Steer brake pulling in rain.

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by Paul88, Dec 14, 2020.

  1. Paul88

    Paul88 Bobtail Member

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    2017 Cascadia. Truck brakes normally in dry weather. In rain it pulls to the left along with the steering wheel, no abs issues. Recently done a brake job - new shoes all around, adjusted, greased, psi adjusted as well. Mechanic says it could be slack adjuster.
    My concern is that if it was a slack adjuster than It would pull in dry conditions as well, but it doesn't. Could be the drum, but it looks ok to my judgement.

    Does anyone have an idea what it could be?

    (I also have watered the drums intentionally at truck wash and it was pulling to the left for a while until it dried out)
     
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  3. 25(2)+2

    25(2)+2 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    I'm too easy on the brakes, so the slacks don't always adjust evenly.

    Try heavy applications with the pedal while stopped on the level, that has helped in the past.

    Also check to make sure the shoes(assuming you have drum brakes) don't have rust between the backing plate and the brake material(called rust jacking).
     
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  4. Paul88

    Paul88 Bobtail Member

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    The shoes are new all over, barely drove them (less than 5000 miles), didn't change the drums though.
     
  5. Hulld

    Hulld Road Train Member

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    Probably the shoes are not completely seated to the
    uneven used drums yet.
    Less than 5000 miles is nothing.
    Use the brakes a little more aggressively to burnish them in quicker.
     
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  6. Paul88

    Paul88 Bobtail Member

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    I see what you are saying, braking performance overall is good, and I am getting issues only in wet conditions (heavy rain, wet drums\shoes) . Why then it's braking straight when it's dry.... Feels like it has oil in the drum in wet.
     
  7. baha

    baha Road Train Member

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    If you still have the backing plates on ft. after brake job you will find small slots to look at brake shoes thru the holes , if not you should be able to just put a light on shoes to see if the hub seal is leaking oil on the shoes?
     
  8. Paul88

    Paul88 Bobtail Member

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    It is not the hub oil 100% , checked it all over, took it to mechanic to look at it as well. The drum is dry and truck brakes normally when it is dry outside. As soon as water gets on the drum - truck starts pulling when brakes applied.
     
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  9. Hulld

    Hulld Road Train Member

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    It only takes a little water or oil to upset the friction of the shoes to the drum when they are not worn completely in to the drum.
    A used drum actually has hills and valleys worn in to it.
    New brake shoes are for the most part completely flat.
    It takes a little while of burnishing the shoes in to match the hills and valleys of a used drum before you get almost complete friction contact to the drum.
     
  10. baha

    baha Road Train Member

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    Run your finger down inside the brake drum that's pulling to see if it feels like the side of a dish pan if it has a ridge on the outside of the ft. drum that will hold water on the inside of the drum and the water must be press out every time you hit the brakes and drums should have been replaced, if you bobtail the truck and work the brakes hard and bobtail brake valve will put more air to ft. than rear and can make shoes work into drums faster?
     
    Paul88 Thanks this.
  11. Paul88

    Paul88 Bobtail Member

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    In other words - it could be the drum imperfection preventing the water escape and causing lack of braking? It was just fine with other shoes I had. I could take a picture of the surface of the drum if that helps and post it here.
     
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