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Thread: Brake Adjustment-How often?
- 08.07.2012 #1Light Load Member
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Brake Adjustment-How often?
I currently drive a 2008 Sterling with self adjusting slack adjusters. My company asks us to adjust them manually (the 7/16 bolt) twice a week. However, I only use my brakes when I'm coming to a complete stop. The rest of the time I rely on my gear selection and jake brakes. I know the older trucks in our fleet have to be adjusted often bc they are only equipped with exhaust retarders and the brakes are used much much more. Some of the older drivers say that the brakes on my particular truck and a few others dont need to be tuned every week. In driving school we didnt manually adjust them-only the trailer brakes. I know responses will go both ways but I am curious to hear both sides.
- 08.07.2012 #2Bobtail Member
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The older drivers are right, you don't have to do them that often. You will know your truck soon and will figure out how often you should check them, about once a month is good. If you drop and hook alot, check every trailer you hook up to.
- 08.07.2012 #3Medium Load Member
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Are we as drivers even allowed to make adjustments? Seems like you would need a certification for such things. I know we are required to inspect and report, but not 'tamper'
- 08.07.2012 #4Road Train Member
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If your truck has automatic slack adjusters and they need manually adjusted something is wrong and it should be looked at by a mechanic. Automatic slack adjusters should never need manually adjusted.
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- 08.07.2012 #5Heavy Load Member
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- 08.07.2012 #6Medium Load Member
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some companies certifytheir drivers, I was certified by Jb 11 years ago, but without a card saying that they have to checked by a pro. plus like most have posted automatic adjusters shouldnt need to be unless they are bad
- 08.07.2012 #7Heavy Load Member
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I have found automatice slack adjusters, adjust themselves correctly for approx. the first year to two years unless tampered with incorrectly.
If one needs to cranks the adjustment backwards, this wears tremdously on the automatic gears. So if you adjust to tight and have to back them off very many times, they will stop adjusting automaticlly.
So you shouldn't have to adjust them unless they are not working correctly.
- 08.07.2012 #8Light Load Member
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Thanks everyone. I tried adjusting them last month but the bolts were tight and I felt like they were solid. The old truck is a different story...
- 08.07.2012 #9Road Train Member
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Plus it may not be the adjuster that's bad...a worn cam bearing can put slop in the slack adjuster, tightening the slack adjuster just makes the problem worse and can ruin the slack adjuster as well.
- 08.07.2012 #10Road Train Member
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I have no idea how to do those auto ones and most trailers have them now.

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