I have brakes!!!!!!

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by Krooser, Jan 4, 2011.

  1. Jan 4, 2011 #1
    Krooser

    Krooser Road Train Member

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    Jul 25, 2010
    Wisconsin
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    The brakes on my 379 have never been what I'd call perfect... I've always blamed the poor performance while bobtailing on that dang air valve that limits the air pressure while bobtailing. I've driven other 379's with the same issue so I simply learned to live with it.

    Lately the braking has been getting pretty poor even after adjusting the brakes... the linings were still DOT legal but just barely.

    Today I took my truck to my local shop to have the brakes redone... new shoes and drums. One mechanic, Brandon, pulled off the old shoes while the other, Glen, went to the parts trailer for the shoes/drums/spring kits.

    So Brandon gets the new shoes on but the drums don't fit... the boss comes over and determines that someone in the past has put extended life shoes on the truck... they are thicker (more lining) and the new drums won't fit.

    The problem is my Eaton axles were never made to use XL shoes... they worked only because the old drums were so worn that they would fit over the bigger shoes. But the radius of the shoes doesn't match up with drums so the whole shoe won't get good contact with the used drum.

    I had these axles relined maybe four years ago and the same shop did the job. But they simply replaced the shoes with what was already on the truck and reused the old drums. So the wrong shoes worked... but not now with the new drums.

    The PO of the truck had a shop in eastern WI do all of his repair work... and NOTHING they did was correct. I have owned this Pete seven years and still find things that they 'fixed' with the wrong parts and such... hard to believe.

    The result of all of this work means I now have better brakes than at any time in the past seven years... they will come in handy this spring when I'm hauling seed potatoes @90K gross (or more!)...

    A nice bonus to taking my biz to the local shop is I get a chance to do other stuff on the truck in a nice 75F shop. I changed my two fuel filters, the air drier cartridge, put a couple bolts on the fenders, etc. Toasty warm compared to the outside temps right now.

    Can't wait for spring.
     
    Krooser, Jan 4, 2011
    Krooser, Jan 4, 2011
    #1
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  3. Jan 6, 2011 #2
    truckbiz

    truckbiz Light Load Member

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    Sep 22, 2010
    North East corner of Illinois
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    I had this same discussion with the parts guy at pete several years ago, if the truck came with XL shoes you can use either shoe, if it came with regular shoes you cannot use XL's. Drums are the same for both styles of shoe. I thought they told me you can change something on the regular shoe setup to use XL's but I can't remember what they said, only thing I can think of would be the S cams,
     
    truckbiz, Jan 6, 2011
    truckbiz, Jan 6, 2011
    #2
  4. Jan 7, 2011 #3
    Flying Finn

    Flying Finn Heavy Load Member

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    Ontario, Canada
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    The backing plate (not sure of the proper name) that holds the springs and the pivot points would be different on a different shoe setup. That would make a difference in how the shoe contacts the drum.
     
    Flying Finn, Jan 7, 2011
    Flying Finn, Jan 7, 2011
    #3
  5. Jan 7, 2011 #4
    canuck in da truck

    canuck in da truck Road Train Member

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    western pa
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    backing plate is the same-it is the s-cam--for the extended life shoes --the curvature or convex of the s is deeper--allows it to sit deeper with the thicker brake blocks
     
    canuck in da truck, Jan 7, 2011
    canuck in da truck, Jan 7, 2011
    #4
    truckbiz Thanks this.
  7. Jan 7, 2011 #5
    Flying Finn

    Flying Finn Heavy Load Member

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    Ontario, Canada
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    Ahh, there we go. Thanks Canuck.
     
    Flying Finn, Jan 7, 2011
    Flying Finn, Jan 7, 2011
    #5
  8. Jan 7, 2011 #6
    canuck in da truck

    canuck in da truck Road Train Member

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    western pa
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    they are hard to tell apart unless you are looking at both at once--i used to have a little template that you could hold against it and would show if it were extended life or not
     
    canuck in da truck, Jan 7, 2011
    canuck in da truck, Jan 7, 2011
    #6
  9. Jan 7, 2011 #7
    K-D

    K-D Bobtail Member

    22
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    Dec 25, 2010
    Roy Wa
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    If you make up a set of dummy gladhands to cap off the trailer lines, and then charge them the system will think you have a trailer on. Hooking the lines together won't work they need to be capped off.
     
    K-D, Jan 7, 2011
    K-D, Jan 7, 2011
    #7
  10. Jan 7, 2011 #8
    JohnP3

    JohnP3 Road Train Member

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    Feb 21, 2010
    Rock Creek B.C. Canada
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    The reason for that valve, is to put lots of braking onto the front brakes, when bob-tailing if you are on ICE, the front brakes have all the traction. If you by-pass the system and are on ICE the rear brakes, no mater how gently you put them on, just lock up.
    It is good exercise pressing hard on the pedal, and easier to regulate.
    Just a thought!
     
    JohnP3, Jan 7, 2011
    JohnP3, Jan 7, 2011
    #8
  11. Jan 7, 2011 #9
    Lilbit

    Lilbit Road Train Member

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    Let me check my logbook
    0
    Brakes are good!:biggrin_2559:

    Just couldn't help myself!
     
    Lilbit, Jan 7, 2011
    Lilbit, Jan 7, 2011
    #9
  12. Jan 7, 2011 #10
    DL550CAT

    DL550CAT Road Train Member

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    Oct 18, 2009
    Waynesburg, Pa
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    Place a quarter between the glad hands before you hook them together.
     
    DL550CAT, Jan 7, 2011
    DL550CAT, Jan 7, 2011
    #10
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