All I want to do is adjust the brakes. But I can't even get the friggin' hubs off!

Every place I've read about brake adjustment just skips right to what to do once the hub is off. I've even got the 'Dexter Axle Operation Maintenance Service Manual,' and can't seem to get anywhere.

I've got the left side wheels up and off. I can take the rubber plug off. But I can't get the metal end cap off! I've turned the heck out of it (CCW) and it won't budge! I could chew nails right now.

Is my dopey mind missing something, or what? I NEED HELP!

- JyRO

 

Unless you have a hub I am not familiar with, you don't need to remove the hub to adjust brakes. In fact, most of the newer Dexter axles are self adjusting. There is a rubber oblong plug in the back of the drum that gives access to the adjustment star using a brake adjustment tool.

 

For once FiverBob is right. All you need to do is jack it up so you can rotate the wheel. Neither the wheel or the hub needs to be removed.

 

PPHHHHHHTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!

 

I have the three 7,000 # ez-lube axlel's. They are not self adjusting. You need the wheel on to spin. Once you get the wheel off the ground, remove the plug at the bottom, backside of the plate. Look in there with a flash light and you will see the adjusting star. You want to turn it upward's to tighten the brake's. Adjust it untill you can't turn the wheel, then back it off just until you feel a slight drag.

Go to dexteraxle.com for more detailed info. Hope this help's.

After re-reading your post,,,,

The dust cap remove's by using a thin bladed screw driver and gently taping it in between the edge of the cap and the hub. Once you get a gap, the pry it off. The rubber plug you are refering to is in that cap. That's not where you adjust the brake's, it's on the backside.

If you do want to take the hub's off, adust brake's in by turning star down or you'll never get the hub off, remove the dust cap, then you will have either a clip or cotter pin to remove from the nut. Take nut off, wheel bearing out, and slide hub off. Be carefull not to get greese on the brake shoe's. Have pleanty of paper towel's and brake cleaner on hand.

 

You gotta be kidding me! I've got the service manual and for servicing the brakes it says nothing about adjusting the star from the backside. I didn't even look on the backside.

It says, paraphrasing: Take the rubber cap off, take the metal cover off by turning it CCW. Depress some locking tang, pull the hub off (being careful not to knock the front bearing off). Nothing about adjusting the star on the back side.

Great. By the time I get home tomorrow, it will be about blame dark (dern DST ). If that's all it takes, then I should be able to do it with the few minutes of dusk I have left. Being EZ lube, lubing it should be simple.

As for the adjustment, I've heard this:
Adjust the star up until the wheel won't turn,
Turn it back until you can just turn the wheel,
The ten clicks looser.

Can this be done with a screw driver of some sort? I don't have the star adjuster tool. Thanks.

- JyRO

 

I guess you really need to mention what # axle you have. The intsruction's I gave were for the 7k axle. If I backed mine off 10 click's, there's no way I'd have any brake's. You really need to go to http://www.dexteraxle.com/ and find the correct procedure for your axle. And yes it can be done with a screw driver. What # axle do you have.

 

You can also get a brake adjustment tool for a couple of bucks at any auto parts store. Some times the bend in the tool is needed to get past something in the way.

 

Its a 3,500 lb axle.

 

Since that's the case, all the info I gave you could be wrong. Please go to the Dexter website for correct information.

 

For the 3500lb. axles the procedure is as Bad Ramer Jamer said. My work trailer has 2 3500lb. Dexters. Pretty easy to do, you just have to make the time to do it!!

 

Be VERY careful when greasing the EZ lube.
90% of the time pumping massive amounts of grease into it will blow out the inner wheel seal and you'll have grease all over the brake shoes and drum = no braking action.

My trailer shop guy told me the proper way to grease them is to;
1. Jack up the wheel, and SPIN it while pumping grease into the bearings,slowly.
2. NEVER shoot more than 5 pumps of grease into it at a time.
3. It's better to pump 5 shots of grease into it 3-4 times a season, than to pump 15-20 shots into it in the Spring.
4. As the outer metal cap gets filled with old grease, scoop out a finger full to leave room for new grease.

He was replacing my grease soaked brake shoes at the time. I've followed his advice ever since and have not suffered grease soaked brake shoes ever since.

 

These brakes are different. I pulled the cover off the back and looked in (very small opening). Its not a star wheel. It looks like a threaded collar with small box stand-offs on the outer circumference. It reminds me of the collar adjusters on tie rods. And I couldn't turn it with a screw driver so I'm calling Dexter today.

- JyRO

 

Hmmm...You sure it's a Dexter axle?? Sounds like an ALKO axle setup...

 

Check this link out to see how your brakes work. http://www.al-kousa.com/prod_bhd.htm
See where the star wheel is on the bottom link.
You really need to get in there with a drop light and check forward and back inside the slot to see the star. Sometimes it is just offset a little.
Also look along the length of the axles for an aluminum tag wrapped around. It will tell the axle MFG and model #. I thought my Dutchmen had Dexters but I found the tag and it has AlKo's. Just info for replacing parts if needed.
When you finally do adjust the brakes don't be fooled by the magnet scraping on the drum. Adjust to full lock then back off a predetermined number of clicks (I do 7 on mine, 5 was not quite enough) as recommended by the mfg or experience dictates. All 4 wheels need to be properly and equally adjusted so one does not lock up improperly.
I have never heard of removing a drum for brake adjustment and could not find any info stating that on the Dexter website. Their axles are called NeverLube.

The thing you described with small box standoffs almost sounds like the E-brake adjusters on my disc braked 01.5 3500. They don't look like star wheels I'm used to on regular drum brakes. You might need the proper adjusting tool to get the right angle to engage the adjuster. Of course this could be all wrong and it could be some new fangled brake setup. Please follow up with Dexter's response. Thx.