Adjusting brakes

Hey, all you old timers! I have a question and if you know the answer you are as old or older than me. ;D  I'll tell you right now, I am as old as dirt.  Now you are going to give your age away.  Do you remember adjusting the brakes on your car?  This was before the brakes were self adjusting. Well its the same way on our trailers.  Heck as a kid, I adjusted all the brakes on the car.  You couldn't fail if they weren't too good, after all they were mechanical brakes on my old Ford.  I only sailed through a few stop signs and red lights with it.  

I am now having a presenior moment.  If someone that remembers could recall for me the procedure for adjusting brakes, I will "get out and get under" my TrailManor and do the job.  My main memory fuse becomes overloaded when I  try to recall, does the adjusting spoon go up or does it go down.  (This kind of reminds me of a Clint Eastwood movie.)  I have adjusted my brakes on the trailer a couple times before but it took me all day as I adjusted the brakes the wrong way.  Then it took me the next day to put them back into adjustment.

I just know that some of you older timers can help me out.  (if i don't insult you too much)

Thanks

Hal

HUH! I just shove the tool in the hole and click until the wheel snugs up ;D if it doesn't snug pretty quick, I go the other way. I have had cars/trucks where the adjusters were put in wrong and you never could get the dang things to work...other than than; righty tighty, lefty loosey.

[Denny_A]

I took the time to look at the adjuster on my trailer and noted --> a rotatable barrel and threaded end, as opposed to 2 threaded bolts in opposite ends of the adjuster "thing".

The adjuster on my "door side" wheel has threads to the right which slant \\\\ so. Therefore, the cogged adjuster wheel must be rotated "upward", forcing the inclined, non-rotating threads to the right, in order to spread the brake shoes toward the wheel surface. I assume the other wheel is adjusted in the same direction - as in all assemblies are identical. I.e., the threads will also be on the right.


Denny_A

I adjusted the brakes on our TM a few weeks ago and as memory serves me I pulled the handle of the adjusting tool downward, thereby moving the adjustment wheel upward, to expand the brake shoes.

Bruce

That is the way it should work if every thing is put together properly.  ;D

[rotor_wash]

Old thread, good topic. Here's the Dexter web site for servicing/inspecting/maintaining everything they attach to their axle.

http://www.dexteraxle.com/600_8000_lb__capacity

The complete manual is available or just the main topic areas such as adjusting the brakes under Electric Brakes.
Now it is time to do mine. After reading RMR’s thread on loss of brakes, http://www.trailmanorowners.com/yabb...;threadid=2057, I decided to feel the hubs after a long curving decent down Cottonwood Pass (CO) and noticed one warmer than the other.

Greg