Solo clutch, hydraulic/air assist clutch brake question

Discussion in 'Heavy Duty Diesel Truck Mechanics Forum' started by lester, Nov 23, 2025.

  1. lester

    lester Midwest's #1 Feed Hauler

    2,935
    7,940
    Jan 2, 2012
    NW, Iowa
    0
    2025 T680 roughly 70,000 miles. Factory clutch brake gave up around 60,000 miles, don't remember if it broke the tabs or was just wore out. Am now on the 3rd 2 piece brake. They keep coming apart. Problem is the clutch adjustment seems terrible, don't have to push the pedal far at all to be on the clutch brake. Is there anyway to adjust anything with a solo self adjusting clutch and hydraulic clutch?
    We ran the truck a couple days with no clutch brake in it at all. Mechanic says when we did that the clutch adjusted itself up more making the problem worse.. Anyway to fix this problem short of replacing the clutch?
    I don't want to hear about driver abuse or how 2 piece brakes are junk, I've heard it all before... and this isn't an OTR hwy truck
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Goodysnap

    Goodysnap Road Train Member

    3,750
    9,125
    Jul 12, 2017
    0
    Put the factory 1 piece in it and keep it greased well. Both sides.

    You can easily overpower the clutch brake with the hydraulic air assist on Paccar.

    When it’s dry it grabs to hard and breaks the tabs or the brake itself. The original brake has built in internal dampening. 2 piece is solid and does not give.

    Also the clutch may have over adjusted when the brake has worn. Resetting the solo is possible. Pretty sure you just release the clutch and push the adjuster tab left to new. Then repump the pedal a few times to readjust.
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2025
  4. lester

    lester Midwest's #1 Feed Hauler

    2,935
    7,940
    Jan 2, 2012
    NW, Iowa
    0
    Okay I didn't know you could adjust it back, will definitely try that in the morning. Thank you and will grease it up too
     
  5. Goodysnap

    Goodysnap Road Train Member

    3,750
    9,125
    Jul 12, 2017
    0
    All 2 piece brakes are not equal. The aluminum one with the Allen screws is a waste of money. Try to find a Babcock is my suggestion if you don’t want to pull it and put in the one piece.
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2025
  6. Star Rider

    Star Rider Road Train Member

    1,676
    15,291
    Sep 23, 2019
    Michigan
    0
    Over the years I had good luck with the Haldex 2 piece clutch brakes.
    Keep in mind it was all mechanical clutch linkages.
     
    Big Road Skateboard, lester and Oxbow Thank this.
  7. lester

    lester Midwest's #1 Feed Hauler

    2,935
    7,940
    Jan 2, 2012
    NW, Iowa
    0
    So we were able to move the indicator tab back to new and get good adjustment in the clutch. Found a couple Eaton videos online as well. One showed after moving the tab back to new you are supposed to install the 4 clutch caging bolts and tighten them up and then pull them back out. Said that was the last step in resetting the clutch. We skipped that part. Will see what happens but so far 2 days it's back to perfect adjustment. Thanks all
     
    dosgatos and BoxCarKidd Thank this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.