Brakes!!

ddavisbluebird · #1 02-22-2008

Hi all. I am currently accumulating the drums and shoes to replace the brakes on my steer and tag axles. The drive was recently redone. My question is: How is the drum removed from the tag, and do you access the seals and bearings in the same manner as the drive axle? The Rockwell books and diagrams in my Blue Box are very specific to the drive axle, but little or nothing on the other two, although the steer is pretty self explanatory due to the three extra holes in the drum. Dennis Davis 1983 PT35 "LOONEYBIN" Las Vegas, NV

Randy Dupree · #2 02-22-2008

the tag is the same as the drive.
slip off drums,and remove the grease cap and theres the bearings.
are you doing this job alone? or do you have help to install the drums?
when i have a helper,i take a long fan belt and slip it under the drum,each end becomes a "handle".
one guy on each side,each guy has a handle,pick up the drum and slide it over the hub and studs.
i'm not sure i can pick a drum up by myself anymore!
Randy

RAGster · #3 02-22-2008

I use one of those ATV/Motorcycle jacks. They work great to lift the drum and then roll it into place.

Glenn

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Dupree

the tag is the same as the drive.
slip off drums,and remove the grease cap and theres the bearings.
are you doing this job alone? or do you have help to install the drums?
when i have a helper,i take a long fan belt and slip it under the drum,each end becomes a "handle".
one guy on each side,each guy has a handle,pick up the drum and slide it over the hub and studs.
i'm not sure i can pick a drum up by myself anymore!
Randy

ddavisbluebird · #4 02-22-2008

Randy, does that mean you can remove the drum without opening up the bearing hub on the tag? Dennis Davis 1983 PT35 "LOONEYBIN" Las Vegas, NV

Randy Dupree · #5 02-22-2008

Dennis,yep,the tag axle,the drive and the steer axles all have slip off drums.
Randy

ddavisbluebird · #6 02-24-2008

Randy, talk to me about the auto slack adjusters. How are they backed off to accomodate the new shoes? Dennis Davis, 1983 PT35 "LOONEYBIN" Las Vegas, NV

Randy Dupree · #7 02-24-2008

several different styles of slacks were used through the years,
some of them had a 9/16th bolt,that was covered with a sliding collar that you had to push down to get to the bolt head.
you put your wrench on the bolt,push down to get the collar to slide down,then turn the bolt to loosen or tighten.

the other type is a PITA to use,IMO.
the other type has a plug on the side of the slack,the side towards to tire.
the plug looks like a bolt,this bolt will require a 3/4'' wrench to remove it,when you get it how theres a spring and a ''pawl'' on the end of the spring.once its all out you can loosen the adjusting bolt,and its on the back of the adjuster,a 9/16th wrench fits it too.
the way i adjust the brake is to tighten the slack all the way tight,then back off 1 1/2 turns of the bolt.
then reinstall the pawl,the spring and the plug/bolt.
reinstalling that bolts a bear,its in a tight place and you have to compress the spring with the bolt and then turn the bolt.
the way i do that little jod is i use a 12'' file.
i put the end of the file on the bolt head,and using the file as a pry bar i depress the spring,the turn the bolt with a 3/4'' wrench,the wide end of the file stays on the bolt better than a screwdriver.

all the adjusting on the drive axle brakes needs to be done with the parking brake "T" bolt installed.
that way if the air leaks out the slack won't cut your fingers off.

the usual warnings about working under the coach and with heavy tools apply here,don't get hurt under the coach.
Randy

ddavisbluebird · #8 03-07-2008

Randy, I have now completed 3 of 4 wheels worth of brakes. The help I had arranged could not make it, so I have managed the task by myself. Found muscles I had long since thought I had misplaced, and every one of them is growling. The X-12 is worth its weight in gold (just slow). Oh well! The only glitch so far is the discovery of a failed inner hub seal on the tag, which has thoroughly coated everything in sight with semi-solid grease. What a mess. Can you tell me the correct replacement grease? Since it has apparently been awhile since the seal failed I am going to replace both the seals and bearings. I have a call into BB to get the correct bearing and Chicago Rawhide seal numbers. Can you tell how the hub comes off ? Dennis Davis 1983 PT35 "LOONEYBIN" Las Vegas, NV

Randy Dupree · #9 03-08-2008

there shold be 8 bolts holding the hub cap onto the hub. remove the bolts and take the hubcap off,then you will see a big nut inside the hub,you can buy a cheap socket just for that nut,or use a chisel to spin them off.
the socket is a stamped steel thing and i keep one in my coach at all times.
after you get the outside nut off you will see a "lock"spacer thingie,slide it out and then you will see the 2nd nut,remove it and the hub is ready to slide off.
take the hub off and remove the seal and bearings,get the numbers off the seal and the bearings/races and buy your parts using those numbers.

we never did talk about putting the springs on the new shoes,i hook the big single spring to the shoes and put both shoes with the spring on at the same time,then i use a good pair of vise grips on one end of the small spring,hook the other end of the spring to the shoes,and holding the vise grips and using a pry bar i strech the spring and slip it into the hole in the shoe.
most of the time i do the brakes by pulling the wheels and the hubs as one unit,that way i replace the seals and check the bearings too.
i jack the bus/truck up so that the ties just clear the floor,then i slide a 2'X4' piece of steel under the tires,i pour oil on the steel and after removing the axle nuts i slide the tires,wheels,hub off on the greased steel.
roll them out of the way,do the brakes and seals and roll them back in place and slide them back on.
i've done it that way for 30 years.
randy

ddavisbluebird · #10 03-09-2008

Randy, the stuff that was flung out of the hub when the seal failed had the characteristics of a heavy grease, rather than the 140w oil I have seen referred to in some posts. Does the tag axle therefore use a grease similar to the steer axle? Dennis Davis 1983 PT35 "LOONEYBIN" Las Vegas, NV