firepiper

Was replacing rear brakes and shocks last weekend when I noticed a small lever attached from the axel to a valve. Lokks like some sort of load sensor for the brakes. It is on the drivers side rear axle. Looked in my manual and Haynes book and cannot find. Anyone know what it is? Thanks

AlpineRAM

It's the brake pressure proportioning valve.
It will let more pressure get to the rear brakes when you have a load in the bed.
I used a turnbuckle and a locknut on the pushrod of mine. Adjusted it to be a tad longer, wow brakes are much better!
(Problem was grave with my DTT 89%- on slippery surfaces empy the rears would spin while the fronts were locked)

HTH

AlpineRAM

PS- Service manual from TechAuthority- best US$99 I ever spent on my truck

Tx hotshot

You're probably right, I thought they started that in '01, but that's what it sounds like. Maybe look in a manual for '01 or '02 and see if you can find it there.

jrs_dodge_diesel

AlpineRAM, could you post a pic of that turnbuckle and locknut setup? I am considdering doing the same to my truck.

AlpineRAM

Oopsie, soory no pic at the moment-(I should really wash my truck- at the moment I could only take a bic and tell you somewhere behind the mud- right beneath the grime etc ) but it's very simple. Look at the vertical rod from the axle to the proportioning valve. Take a turnbuckle and adjust it to the center of its max travel. Cut off the hooks of hte turnbuckle. Now you've got the part that will replace a part of the rod. On one side of the turnbuckle there's a right handed thread. Take the bolt out of hte turnbuckle, take a nut and thread it on, thread the bolt back in. Put the turnbuckle to the rod, mark he ends and cut a segment with the length of hte turnbuckle out and weld turnbuckle in. To adjust for more braking power just turn the turnbuckle so that it lengthens. Tighten locknut before driving. (some drops of locktite blue aren't a bad idea)

HTH

AlpineRAM

FRANKV469

i also adjusted mine for a little stronger when empty braking. it was at that point i realized my rear abs is inoperative! it did do the job- but now i have to watch my butt when unloaded and im trying to stop fast on slick/wet roads. i never knew the rwal wasnt working because it never turned on any warning or brake light- so be sure how yours stops before you drive with it.

bigrigger

my 98 has this valve but i noticed the other day that it is unhooked.Could be the reason my truck seems to only have front brakes lately the rod is missing if anyone could post a pick and or measurments i could make my own any help would be great

ps: picked this truck up in april and i am in love with it first cummins but not the last

AlpineRAM

If the lever of the valve has been ziptied to it's upmost position the rears will get the maximum available pressure ( the valve thinks that your truck squats from the load in the bed)
If it just hangs down it assumes your rear wheels are in the air

Maybe try to ziptie it upwards and check if your RWAL works on a slippery surface with muuuch space to be safe if it doesn't

AlpineRAM