Anyone Do Their Own Brake Adjustments?

[tomgrigsby]

I'm toying with the idea of attempting to adjust the brakes on our 2000 DSDP. Any advice or recommendations. I've seen from youtube videos that you tighten up the adjustment bolt and then back it off 1/2 turn. Would like to spin the wheels to make sure nothing's dragging afterward. Fronts would be easy. For rears, do both sides need to be off the ground to rotate?

[twinboat]

Get a big screw driver or pry bar and pry the slack adjusters away from the chamber at the clevis pin. If it moves more then 1 inch, somethings wrong.

You need to build up air and push in the parking brake knob first If doing the rear brakes.

If they need adjustment, they need to be fixed, because they are self adjusting.

If one wheel self adjuster isn't working, you will have uneven brakes in a few thousand miles.


I always tightened them up and backed off a 1/4 turn. Never lifted the wheel to attempt to turn it. Just checked the slack adjusters movement.


Check the movement and if OK, leave them alone.

[tomgrigsby]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Get a big screw driver or pry bar and pry the slack adjusters away from the chamber at the clevis pin. If it moves more then 1 inch, somethings wrong.

You need to build up air and push in the parking brake knob first If doing the rear brakes.

If they need adjustment, they need to be fixed, because they are self adjusting.

If one wheel self adjuster isn't working, you will have uneven brakes in a few thousand miles.


I always tightened them up and backed off a 1/4 turn. Never lifted the wheel to attempt to turn it. Just checked the slack adjusters movement.


Check the movement and if OK, leave them alone.

Didn't know they are self adjusting. That's good news - one less thing. I'm not having any problems with them - it stops nice and straight. Thanks!

[Ray,IN]

As twinboat said, the only thing that must be checked is the stroke travel. Every time you step on the brakes hard they self-adjust, no need to back up to adjust. Just remember to release the parking brake first. Even not moving the brakes self-adjust when the pedal is depressed hard.
The secret to all this is proper lubrication of the zerk fittings on each wheel.

[mackwrench]

Originally Posted by tomgrigsby

I'm toying with the idea of attempting to adjust the brakes on our 2000 DSDP. Any advice or recommendations. I've seen from youtube videos that you tighten up the adjustment bolt and then back it off 1/2 turn. Would like to spin the wheels to make sure nothing's dragging afterward. Fronts would be easy. For rears, do both sides need to be off the ground to rotate?

twinboat is spot on....he's measuring slack adjuster free travel...

Be careful, the videos you seen could be a unit with manual slack adjusters.
The chassis was mfg. with automatic brake slack adjusters, they've been required by the feds since 1995.

Depending on the brand of slack adjusters you have you could damage them by backing them off manually.

If your not having any issues, then I'd leave them alone.
....but I understand that's not possible sometimes, you just gotta know, lol.

Depending on the size of the steer axle brake chambers, you should have no more than 1 3/4" of applied stroke. And on the rear 2" of applied stroke. That's the maximum amount of travel FDOT allows...

To check for applied stroke, you'll need to get safely under coach, be sure wheels are firmly chocked!
No need to jack wheels up.

With a helper, you measure how far the rod extends out of brake chamber when someone pushes brake pedal.

I use a old wooden ruler I snapped in two, hold it up to side of rod, take a reading and have someone push brake pedal.

On rear axle, the parking brake must be released, making sure you have minimum of 90 psi air pressure.

If you youtube search "air brake applied stroke" you should see a video description of what I posted.

Greasing the slack and s-cams will help keep brake adjusted as well....but no over greasing, just a few pumps at each PMI.