Advice on how to unfreeze trailer brakes

Get a bigger hammer?

We beat brakes with a hammer to unfreeze the shoes around here. I've flatspotted a few tires because brakes were froze up. just carry a hammer and beat the drum sometimes I'll hit the edge of the shoe to free it up a few hits with a 3lb hammer and it'll loosen up and you'll be alright. it's not the funnest thing to do but it beats flatspotting tires, and carrying a torch.

 

You can try and rock them if you don't think they're froze up hard.

 

Big F'n Hammer, good aim, and a hard swing.

 

To add to the hammer bit, putting rearward pressure on the trailer helps also. The brake shoes seem to come unstuck easier in reverse for some reason. Also very helpful is 120psi or so air pressure at the trailer. You want a good bit of pressure exerted on the brake actuators.

 

These guys have it! I like a BIG F'en Hammer! and like they said rearward pressure on the shoes will also loosen them up! be careful what you hit, Don't hit your fingers! in the cold that is smarter then smarts! Good Luck!.

 

You guys read the news about the driver that was trapped underneath doing just that. Beating on his brakes. Just google trucker news. No one could hear the guy yelling because everyone was idling.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=21479529&ref=https://www.google.com/

 

You do understand that stupid people are suppose to die before they breed. Protects the herd.

 

I'm trying to figure out how the #### truck pinned him under the axles. set the tractor and air up the trailer and it isn't going anywhere. I don't know but that seems strange that the truck would settle if the tractor was set and the trailer released. Glad the driver survived for sure and that all he has is a little numbness in his left hand. I'll continue to beat breaks to unfreeze them the same way I always have. Chock blocks help as well if I have to be a tractor brake.