Trailer brake adjustment

[foul-hooked]

Ive have a 2001 186 bay on a EZ Loader trailer.
I decided to adjust the brakes by turning the adjusting wheel (via the back-side of the each drum) w/ a large screw driver.

I raised one side of the trailer, to suspend the wheel, then adjusted the brake shoes to make contact w/ the drum while spinning it.

The port side of the trailer was no problem, but the starboard side was stuck!
The only solution was the remove the drum and un-stick the adjusting wheel.

For those of you that have worked on old cars, brake drums are no problem.
Most car brake drums have self-adjusting mech. that adjusts the shoe each time you apply the brakes.
After removing the cotter pin, nut and than drum.
I found that my brakes had no self-adjusting mechanism.

Therefore I will add brake adjustments to my list of annual things to do.

Next week I'll bleed the brakes.
Any tips on bleeding the brakes???

 

[Dave LeGear]

If used in salt water, make sure you start soaking the bleeders down "now" with a good penterating oil. Also make sure you use a good (prefer tubing style if needed) 6 sided wrench so you don't round off the bleeder. It is a combo of force and fineese when breaking them free and not pure grunt, so don't ape on them or you will wind up putting in new brake cylinders

Now getting them bleed might be hard since you don't have a real pedal to push on, so I would consider taking it to a tire shop to have done with a power flusher and while they are at it, have the trailer tires balanced at the same time. You will be shocked how much better handling and improved tire and bearing wear you get by having such done...

Afterwards I would also (if not already equiped) with a brake flush system, install a brake flush system and use Salt Away to help keep everything as rust free as possible...

I'm just glad (not needed in Florida for that size of boat) that I don't have brakes on my trailer