance a North American Standard Inspection training materials module against this practice.

The FMCSA will work with the board to learn how often manual readjustment occurs and to keep this from happening, said Ian Grossman, FMCSA communications director.

“The agency has considered ways to deter manually adjusting automatic slack adjusters, but there is no information that indicates it is a widespread practice – though we do recognize that some drivers and mechanics do it,” Grossman said.

These adjusters are required on certain air-braked vehicles manufactured on or after Oct. 20, 1994. Motor carriers must ensure that the devices are properly maintained, Grossman added.

Manually adjusting automatic slack adjusters should be done only during installation or for an emergency move to a repair facility, the NTSB said.

Manual adjustment “fails to address the true reason why the brakes are not maintaining adjustment, giving the operator a false sense of security about the effectiveness of the brakes, which are likely to go out of adjustment again soon,” the NTSB said.

This practice also can cause abnormal wear to the internal adjusting mechanism, which can lead to brake failure, the board said.

They can come out with all the rulings they want but in real life in the trucking industry they periodically get manually adjusted. If they need constant adjusting they are then replaced.
The false sense of security is that people will pump their brakes a couple times and think they are fine. A lot of people don't even know that they need to do a six pack adjustment.
If they have done this and one or two adjusters don't adjust then I would say they are driving down the road with a false sense of security.