Air Brake Adjustment

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by thehornet, Jan 3, 2012.

  1. 07-379Pete

    07-379Pete Crusty Commando-Pete

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    Unless you talk in your sleep who would know if you did adjust them your self?:biggrin_25525:

    Doing your own brake adjustment and getting caught worrys me about as much as doing other work for pay and not logging it on line 4.
     
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  3. Injun

    Injun Road Train Member

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    Commando, do you really want noobs with no idea what they're doing getting after their brakes? You have almost 30 years' experience.
     
  4. 07-379Pete

    07-379Pete Crusty Commando-Pete

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    POINT!!
    You missing the fun in the hijack thread tonight.
     
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  5. Truck Driver

    Truck Driver Medium Load Member

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    Be careful shoving that brake pedal to the floor. You could end up bursting one of those rubber diaphragms located inside the brake chambers and have a major air leak whenever you apply the brakes and it won't put sufficient pressure on the push-rod. Do it during your pre-trip with the motor off and the windows down so you can listen for leaks.
     
  6. 123456

    123456 Road Train Member

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    Adjust the air brakes,

    the same way you adjust the air bag................















    :biggrin_25517:
     
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  7. keepitsimple

    keepitsimple Light Load Member

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    I said, "I think" :biggrin_255:

    I was going from memory. 2 years out, sorry
     
  8. lostNfound

    lostNfound Road Train Member

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    [​IMG]

















    In all seriousness, when we do our air brake course for a Class 1, we're good to adjust the brakes with no silly additional certificates required... the way it should be.
     
  9. wis bang

    wis bang Road Train Member

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    Auto slack adjusters require special manual adjustment procedures. Doing it wrong can damage the slack adjuster making it inoperative.
     
  10. Truck609

    Truck609 Light Load Member

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    Well, at the risk of pissing off some, I will pipe up for the sake of the newbies. It doesn't matter what slack adjuster you have. Whether its the old manuals, or the newer automatics, they all need to be properly adjusted. While it is true that in general an automatic, if working properly, should require much less adjusting than a manual, AND they should "ratchet up" through the process of using the brakes, they still need to be adjusted. Probably much less often than the manuals, but you still need to adjust them. How often? Depends on a lot of things. Check them once a week. No adjustment needed? Check them every other week, and so on....you will find out how often you need to be adjusting them.

    Now as far as the how to.....they are really all the same principal, just different tools required. Manuals, use a 9/16 wrench, run it down until shoes are tight to the drum then back it off 1/4-3/8 of a turn. If they are the newer autos, you will use a 5/16 wrench......it will only go ONE way, tight! After you have tightened the brakeshoes to the drum by turning the wrench the only way it will go, then slip a flat screwdriver, or anything really underneath the "hat" or "button" or whatever you were taught that thing is called and raise it. This will allow you to back off the brake shoes your 1/4-3/8 of a turn.

    As far as adjusting some axles more or less.....this is begging for trouble and an out of service brake ticket. Newbies listen up! Adjust ALL of your brakes the same 1/4-3/8 of a turn.
     
  11. Injun

    Injun Road Train Member

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    Let me reiterate:

     
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