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PAGE 14 — DCA-60SSAI — PARTS AND OPERATION MANUAL— FINAL COPY (09/15/01)
DCA-60SSAI —TRAILER SAFETY GUIDELINES
Brakes
If your trailer has a braking system, the brakes should be
inspected the first 200 miles of operation. This will allow
the brake shoes and drums to seat properly. After the first
200 mile interval, inspect the brakes every 3,000 miles. If
driving over rough terrain, inspect the brakes more
frequently.
Electric Brakes
Electrically actuated brakes (Figure 2) are similar to
hydraulic brakes. The basic difference is that hydraulic
brakes are actuated by an electromagnet.
Listed below are some of the advantages that electric
brakes have over hydraulic brakes:
Brake system can be manually adjusted to provide
the corrected braking capability for varying road and
load conditions
Brake system can be modulated to provide more or
less braking force, thus easing the brake load on the
towing vehicle
Brake system has very little lag time between the time
the vehicle’s brakes are actuated and the trailer’s brakes
are actuated
Brake system can provide an independent emergency
brake system
Remember in order to properly synchronize the tow vehicle’s
braking to the trailer’s braking, can only be accomplished
by road testing. Brake lockup, grabbiness or harshness is
due to lack of synchronization between the tow vehicle
and the trailer being towed or under-adjusted brakes.
Before any brake synchronizations adjustments can be
made, the trailer brakes should be burnished-in by applying
the brakes 20-30 times with approximately a 20 m.p.h.
decrease in speed, e.g. 40 m.p.h. to 20 m.p.h. Allow ample
time for brakes to cool between application. This allows
the brake shoes to slightly be seated into the brake drum
surface.
Figure 2 displays the major electric brake components that
will require inspection and maintenance. Please inspect
these components as required.
Electric Brake Adjustment
1. Place the trailer on jack stands. Make sure the jack
stands are placed on secure level ground.
2. Check the wheel and drum for free rotation.
3. Remove the adjusting hole cover from the adjusting
slot at the bottom brake backing plate.
4. With a screwdriver or standard adjusting tool, rotate
the star wheel of the adjuster assembly to expand the
brake shoes.
5. Adjust the brake shoes outward until the pressure of
the lining against the wheel drum makes the wheel
difficult to turn.
6. Rotate the star wheel in the opposite direction until the
wheel rotates freely with slight lining drag.
7. Replace the adjusting hole cover and lower the trailer
to the ground.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 6 on the remaining brakes.