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Topic ClosedJust bought a used Rpod
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Just bought a used Rpod
    Posted: 17 May 2019 at 12:45pm
Are your fingers calibrated in Fahrenheit or Celsius?

I don’t need a helper or a power supply either, just adjust the controller to the voltage you want and tape the lever full on. Ain’t nothing you cain’t fix with duct tape.
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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Posts: 966 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2019 at 12:26pm
Originally posted by offgrid

Thanks but I'll stick with my IR thermometer. One of my favorite tools. Don't have to get down on my knees and reach around, and no burned fingers. Useful for lots of other things as well, like checking fridge and a/c evaporator temps. 

BTW, you don't need a separate variable voltage power supply. An electronic brake controller already is a pulse width modulated power supply. It's voltage setting is the reading when you slide the manual lever to full. 

No burned fingers here either....I'm good at this..and yeah, I also know how the brake controllers work.

And I own two IR guns me-own-self...Tongue

But...a variable voltage power supply is easier and works with no vehicle (or assistant) needed. You can dial up the exact voltage (usually 2-4 volts) that slightly engages the brake magnets, with just a small amount of rotational drag when both wheels are jacked up off the ground. Adjust the starwheels for a balance between both sides. 

A simple lab supply with 0-15v and about 3 amps is sufficient for testing, as well as checking or servicing the lights on the trailer when its not hooked up to a vehicle.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2019 at 12:15pm
Thanks but I'll stick with my IR thermometer. One of my favorite tools. Don't have to get down on my knees and reach around, and no burned fingers. Useful for lots of other things as well, like checking fridge and a/c evaporator temps. 

BTW, you don't need a separate variable voltage power supply. An electronic brake controller already is a pulse width modulated power supply. It's voltage setting is the reading when you slide the manual lever to full. 
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zookagumby View Drop Down
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Posts: 3 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2019 at 11:49am
LOL...yep, that's how I knew the brakes weren't working!  After a long downhill, I just felt how hot the drums were...and they weren't.   I'm in the process right now of disabling the self-adjusters; using a dremel to change the angle of the adjusting-star actuating plate edge so it can no longer engage. 

Tom
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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Posts: 966 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2019 at 11:39am
I don't need no stinkin' IR thermometer.....I just reach around and quickly touch the drums with the back of my knuckles. I can tell really fast if one is hotter than the other!

I will also grab the hubs, kick the tires, place my palm on the tread, and feel and smell for anything hot. I do this after nearly every highway run, when getting gas, taking a pee-break, whatever.

Of course, I've got a few million miles driving trucks. Comes with the territory. 
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2019 at 11:18am
The trick I use to see if my trailer brakes are reasonably balanced is to make a few stops from say around 30 mph using trailer brakes only (by sliding the manual lever on the controller) then stopping and measuring drum temperatures with an IR thermometer. The temps won't be identical but they should be reasonably close.

If one is much cooler than the other then something is wrong. I found the curb side brake to be much cooler. That side has longer wire lengths and more connectors so it takes less current. Once I rewired they were a lot closer to the same temperature. 

To check if one is dragging disconnect the trailer connector and drive a few miles, then stop and use the IR thermometer. They should both be within a few degrees of ambient temperature. 
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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Posts: 966 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2019 at 10:47am
At least some dealers have a crude way of testing and adjusting the electric brakes, and with the 'self-adjusters', one brake can end up tighter than the other.

A good way to check electric trailer brakes is with a variable voltage power supply, but many dealers don't even seem to be aware of this.

Plus, if the seals leak, then the brake shoes can get contaminated, making one side 'grabby' or worse.

I like the irony with the Dexter 'Nev-R-Adjust' brakes...which, when translated, means, 'hard to keep them balanced'...(never adjusted)....
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zookagumby View Drop Down
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Posts: 3 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2019 at 10:47am

I had considered the possibility that the auto-adjust brake was the culprit also.  Your experience tells me that is a more likely cause.  The next time I work on the wheels, I will disable the auto-adjust feature, as the potential damage from that feature is much more a concern than the occasional minor manual adjustment hassle.
Tom
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6289 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2019 at 10:12am
The previous owner may not have tightened the brakes too much. They are self-adjusting. I had the same thing happen with one side of our 179 where the (door side) wheel's brakes got very tight but the slide side's brakes did not. Likewise, I had a seal failure also on that side. The brakes were replaced and new bearings and seals installed at the same time as I had the axle replaced. 

I fully agree that the dealer was negligent by not checking the brakes before he sold the RPod to you.
StephenH
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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Posts: 966 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2019 at 8:39am
One of the first things I did was tidy up all the wiring on my brand new pod.

Including the brake wiring.
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