adjusting brakes yourself

Although you're right, the reality is that most don't do the proper pretrip every morning. But, you're still right.

 

Pumping down the brakes really isn't enough to get the slack adjusters to work properly...

Which is why you ought to give the brakes a good hard, sustained press every once in awhile... especially about the time the DOT bear is waving you over to the inspection line!

 

Yes it is...As long as you apply the correct pressure on each pump.

What exactlt do you think that would do?

The slack adjusters work on each application not by pressing the brakes and holding them down...A "good hard, sustained press" will do very little to adjust your brakes.

Mutiple firm applications will do the job if they're out of adjustment but they pretty much adjust themselves with normal daily use.

 

Ironpony, You should listen to W900 and Myself,
According to bendix, 30lbs applied 3 times consecutive will adjust the SELF adjust Brakes, google auto Slack adjusters and How to use them.
Three years Versus 61 years of Combined experience. Hmm I wonder sometimes what in the hell a 6 month OTR trainer can teach a Student? Oh Answer all the wrong things.

 

Well... if you listen to the stuff put out by TMC (not the company) the major reason we get put out of service for brakes is the piss poor job people do at working their brakes hard - in pretrips. "Fanning the brakes down" doesn't do the job. Personally, I drive in a way that doesn't require "multiple firm applications... with normal daily use." I also have never had a problem with a roadside inspection.

 

I have.

Quite some time ago.

 

Old dog learning new tricks, I was always told to back up while either pumping or holding steady pressure, just goes to show you learn something new everyday.

 

It only takes a few minutes to adjust all the brakes, about once a week I back them off, snug them down then back them off about a 1/4 turn. You should check with your shop on the brakes you use. Our has two style of self adjuster, 1 has a pin that has to be held out while adjusting, the other does not you just adjust them. In any case you need to be checking your linings and drums. You need to be checking the bolt and mountings, hoses and the stuff you can not see from the back, you just have to be there.

 

Do it however it seems to work for you...But you're post is full of misinformation.

Normal daily use is more than enough to keep them adjusted, They require no special brake application under normal circumstances...The only time I've ever found the need to pump them hard to adjust is when I see one that's out of adjustment and that usually indicates a developing problem with that slack adjuster.


I've never had a brake out of adjustment at a roadside inspection either even when we were running manual slack adjusters many years ago.

 

Black, I wasn't insinuating that some like yourself don't know how to manually adjust the brakes if needed. Rather, I was commenting that for some of the drivers like myself who haven't been taught by a knowledgeable hand, it was better to let the shop take care of things. MANY of the "driving schools" don't take ANY time to teach any of this stuff, they just want you to be able to see the part and name it. Then unless you get a good trainer, you're probably not going to get any more information from them other than to (hopefully) operate the vehicle safely.

I know with my daily pretrips I bled the air pressure with 30lb applications and my brakes were ALWAYS in good shape. However, I am fairly confident my daily driving conditions (especially with as much time as I spent around ATL, DFW, "####e"cago, LA, and other areas my brakes would have still been well adjusted.