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How to disable a brake chamber

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by Skate-Board, Sep 22, 2015.

Page 2 of 7
  1. Sep 22, 2015 #11
    Ruthless

    Ruthless Road Train Member

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    Well there's no drilling on this job. Just a wrench and some muscle.

    Tightening that nut on the bolt will disengage the brake chamber.
     
    Ruthless, Sep 22, 2015
    Ruthless, Sep 22, 2015
    #11
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  3. Sep 22, 2015 #12
    Skate-Board

    Skate-Board Road Train Member

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    LMAO....Ya, I just went through a whole can this morning and it didn't help. When my mechanic did my brake job he said those bushings on the rod between the S-Cam and the slack adjuster will have to be replaced soon. When I applied the brakes on and off he could see the rod making a side to side movement and he said that's not good. He would have done them also but didn't have the time. He said it's a major job to replace them. Looking at it, it doesn't seem like a big job????
     
    Skate-Board, Sep 22, 2015
    Skate-Board, Sep 22, 2015
    #12
  4. Sep 22, 2015 #13
    Skate-Board

    Skate-Board Road Train Member

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    Thanks for all your QUICK help. I'll do battle later on when the sun comes up and report later.
     
    Skate-Board, Sep 22, 2015
    Skate-Board, Sep 22, 2015
    #13
  5. Sep 22, 2015 #14
    201

    201 Road Train Member

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    Hi Skate-Board, glad you asked. BE CAREFUL with those brake chambers. DO NOT remove the band clamp that goes around the chamber. There's a spring in there, that will take your fingers off. ( or worse) I replaced a brake chamber once, that didn't have that tool on the side. I'm surprised they still have those. Worn bushings shouldn't make the brake drag, as I've had some pretty worn out brakes on RR trailers. Something else is wrong. Even with new brakes, you should be able to un-adjust it enough. I've seen S cams turn over, then you'll never get the brakes to release. Sounds like an incompetent mechanic to me. If all else fails, you can take the can off entirely with the 2 nuts holding it on, although, there could be pressure there too. Please, be careful under there. Let us know how it goes.
     
    201, Sep 22, 2015
    201, Sep 22, 2015
    #14
    peterbilt_2005 Thanks this.
  7. Sep 22, 2015 #15
    Skate-Board

    Skate-Board Road Train Member

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    Ya thanks. I wasn't going to mention it but I use to park at a construction company and their mechanic was hit in the chest pretty bad. Spent days in the hospital. A rusted brake chamber let go from what I was told. I'm kind of afraid of those things. Someone from my high school was killed by a spring on a car. He was trying to put those spacers on to lift up his car and it let go.
     
    Skate-Board, Sep 22, 2015
    Skate-Board, Sep 22, 2015
    #15
    201 Thanks this.
  8. Sep 22, 2015 #16
    Skate-Board

    Skate-Board Road Train Member

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    Oh, and by the way. My mechanic is around 70. He's been doing this stuff his whole life. I've never ever seen him be wrong.
     
    Skate-Board, Sep 22, 2015
    Skate-Board, Sep 22, 2015
    #16
    truckon and 201 Thank this.
  9. Sep 22, 2015 #17
    201

    201 Road Train Member

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    Well, 70 or not, it shouldn't have gone out the door.
     
    201, Sep 22, 2015
    201, Sep 22, 2015
    #17
    peterbilt_2005, MJ1657 and Ruthless Thank this.
  10. Sep 22, 2015 #18
    04 LowMax

    04 LowMax Medium Load Member

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    Sometimes trailers will get rather neglected over time and I've seen s-cams get seized up in the tube. I think that may be what you've got happening here. I bet if you take a hammer, you can pound it back to home position. Trouble is, that will only work until you go to apply brakes again at your first stop sign or red light. Then you'll have a stuck brake again. If you cage it with that bolt as described above, (you may have to hammer on it as you're turning the wrench) you should get it released to drive. But keep in mind that if you get checked driving like that, it could be a big problem. The mechanic should have dealt with that when he did your brakes. Busy or not, you don't start a new job until you have properly finished the first. Especially in something as critical as brake systems.
     
    04 LowMax, Sep 22, 2015
    04 LowMax, Sep 22, 2015
    #18
    bamaguy86, Ruthless and 201 Thank this.
  11. Sep 22, 2015 #19
    BIF MALIBU

    BIF MALIBU Heavy Load Member

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    lake cushman wa
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    brake can diaphragms fail on our trucks some times
    I always have a vice grip and clamp the hose so I can get to the yard.
    You can tell if you clamped the right hose because the brake shoes move out immediately
     
    BIF MALIBU, Sep 22, 2015
    BIF MALIBU, Sep 22, 2015
    #19
  12. Sep 22, 2015 #20
    lester

    lester Midwest's #1 Feed Hauler

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    Backing off the slack wouldn't work anyway it would just self adjust back up.
    Second caging the brake will only disable the park brake not the service brake. I think
     
    lester, Sep 22, 2015
    lester, Sep 22, 2015
    #20
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