A series of questions from a complete novice about replacing a brake chamber.

Mechanic is always an option. If you have to ask on a fourm about how to work on safety equipment, you should not be working on said equipment.

Get someone in that knows what they are doing, and maybe learn so you can do it next time.

 

Why are you replacing it?

If the pushrod and bolted portion arent damaged,

stop your current plan, cage both chambers, then simply replace the halfback (if you cant figure that out from what ive said, then zvar is right, you have no buisness doing it at all)

At worst, cage the brake, pinch the supply line, and drive it to a mechanic. Loves will replace a chamber for 1 hr labor, less if its just a diaphragm or halfback

 

That chamber doesn't look very old. As other guy said you can replace just the back half or maybe just the rubber diaphragm.

What are your symptoms?

If you do need to replace the whole measure the pushrod length with the chamber NOT caged.

 

Screw the jam nut down on the pushrod past where you are going to cut. Cut with hacksaw, grinder, whatever. Then screw the jam nut off, it will clean up the threads

 

On cutting length, either cage or uncaged both and just cut the same length. It should get you close enough to work fine. Running nut past where is you cut is always a good idea.
If it's your first one, make sure cage bolt is locked in solid with both tangs grabbing, seen rookies think they cage it but not lock in bolt all the way and it pop out during disassembly.

 

You can replace just the diaphragm if you like. But you really should replace both if one went bad the other one probably isn't far behind.

But if you are replacing the whole can really the right way to measure the pushrod is to mount the can where it mounts up bolt it up tight and then get a square and go from the rod that sticking out right up to where the center of your slack adjuster is. On the center of the camshaft there should be a little dimple there and that has to be 90° to where the pushrod is.

Online they have instructions how to measure back from the clevis pin and how much room you're allowed. As far as cutting it goes the best thing is to put the lock nut on and put another lock nut and when you have the right length lock them together and then cut it flush at the end of the nut.

If this is a new to you truck or you've never replace these before it's important that you use a square and you check all this because often times people put them on there and they cut the wrong length.

It's common that you'll take two of them off and the shafts will be a different length. This will throw your braking off so you need to make sure everything is exactly perfectly correct.

And some guys I supposed to replace just one can but if you're going to replace one he should replace both of them and the one that's still good keep that one for a spare.

With brakes and Brake Chambers and that sort of thing I say always replace in sets.