How to Tighten Slide Bolt for 7K Demco Hydraulic Drum Brake Actuator

Question:

I purchased the Demco Hydraulic Brake Actuator - Drum - Zinc - 2inch Ball - 7,000 lbs about a year ago. Love it. Works great. Last week I accidentally got too close when backing up to connect to my truck and backed into the coupler just barely. There’s no major damage to my truck or the Demco unit, but it appears the main nut/bolt connecting the coupler to the rest of the assembly is loose. There’s a sticker that says “preset fasteners. Do not adjust without factory specifications”, so I’m trying to find what those specs are. I need to torque it back to factory spec so it’s not loose anymore. Any chance the torque for that fastener is available somewhere? I’ve attached a photo.

asked by: Mike

Helpful Expert Reply:

You're right that the bolt can't be too tight otherwise the braking won't work. What you'll want to do is tighten the bolt on your Demco Hydraulic Brake Actuator # DM72VR to 45 ft-lbs initially. You want there to be enough movement for that inner slide to still move in and out to apply the brakes, but definitely not loose like what you have.

If the 45 ft-lbs still feels too loose go ahead and torque it a bit tighter, but if it feels too fixed then loosen it up a bit.

My contact at Demco confirmed this is the action that you need to take as they don't have an exact torque setting for that bolt.

expert reply by: Jon G