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bhamster
Senior Member
Joined: 19 May 2011
Location: Washington
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Posts: 165
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Topic: Self-Adjusting Brakes? Posted: 03 May 2013 at 10:43am |
Originally posted by Thinker
bhamster, sorry you had that problem with your bearings, I would suspect they were not properly packed to begin with. |
That might be true, but it wasn't the packing that was the problem, it was water contamination. If you have a failed cap or seal (I had one of each) you need to repack. The only way to find out is to take everything apart every once in a while.
Originally posted by Thinker
How are trailer spindle bearings any different from front wheel spindle bearings on a car or truck that has rear wheel drive? How did my repack interval work so well for so many years on so many vehicles? |
Trailer bearings sit for potentially months at a time. This gives the grease a chance to settle and potentially expose them to corrosive elements.
Originally posted by Thinker
Understand the magnetic action on the brake drums, but that falls under the broad category of electromagnetic solenoid rather than hydraulic. |
Maybe... but your suggestion that they don't need to be adjusted because of this is incorrect and dangerous.
Originally posted by Thinker
My caveat was "if your brakes are working". Should the magnet reach end of arc, they would no longer need working and thus according to my line of thinking need attention. At any time a hub is pulled bearings should be repacked and inspected. |
Are you actually suggesting that you shouldn't adjust your brakes until they stop working? What if they stop working while I'm going down a 7% grade... ??? You should absolutely adjust your brakes BEFORE they stop working.
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Thinker
Senior Member
Joined: 25 Feb 2013
Location: S. Mississippi
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Posts: 171
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Posted: 03 May 2013 at 10:25am |
bhamster, sorry you had that problem with your bearings, I would suspect they were not properly packed to begin with. How are trailer spindle bearings any different from front wheel spindle bearings on a car or truck that has rear wheel drive? How did my repack interval work so well for so many years on so many vehicles?
Understand the magnetic action on the brake drums, but that falls under the broad category of electromagnetic solenoid rather than hydraulic. I know the most common solenoids are linear solenoids, but there are other types also.
My caveat was "if your brakes are working". Should the magnet reach end of arc, they would no longer need working and thus according to my line of thinking need attention. At any time a hub is pulled bearings should be repacked and inspected.
Many people who have boat trailers experience a much shorter repack interval recommendation. This is due to wet launching of boats that immerse warm hubs into cold water causing a rapid cooling and contraction of contents which can draw water into the hubs -- not good.
Unless you drag your pod through high water (not impossible with current weather patterns), pod hubs don't need the same repack interval as boat trailer hubs.
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Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
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bhamster
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Joined: 19 May 2011
Location: Washington
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Posts: 165
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Posted: 03 May 2013 at 10:13am |
Originally posted by Thinker
If your brakes are working and your wheels are turning, I would humbly suggest they be left alone. |
I would humbly suggest you check out my other post where my bearings had rust and pitting after just 2 years and 5k miles:
Pumping grease into a zerk fitting doesn't tell you anything about the condition of the bearings or seals. Think of it like adding oil to your engine... you still need to change your oil regularly.
Electric brakes absolutely have a limited stroke. And there are no solanoids used... just an electromagnet that drags on the inside of the drum. Once that magnet reaches the end of it's arc, that's it. If they're not self-adjusting they should be adjusted every few thousand miles.
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Thinker
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Joined: 25 Feb 2013
Location: S. Mississippi
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Posts: 171
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Posted: 03 May 2013 at 9:59am |
Originally posted by Camper Bob
Surprise! Surprise! I normally do not shop at Camping World as there prices are out of my world. However, in checking on a price to repack the wheel bearings, they quoted $139.99 which includes adjusting the brakes. The two local dealers I checked with both wanted between $225-$250. Well shut my mouth, guess I will have to shop at Camping World also. Safe Travels. |
Unless you are full timing, should be many years before you need to repack wheel bearings. Normal interval for a car or truck with rear wheel drive to repack front is 25K miles. In addition, my 171 has the zerk fittings on the hubs that should extend the interval even longer, possibly "forever" in my usage level. Adjusting brakes are different for electric vs hydraulic.
Hydraulic brakes (in the old days) needed adjusting to reduce the pedal travel due to limited stroke on the master cylinder. Electric brake solanoids do not have this "low pedal" issue. If your brakes are working and your wheels are turning, I would humbly suggest they be left alone.
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Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
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Racer|X|
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Joined: 21 Mar 2012
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Posts: 237
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Posted: 02 May 2013 at 7:37pm |
Thanks for sharing.
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bhamster
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Joined: 19 May 2011
Location: Washington
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Posts: 165
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Posted: 02 May 2013 at 3:09pm |
Originally posted by bhamster
Originally posted by kymooses
I had noticed them braking better on the way home from our last trip |
This seems promising, but how do you actually know that they're self-adjusting? Is it written somewhere? Have you taken it apart and seen something different inside? If so, can you share this with us so we can determine if our's are also self-adjusting? |
Sorry to revive an old thread, but I finally answered my own question and thought I would post the answer for others. I now know that the brakes on my Lippert axle are self-adjusting after repacking the bearings. When the hub is off you can clearly see a cable that connects between the two pads, through a pulley and then down to an indexer on the star nut. Basically if there's too much give between the two pads it will automatically tighten them up. I would imagine that if you removed the plug on the back and looked inside with a flashlight you would also be able to see the metal tab that increments it.
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Footslogger03
Senior Member
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Location: Laramie, WY
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Posts: 362
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 at 8:45pm |
I was quoted $168 at the dealer where I bought my 177 last October. Appointment is next week. I'll post a note after my experience. This is the FIRST time our Pod has been back to the dealer.
'Slogger
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Livin' the Dream ...'Slogger
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Camper Bob
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 26 Sep 2011
Location: Portland Oregon
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Posts: 913
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 at 7:16pm |
Surprise! Surprise! I normally do not shop at Camping World as there prices are out of my world. However, in checking on a price to repack the wheel bearings, they quoted $139.99 which includes adjusting the brakes. The two local dealers I checked with both wanted between $225-$250. Well shut my mouth, guess I will have to shop at Camping World also. Safe Travels.
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Camper Bob and Camper Sue
Gracie the Wonder Dog (12 LB. Mini Dachshund)
2013 Rpod 171HRE(ORPod)
2016 Lance 1685
2015 Nissan Pathfinder
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kymooses
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Joined: 01 Aug 2010
Location: Louisville, Ky
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Posts: 1807
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 at 9:31am |
The video posted above is the one I had bookmarked also!
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Keith-N-Dar
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Location: Mayville, WI
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Posts: 1447
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 at 9:30am |
Originally posted by techntrek
Not backing into trees definitely reduces the repair bills! |
And it is a lot more fun!
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Keith-N-Dar
Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers)
2011 R-Pod 177
2010 Ford F-150
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