nickaddison Posted July 6, 2004 Share Posted July 6, 2004 Excuse me if this sounds like complete nonsense, but I'm not sure I have remembered the question correctly.... Peter Haigh has asked me to post a request for help in adjusting the drums on his Brian James Minno trailer (seems he lost the handbook ) He knows that there is a hex adjuster round the back somewhere but isn't sure how/which way to adjust it Any ideas? Peter will be along in a while - he's incommunicado for a couple of days hence this post (thanks again for transporting the tyres by the way - you'll be pleased to know that the new ones passed the first test i.e. I got to the area meet and back without leaving the road!) Scream if you wanna go faster! Caterham FireBlade NJA509 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Richard Price Posted July 7, 2004 Area Representative Share Posted July 7, 2004 lookhere and here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Martyr Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 Nick - I thought for a moment you had joined the trailer trash like me I have just tried to follow the instructions with not a great deal of success. I don't think my trailer brakes have worn much since new and you can still hear a faint touch when spinning the hubs. Mine do not have a hex adjuster but a horrid toothed wheel inside the drum which means you have to lie under the trailer to get at . I clicked away for a while and could sense absolutely no change so I put it all back as I had found it. Each wheel has a seperate cable and I found that two were hangine very low and might catch on gate stoppers so tied them closer to the frame. My intention is to try not to test the brakes too hard on Le Sept but to anticipate idiots assuming priority from the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Smith Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 Getting a little off-topic; the brakes on my trailer seem to lock up very easily - do the brakes need adjustment (or the long threaded "bolt")? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickaddison Posted July 7, 2004 Author Share Posted July 7, 2004 Thanks Richard It'll be a cold, cold day Tony - or next year if I start sprinting and can fasten a towing bracket on the XJ-S See how low I can get the MPG! I think Peter's problem was the opposite of yours Graeme, it moved when he leaned on it! Scream if you wanna go faster! Caterham FireBlade NJA509 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A10ROX Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 I thought the shed used aerodynamics to stop R400 and a bit ... got my polishing cloth out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Day Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 Adjusting the brakes regularly is important. I didn't & my trailer with 7 on-board rolled off to be stopped by a tree in the Blue Marine car-park in Beaune! Luckily I didn't have a spare wheel fitted & all I bent was the spare wheel holder. Remember if you reverse up a hill the brakes are disabled; so don't un-hitch & rely on the hand-brake. Follow the instructions on the Brian James web-site & adjust each wheel brake plus the brake rod as well. I check before any trip & mid way through just in case. I'm also v reluctant to un-hitch anywhere that isn't flat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheds Moderator Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 Adjusting trad drum brakes such as are fitted to trailers is easy enough, just a bit fiddly and laborious. As stated it's important. The correct procedure is to unhook the actuating cable (so you know they are "off") then jack up the wheel, and spin it. You should have slight drag from the brakes, more than just a "tsk tsk tsk" but certainly no more than you can easily overcome with one hand on the tyre. Adjust the wheely thing inside, or (easier unless corroded) the square adjuster on the backplate. Interior wheely things are much nicer IMO as they are in the dry so don't seize up with corrosion. They are fiddly though. Repeat for the other wheel, then reconnect the cable. Adust the centre cable so that the brakes are just off until you operate the lever. Job done. Obviously this assumes that once a year or so you pull the drums off and check for wear/condition of parts, and grease up all the linkages both inside and outside the drums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Perry Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 When you adjust the brakes on a new trailer for the very first time it is normal for them to take a lot of adjustment to get them to take up all the slack until it is impossible to turn the wheel by hand. An indication that they need adjusting is when you brake hard, what seems like a lifetime passes as the trailer slides forward up the damped hitch and then the brakes engage. When they are correctly adjusted the delay should be very short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Bucket Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Hello All, Back in Essex - thanks Nick. Mr A10ROX - just you wait when you get stuck behind the LGS on a nice windy road I'll adjust the brakes this pm. Thanks Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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