# Brake Adjustment & Maintenance



## W.E.BGood (Jan 15, 2011)

I discovered some "new to me" information today regarding brake adjustment and maintenance that others here might not be aware of, so I thought I'd pass it along.
While on a recent 1,200 mile tour of northern Wisconsin our 10 month-old 2011 250RS experienced what seemed to be a periodic lock-up of at least one of the brakes, it seemed like it was the left front. Symptoms were that after coming to a stop and then taking my foot off the brake pedal, we wouldn't start the usual slight roll forward, and when I did give it a little gas, I could feel the trailer brake resistance and there was a loud "chirping" or squealing sound pattern from the trailer brake(s) consistent with the relative rotation speed of the wheels. It would cease after getting up some steam, or I could stop immediately after hearing it, reverse, back a couple feet and brake abruptly, then return to going forward. I also noted the LF wheel had more brake dust accumulated than any of the others, although both fronts had more than the rears. Total mileage on the trailer since we got it was about 2,000-2,200.

Taken into the selling dealer this week for the brakes and another minor warranty issue, they called today and said there was nothing wrong with the brakes beyond needing adjustment, and the service tech quoted the following from the Dexter (axle manufacturer) manual:

BRAKES - How often should I adjust my brakes?
Dexter recommends that manual adjust brakes be adjusted . . . 1) *After the first 200 miles of operation* when the brake shoes and drums have "seated". 2) At 3,000 mile intervals. 3) Or as use or performance requires.

Guess I missed that in the orientation and instruction materials. I "assumed" (yea, yea, I know) that the brakes were self-adjusting (NOT so). To boot, he said the brake adjustment was NOT covered under warranty, but in the interest of good customer relations they were going to eat the diagnostic and adjustment costs. (THANK YOU very much!)

The tech also said that since the LF wheel is the first in the line for the electric brake circuit, it will therefore get activated sooner than the others and also marginally more strongly than the others, hence the greater dust deposits.

I've never messed with brakes before, preferring to leave a critically important component's performance to the experts. Guess I'll be learning more about them now. Regards, BGood


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