Time to adjust your trailer brakes.

N

nwhiker

Novice
I know I didn't want to climb under the trailer and do it, however it took only about 10 to 15 minutes and its done for the year. Why not do it before the camping season begins and you will have one less thing to think about when you are preparing for your next outing.

Dave
 
I want to learn to adjust my brakes. I had mine adjusted and the guy didn't jack up the trailer. Sometimes they make a loud screeching sound. I was told you had to jack it up to adjust them. Does anyone know if the screeching sound can be adjusted out?
 
I don't know how they can adjust the brakes without taking the wheels off the ground. It sounds like they made there best guess and left your brakes adjusted too tight. This might of glades the drums and causing the noise. You should probably have them looked at. At the least jack up one wheel at a time and see if it spins freely with just a little drag. If not they need to be looked at.
 
Thanks, I can't believe that they would just guess in adjusting my brakes. These guys are supposed to know what they are doing. So if they are too tight they would be dragging on the drum all the time? The screeching sound happens especially when I have to brake on a hill.
 
I would be curious as to what you find out. I just don't know how you can adjust the brakes without first raising the wheels so you can adequately adjust the pads to the drum.

Possibly Cary could chime in here if he has any suggestions.
 
I am with Bear all the way on this one. Yes, the tires should have been off the ground for the brake adjustment. That is easy to do too with the trailer jacks right by each tire. You will probably want to jack it up and give them a spin to make sure you don't have one dragging too hard.

Likely though the brake squeal is the brake controller is now too highly set after having them adjusted. The brakes will generally work notably better after an adjustment so backing off the brake controller generally follows.

Cary
 
It sounds like I really need to learn how to adjust my own brakes since the so called professionals cut corners and don't do it right. I will jack it up and see how the spinning of the tires feels. I still don't know how to make the actual adjustment. Maybe there is a YouTube video. I have tried adjusting down the brake controller and the squealing only seems to go away when it is at the lowest setting. I have kept it off except in mountains and in traffic where I may really need the trailer brakes. What I mean is I have kept it on the lowest setting and am assuming it is off. I guess I better get out my instructions and check them. I haven't had the trailer out for a while. Thanks for the info and I appreciate anything else you can tell me that will help.
 
I jacked my trailer up and the wheels turn freely except for about 1/4 of the way around. There is a little drag there and on the drivers there is a slight squeal. I suppose this squeal is what becomes loud and obnoxious when I'm breaking on a hill while approaching a stop sign. Do the brakes need to be broken in some more before I do anything?
 
Sound like they are adjusted okay. Its possible one of the brake shoes are glazed from initially being over tight and now has a caused the shoes to not conform properly. The only way to remedy this would be to have the drums removed and checked by a reputable shop.

Dave
 
Will they wear in eventually? I try to avoid using my brakes by looking ahead to what is going on and slowing down.
 
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