Give me a brake!

_{Copyright 2004 Les Doll All rights reserved}

Adjusting Trailer Brakes

     Trailer brakes should be adjusted at least once a year, more often depending on the miles travelled, the severity of the downhill grades, and the amount of stop and go traffic that is encountered.This is a chore that most people with average mechanical skills should be able to handle. You will need a brake adjusting tool, available at most tool supply stores, a jack capable of safely lifting the trailer, and a jack stand to hold the trailer in the jacked position.The following steps are a guide to properly adjusting your trailer brakes. What this entails is the adjustment of the star wheel which in turn sets the brake shoe to brake drum clearance. This adjustment is important - as the brake shoes wear down, the clearance increases. The actuating mechanism must travel further to effectively apply the brakes and a point can be reached where the mechanism is no longer able to so.