brake chamber

If it locks up you can cage the brake. Usually they start leaking before a rip gets bad enough that they won't release. So pay attention during your pre trips.

 

You can cage them. Look on YouTube lots of how to videos that will show you.

 

I had one must've froze up on me on my third load I'd ever done, I heard air running through the park break valve and ended up having to pay somebody to come cage and then went to his shop and get it changed. If you're wondering that cost me twice of what it cost me to do the other three when I got home.

 

You can cage them but if you have any distance to get to civilization you must also block off the charge line or your air pressure will get drained quickly.
Mine are rubber steel reinforced lines and I have used a shop rag and vise grips to stop the leak temporarily.

 

AND don't get caught with a caged brake, they will put you OOS.

 

That may be true but it's not a safety issue. A caged brake can still be applied, it just won't apply the parking brakes, or apply the brakes if you lose air pressure.

 

If not leaking enough to set brake, back off brake at slack adjuster. Then I usually remove air line and push a little bit of rubber in and tighten back on. Of course not DOT approved but you got to do what you got to do. Caging one is sometimes rough, especially on a old chamber. Keep the new cage bolt in your tool box. That mounting place on the side of chamber ages it and makes it about worthless. Oh and reason I back it off some is if my rubber seal in air line goes to letting air in again I won't have a dragging, hot brake. Never has though.