How do you measure push rod stoke by your self?

i have manuals and adjust them myself

 

I use something like this.

http://www.brakchek.com/EZ_1.html

 

I was referencing FMCSR 396.25(b) and (d).

 

Before all the automatic brake parts came out you had to slide under the truck and trailer most times and adjust them yourself or find a mechanic, believe what he referred to.

 

One brake past the adjustment limit is a violation, but will not put the vehicle OOS. Use a type 30 as an example. This carries a 2" maximum stroke. If you have one at 2 1/4"+ on a 10 brake T/T it is a violation, but not OOS. If you have 2 brakes at 2 1/4"+ on a 10 brake T/T, it puts the vehicle at 20% brake criteria and the vehicle is OOS. If a brake is shy of 2 1/4", say 2 1/8" it only counts as 1/2 a defective brake, so it would take 4 brakes at 2 1/8" to reach the 20% OOS criteria.

Im not really certain what you mean. Stroke is how far the push rod comes out when you apply the brakes. Slack is how far the push rod comes out when you pull it with the brakes released. They are functionally the same thing.

Absolutely no need. Hopefully we discuss and we all learn from the discussion.
Acquire a copy of the "North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria". It will answer many questions for you. They can be found online, and revised every April.

Best regards

 

I am now more confused about the fmcsa oos regulations for brakes than i have ever been in my life. No offense to your post it was actually educational but how they calculate the % is confusing. Its also confusing to me that i can be fined because my brakes arent adjusted correctly and dot says i shoudlve adjusted them yet im not supposed to adjust brakes if im not qualified. Gotta love our government. Thank you for your explanations have a good one driver.

 

if two wheels on your truck or trailer are out of adjustment, you are OOS

and yes, you are required to check them but you are not allowed to adjust them

dont ask me the logic behind that one

so if you do a pretrip on a trailer and find its out of adjustment, just call TA for a road call

 

yeah, i know, but as is typical, laws dont really apply to the real world

you cant have any joker adjusting brakes, (i understand that) but to tell a guy that he cant if he can is a bit stupid