brake adjustment

if they have to be adjusted. they're already worn out. (not functioning) frequent manual adjusting isn't going to hurt them.

 

it keeps the adjustment screw from moving at all. locks it in place.

the trailer i'm pulling at the moment has that setup. PITA. as one adjuster isn't working.

 

if the brakes aren't working as your driving down the road. they aren't working with 100 pounds of pressure.

most of us don't try that trick. i've never done it. if my brakes aren't adjusting. i get out the wrenches.

i saw one driver pull into a truck stop. went fast in reverse and slam on his brakes. did it 5 times. you could tell by the amount of air being released he was pushing hard too. i watched him leave the parking lot. with nice big gaps on his trailer brakes.

 

You are partially correct. SOME types can be adjusted frequently without damaging them. Others (like the ones on my truck) will wear prematurely with frequent manual adjustment. I just had to replace one that was working just fine because it stripped out while backing it off to remove the drum while doing the brakes. You've got to know what you've got before you start adjusting them manually...and if an auto-slack needs regular manual adjustment, it needs to be replaced.

 

I do understand that some old school drivers have a hard time NOT manually adjusting brakes. .Todays slack adjusters DO NOT need nor is it recommended to be manually adjusted. . Doing so is nothing more than a temporary fix. It is in actuality shortening the life of the slack adjuster creating a safety issue down the road. It is advancing the failure of the slack adjuster. Older equipment may need to be done manually.
Backing up and hitting the brakes hard is very old school and done in the 60's. Old habits die hard.