Dexter Nev-R-Adjust brakes

[Bill]

Bill -

When you are ordering, order carefully! Somewhere around 2003 (I think), Dexter made a small physical change to the backing plate that the brake assembly bolts onto. I think it was simply a small change to the spacing of the bolts, but the result is that brake assemblies from before the change will not fit later axles, and vice-versa.

I will try to research this later today, but I wanted to get the warning out, since your trailer, Bill, may be affected. Meanwhile, the Dexter web site calls out this change - you simply have to take note of it.

Bill

[wbmiller3]

Thanks very much to both Bill and Logman. I'm almost certainly going to tackle this job after the holidays, will spend some time studying up. I think the rear seal is blown out on one of my wheels.

[Bill]

Bill -

As noted in Post #2 above, I replaced my manual adjust brakes with Nev-R-Adjust assemblies back in September. As I planned the job and did the work, I made some notes. Among them I find

"For the TM specifically:
Brake size is 10x2-1/4
After 2000, the proper brake assemblies are 468 / 469
From E-trailer
Nev-R-Adjust left hand assy 23-468 $45.95
Nev-R-Adjust right hand assy 23-469 $45.95"

I did not take notes on what the part number was for pre-2000 axles, but this sounds like it will not concern you.

FWIW, I replaced the brake assembly, but did not do the bearings, or the hub/drum, since they looked good. Dexter has a document, and a video or two about replacing the bearings, but the hub/drum is so simple that there is no need for a specific video. I already had the EZ-Lube spindle setup, so that made it easy.

As TentCamper mentioned, when you are done, and test the brakes, it will feel like you have no braking! Do not panic (as I did) and rip everything apart again. Somewhere in the Dexter literature it says that it may take 100 stops for the new brakes to properly "burnish in" (a new term I learned by talking to the Dexter rep) and expand to the proper size. I think it took more than that for mine to start braking properly. But it did happen.

I replaced my brakes in September, then embarked on our twice-a-year cross country trip between Maine to Arizona - about 2500 miles on mixed roads in mixed weather. I was very pleased with the performance of the new Nev-R-Adjust brakes, and wish that I had done it years ago.

Bill

[Padgett]

Did you adjust them first ? I usually tighten drum brakes until I can just feel a slight drag then back off 3-5 clicks until it spins free and no shhhh-shhhh sound.

[Bill]

Padgett -

Somewhere in the panic part of the process, I called the Dexter tech rep. I told him that in order to get the hub to slip over the new brakes, I had to pull in the brake shoes all the way. I asked if I had to manually re-expand the brakes back to the proper size. He said I could if I wanted to, but then chuckled and said I didn't have to. "After all, they are self-adjusting brakes, so they will take care of themselves." So I didn't. Sure enough, after a number of stops, they expanded and started to grip. It was the "burnishing" process that took a lot longer. This is when the shoes gradually wear in until they match the drums. I'm thinking that pre-adjusting the drums would not have hastened this part of process very much.

Bill

[Padgett]

Haven't really looked at the Dexter but most self adjusting drum brakes adjust one click at a time when you back up. I prefer to minimise that time.

[tentcamper]

They work in either directions. The Dexter self adjusters are slack adjusters one click at a time to take up the slack. But if there is to much slack they will not adjust. .

PS: I think many cars are now using the emergency brake to adjust the drum brakes. One click at a time when applied the E brake.

[Padgett]

Interesting, except for the '70 (front disks only) all my cars (click on .sig) have 4WDB.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Padgett

... most self adjusting drum brakes adjust one click at a time. I prefer to minimise that time.

For sure, it is a matter of personal preference. At that point in the process, I just figured that whether the brakes need 4 clicks of adjustment on each side, or 20 clicks, it is an easy matter to drive down the street and gently apply the brakes 20 times.

To each his own.

Bill

[tentcamper]

I always thought that the slack cable of the self adjusters needed to be set up within a window of slackness for adjusters to operate, which was done by the initial adjustment. To much slack and the adjusters will not click the adjusters.