Community Forums

oldusedbear · 10-23-2011, 09:38 AM

Every so often I try to remind folks that the easiest way to contact us is with direct email. The Private Messages are just too easy for me to miss and it is sometimes several days before I see them. I TRY to watch the forums, but don't do real well at that - - most all my contacts are direct and often the result of referrals by others on the forums.

Probably the best way to contact me is thru oldusedbear11@charter.net

Oemtech (Oemy/Dale) also has direct links on his website to the AutoPark Library.

Roger - - aka oldusedbear at the AutoPark Library

max49 · 10-25-2011, 07:02 PM

Roger, aka OUB, Thanks so much for helping us autp park owners. You are 'the man'.

I do wish we all could all learn from each others symptoms and what the problem turned out to be. Since every one on this forum immediately refers the poster to you, and then you take it from there, via email, we , other forum members, can not learn any thing about at least attempting to try to fix our own autopark, and save you for problems we just can't figure out. You may be repeating the same instructions to different people with the same problem , multiple times. We all learn so much from others problems on this forum, it's kind of a shame that the 'autopark' system has to remain such a mystery to those of us who have not had problems yet.
I'm not saying this to try to make it harder for you, just letting you know that many of us would still like to learn about symptoms and solutions even if we don't need you yet. I believe there are plenty of others , besides me, that would love to hear how you diagnose this system.
Again thank you so much for all of your time that you share with us here. And please try to take this message as I intended it, even though I'm not real good with words.

oldusedbear · 10-28-2011, 11:07 AM

Hi Max - - Maybe the best thing would be to encourage the people who get help from us to post something about the troubleshooting and fix.

Lots of times, we exchange 50 or more emails and many megabytes of correspondence before the issue is cleared up. Obviously, we could not post anything approaching that amount of traffic because of the file sizes and the sheer numbers of emails. But, the coach owner could condense this at the conclusion of the project and post a summary for everyone to share.

Just an idea - - oub

max49 · 10-28-2011, 05:07 PM

That's a good idea OUB. We'll have to start encouraging people to share the fix with their WH forum buddies.
I guess there are just 2 kinds of autopark owners. Those who have had problems and those that will. Mines' almost 7 yrs old now, so I may be on borrowed time. No problems with it so far since they changed the actuator assembly under warranty, just because of a tiny seep. I guess they don't know how to rebuild them.
I wish someone would invent and sell a kit to make either a hand or foot and cable operated parking brake or at least share some info on how they did it.

DriVer · 10-29-2011, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49

I wish someone would invent and sell a kit to make either a hand or foot and cable operated parking brake or at least share some info on how they did it.

Max, A manually applied parking brake device would have no reliability long term and can not be applied in the same manner by one driver or another. This is why the the J71 & J72 are required by the DOT. For example, my grandmother could apply a AAPB just the same as a 20 year old.

Another consideration is who would make such a device and underwrite any type of warranty, reliability or liability factor into the device in the event it fails.

The reason why the W20 etc. have a manually applied parking brake is because they all have a parking pawl. (except certain W24s with the J72 & UFO HPB)

Fortunately, Brazels has an alternative air applied system AAPB which could be a long term solution and can be applied effectively by any driver. There is a way out of being held captive by the electric hydraulic system.

dieselclacker · 10-29-2011, 10:44 AM

Parts that fit Workhorse Chassis

Max, check this site for parking brake parts.

Dieselclacker

max49 · 10-29-2011, 09:39 PM

If you live close to Brazels maybe the air operated PB might be an alternative. It's hard enough to find some one who knows how to work on the autopark system or get parts for it, how would you get parts for or find some one to work on a homemade air system?
I doubt DOT wanted them to use the AAPB that is far more troublesum than a manual brake. A little old lady can press the brake to stop her car just like a large man. You should'nt have to be a gorilla to put the parking brake on. Furthermore, a spring applied parking brake does not continually apply the same pressure either. And you have no control to push the pedal or pull the lever tighter. As the shoes wear the spring applied brake gets less and less effective, until it won't hold the vehicle even on a slight grade.
Whether an electric, air, manual or spring parking brake fails, the mfgr will have plenty of reasons why it was the owners fault and not theirs.
Thanks for that link Dieselclacker, that could be helpful some day, but I did'nt see any mention of any kind of parking brake. Did I just miss it?

DriVer · 10-30-2011, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49

I doubt DOT wanted them to use the AAPB that is far more troublesum than a manual brake. A little old lady can press the brake to stop her car just like a large man.

In order to obtain DOT certification so they could sell these rigs they needed an AAPB because the transmissions did not come equipped with a parking pawl. Once a parking pawl was made available on any Workhorse chassis the AAPB was discontinued.