Brakes rusted to drums

Maybe Hammer on the Slack Adjuster

 

These comments make me lol.

if the top shoe is releasing from the drum, then the S cam is rotating. You can release the brakes and grab the slack and rotate it away from the chamber and it should move with a little force.

Every brake shoe is different, they all are made up of different materials. Some have a lot more ceramic material then others. I believe the Abex 627? Perhaps, it's a very hard shoe, rough shoe, eats drums, has a higher content of metal and copper in it. Some are more ceramic then others and aren't as harsh on drums. The higher the metal content, the more susceptible they are to rusting.

Depending on how the truck is constructed, if the truck is built with full 30/30 chambers on both axles then you have the possibility of all 4 wheels being stuck. If it's half chambers on one axle and full on the other, then it's likely only one axle is stuck.

If it was me, I would either cage the chamber if you have cage bolts and a 3/4" wrench, or I would release the brakes in the cab and then back off the slack adjuster. It won't go far, but perhaps enough to give the brake shoe more room to move. Usually hitting the drum from the inner edge, or hitting the shoe itself will free them up. And of course rocking the truck a little too.

This is likely not a S-cam issue. If it cammed over then the shoes would be 3/8" away from the drum already. If it's stuck at top dead center, ready to roll over then it would still release unless it's started past center. Also, if the lining is anywhere near new, or even half way worn down with good drums, your likely not even close to camming over. The only brakes I have ever seen cam over we're extremely thin, #### neat metal to metal with the rivets touching.

 

Even new brakes can cam if the drum never gets replaced.

 

Dude if your drum is thin enough to cam over with new brakes on it, then you might as well not even have brakes. I have never in my career seen a brake drum thin enough to cam over new shoes. It'd literally be worn through.

 

On Some Brake Systems you Must Release the Tractor and Trailer Brakes or it will not supply air to the Trailer

 

Not really. There's still meat on the drum.

 

I'd have to see it to believe it. But whatever works.

 

Pic was posted not too long ago.