How do you adjust the trailer brakes?

this is what I've run into out the road.

DOT in Cal, Ar, Canada not letting adjust a brake under penalty of fines.

 

also had companies I worked for tell drivers, if they put a wrench on the tractor or trailer, they would get fired.

too many people today aren't mechanically inclined

 

Gee, am I THAT old? I remember circa 1988, the 76 truckstop in Reno, when most of the drivers heading westbound took a few minutes to tighten their slack adjusters before entering the Sierra Nevada mountains (and that corrupt CalTrans scale at Truckee..). I always kept a 7/16" combination wrench on my dash.

 

We always set our steer axle brakes a touch looser than the drives. I’d rather not cram the brakes in an emergency and mess with my control.

 

How about adjusting by the stroke(correct way) instead of clicks/turns?
If they're Haldex, it's a 7/16
If they're Meritor it's 5/16
If it's a 9/16 it's ancient LOL
A lot of the time it's a broken spring in the chamber, wore out S-cams/bushings, not adjustment

That's why a lot of company's don't want you to touch them.

 

Yeah I know what you’re doing. You were probably taught that from a guy that was driving before trucks had steer axle brakes. But brake systems have changed a lot since then.

I’m telling you the way I was taught in bendix brake school.

 

does it really matter how the are adjusted? If they are automatic adjusters they are gonna eventually go to where they want to be set. If too tight after a little drag on the brakes they will loosen. If set too loose after a few brake applications they will tighten up.. Right? isn't that what auto slacks do??

 

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