brake adjustment
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14850
Printed Date: 20 Jun 2025 at 10:19am
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Topic: brake adjustment
Posted By: Pod People
Subject: brake adjustment
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2021 at 3:57pm
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------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2021 at 3:57pm
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I need to find out which way to turn the star adjuster to loosen the brake shoes thank you Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9">
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2021 at 5:56pm
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Its not easy. You have to get two tools in there, one to hold the locking tab up out of the way and the other to turn the adjustment star. IIRC you have to pry up pushing the star down but to be sure look in there with a
flaslight. The teeth on the stars on the self adjusters and tiny and asymmetrical, designed to engage with the locking tab, so that the tab will slide over the teeth when tightening and engage to keep the starts from backing off. So there's nothing to really pry against when trying to loosen them. in other words, they are designed to be diabolically hard to back them down. So much so that I never bother, I just remove the drums, it's not worth the frustration and crawling under there. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2021 at 7:05pm
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To bring out more details- On our last trip, I noticed that the driver side brake drum/hub temps were consistently hotter(Infrared thermometer). I could hear the brake dragging more than the other side. I wanted to take the drum/hub off and check it out. I could not get the drum/hub off because the shoes were so tight. I knew how to adjust the shoes, I just forgot which way to turn the star adjuster. Eventually, I figured it out by turning the adjuster all the way too tight and then backing off until I could spin the wheel and remove the hub/drum. I hooked up the tow vehicle and connected the Bargeman and wife stepped on the brakes. I could not see any movement of the shoes when the brakes were applied. It could hear a humming/buzzing sound that was definitely coming from the brake mechanism. I have remounted the hub/drum for the night and feel comfortable that the bearings and all running gear is ok. but I don't seem to have any brake action. I have not tried to adjust the star yest. I need to find out why the shoes did not move. I'm happy to hear ideas or ways to investigate the problem. To answer my own question for future needs- turn the star wheel down to loosen the shoes and up to tighten the shoes. So , now the questions become- 1-why/how did the shoes get (self ???) adjusted so tight that the drum was way hotter(used my Infrared thermometer) than the other and was dragging terribly when I jacked the pod up??? 2-what can I do to investigate the no-brake issue? Thanks Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9">
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2021 at 9:07pm
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Okay. The way the brakes work is that the electromagnet pulls against the rotating drum. The drag moves the shoes. When you are sitting still, the magnet will pull against the drum, but because there is no rotation, there is no movement of the shoes. As to why the one tightened up so much, I can't really explain it. I have had that happen to me also. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2021 at 10:24pm
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Thanks Stephen, that is encouraging to know that it shouldn’t work when not moving. We’ll take it out tomorrow and see what we can find out. Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9">
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2021 at 2:05am
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Check to be sure you have full voltage to both magnets. Turn the gain all the way up on your brake controller and have someone manually activate it while you check the voltages.
If you have a DC clamp on then you can check the current to each magnet also. Put the clamp on far away from the magnets though or the magnetic fields will mess up the clamp on measurements. If the two magnet readings are close and the magnet sliding surfaces and the mating drum surfaces are smooth then it's got to be the brake mechanisms themselves that are causing the problem. They are after all pretty crude 1940s/50s technology. You can clean up any places where things move and the threads in the adjusters and use a little (very little) brake lubricant, see if that helps. Or just buy complete new brake assemblies ($62 each on Amazon) and hopefully be done with it.... ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2021 at 7:19am
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I would like to switch to electric over hydraulic disc brakes, but the cost is quite high. I think it would be much more reliable though. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2021 at 1:42am
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+1. Much more modern system but complex and just too much money.
Barring that, I think I'd rather just have simple manual adjusters next time. Easier to set and to back off if needed. You just need to jack up the wheels every three thousand miles and set them, then check with the IR thermometer that they're not heating up when not activated and heating reasonably uniformly when activated. Should be good to go. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2021 at 2:31pm
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We had a 1977 Honda Civic CVCC Wagon. I liked the brake adjusters on that. It used a socket on the back and did not have star wheels. Inside was a cone-shaped head that when tightened, pushed the bottom of the shoes out. It was simple to adjust. It sure beats the star wheels, even if it was manual adjust. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2021 at 8:10pm
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The stars on the manual adjusting brakes are totally different from the tiny "one way" points in the self adjusters. A regular brake spoon should make short work of adjusting them.
Lippert sells them fir 38 bucks and poi ts out that they give you more "precise control" than the self adjusters. That's what I'd try next time. https://store.lci1.com/electric-brake-assembly-10in-x-225in-3500-lbs-left-side-297956.html - Lippert manual brakes ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |