Passed a scale.

You're missing the point. It's not my job to fix them. I'm not a certified brake mechanic. You are. I let you know they need fixing/adjusting, you take care of it.

I do my job and you do yours. Simple.

 

I don't want to, however I know I can. Ask Gary Greene lol. It wasn't my truck but a customers.

 

No, the point is that as a driver, out on the road, there will rarely ever be a mechanic nearby. So what happens when you come to that brake check at the top of a 12 km long 6%? As a driver of a commercial vehicle, the onus is on you (the driver, not personally singling you out here) to ensure that your brakes are adjusted correctly. If you don't know how to check pushrod travel, how would you know whether the brakes are in adjustment or not? I'm pretty sure 20 years ago when manual slacks were very common that drivers were expected to get out and adjust them brakes up before heading down.

 

Heh,..Sometimes the little guy wins the big game. I like it when that happens.

Trying to outsmart attorneys can be an expensive proposition. Seen a few guys get burned real bad in my old line of work. I am glad it didn't happen to me.

 

No it is not. This is happening in the shop, not on Mt. Vesuvius. Don't throw a new set of conditions into the discussion. I wouldn't be wandering into your bay with questions about my brakes if I was up in the stratosphere somewhere, now would I?

And BTW, if the brakes aren't working right when I'm trying to drive down the side of Mt.
Everest, my preferred tool of choice is the cell phone.

It keeps the mechanics in business and keeps me alive.

BTW, I drive the National about once a week, on average. I know all about brake checks.

 

Well when I got my class 1 CDL and air endorsement I had to show that I could recognize an out of adjustment brake as well as how to adjust it correctly. If I couldn't do it, I wouldn't have gotten my licence.

I just looked up the regulations from BC (where I got my air brake endorsement). Unfortunately its all in PDF form so I can't post a link but I screen shot the first page of the BC air brake manual:

 

You are the mechanic. I trust you, rather than me, to make the correct adjustments.

Our company trusts you, rather than me, to make those adjustments. They tell me to take the truck to you precisely for that reason.

So, tell me why, when I walk into your bay, you would rather argue with me about it than just do it? I don't argue with you about it. As a matter of fact, I am grateful that you are there and can do the work.

What is the problem?

 

I been driving 10 years, I don't know how to adjust the brakes, I vaguely remember something about a 90 degree angle.
Nobody ever showed me how, nor have I asked.
And I'm real mechanical, can rebuild almost anything I own, plus most mechanics would be jealous of all my tools.
But still dunno how to adjust brakes,

 

A Cresent wrench could handle all your problems here, I'd let somebody do it first before you just go adjusting things. I talked to a mechanic once with this problem, now I handle it myself. There's no wrong in adjusting your own brakes on an old trailer, it beats the hell out of blowing your drive time waiting on a breakdown man, or worse yet a shop mechanic. (No offense I appreciate all the shop work I get)

Some of those old trailers are whack but this is nothing you can't do yourself, now if it were tire related, call a mechanic.

How many of us have used a curb to slide those tandems, everyone no doubt. I'm in a constant debate with myself whether I prefer an old pull pin or a air lock tandem. I want the new trailer but man those old trailers with a pull pin make me feel at ease, never had one a little wd 40 couldn't handle.

 

If my foreman gives me a work order for brakes, it gets done. No issue. All I was trying to point out that the responsibility for ensuring that the brakes are in proper adjustment falls on the driver. If a company opts to have their shop do the adjustment, that's their perogative. I still believe a driver should do their due diligence and re-check the brake adjustment before getting on the road.

Usually 90 degrees between pushrod and slack adjuster center line indicates proper adjustment. Although if a mechanic changed the brake chamber and cut the rod too short then it might always be out of adjustment because the auto slack wants to keep that 90 degree angle.