Troubleshooting the Adjustment or Lack of Adjustment on Self-Adjusting Brakes

Question:

How do self-adjust electric brakes adjust while traveling? Do I need to back up? My brakes are not adjusting on the go, which makes my 5th wheel slid forward in its hitch cause a pushing/slamming motion to my truck. I have installed all self-adjusting brakes according to spec and manually set the initial drag. I have had the brake pressed while the tire was jacked up and in motion to make sure I have a connection.

asked by: Patrick

Expert Reply:

To get your brake assemblies to start self-adjusting after the initial manual adjustment at install, you will need to hit the brakes hard multiple times. I recommend having the truck and trailer on a fairly smooth and level surface in a parking lot for this adjustment. You will slowly accelerate to no more than 20 mph, then hit the manual override on your brake controller to its max. It will be jarring, so be prepared. You will need to do this a few times. Then you can do the same thing except hit the brake pedal instead of the manual override on your controller. You should have the same effect and then your brakes will be able to self adjust properly.

expert reply by: Jason S