I am going to adjust mine this weekend. I don't like the "I THINK" part of the above post. Enquiring minds want to KNOW!

 

I had to pull the drum off and look at the adjuster to see what was going on, even then it was hard to remember, when I was laying under the trailer cussing the "modified adjuster tool". Pull the drum and double check, pretty sure I told you right though. Good luck with it!

 

I already said this, but I will say again, if the adjusters are in the correct way, not switched sides, looking through the adjustment hole, the star-wheel turns from top to bottom to tighten/spread the shoes.

This should be true on anything with drum brakes.

 

You went from "I THINK" to "PRETTY SURE". Is that better or worse?

I hope you know I'm just kidding!

I do the exact same thing. I never commit to anything just in case I get it wrong. I think I can figure it once when I start turning the adjuster. I read in one of the posted links that badly adjusted surge brakes will "clunk" when you start and when you stop and that is exactly what mine is doing. Time to adjust!

Thanks everyone for the info!

 

Finally got them adjusted. Two of the four adjusters were siezed and I had to pull the drums to free up the adjusters. Not a bad job other then the grease.

Trailer stops MUCH better! and the CLUNK it made every time I stopped and started is now gone.

Thanks for the info!!

 

I will put in this little tip, of course too late for you.

Whenever you have drum brakes exposed, whether it be truck, car, or trailer, completely un-screw the brake adjuster and coat it's threads with Anti-Sieze compound.

Adjusters are notorious for freezing up; but, a little Anti-Sieze will keep them working freely.

 

That's what I did. Used two pairs of Vice-Grips to get them open, cleaned them out and coated generously with anti-sieze. The problem is I only did the two that were siezed. I know, I'm lazy and it will probably catch up with me later when the other two sieze.