"I do want to stress right now that unless you are seriously mechanically minded and are confident that you can perform the job correctly and completely, do not attempt any of the work that I will talk about here. Get it done professionally."
The surfaces of the drum were scored far more than I had anticipated. When I repacked the bearing in 2016, the surfaces were only just starting to show a bit of scoring. There was no point installing new bearings and races into a worn out drum. As you can see from the photo, the scoring is quite heavy. The magnet was also quite worn, and it was easy to see where the scoring matched up with the surface wear. My theory is that at some point in the wear cycle, perhaps the magnet gets to a point where it is causing more harm than good. I would say that I have noticed of late that the brakes were not as efficient, or present, as they have been in the past. Clearly it is time for a renew.
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| some serious scoring happening there |
Fortunately a couple of years back, when I was ordering some parts, I noticed that eTrailer had a sale on the entire Dexter brake assembly, and I think that the price point was around thirty bucks. Having changed car brake shoes over the years, and the bugger it is to deal with the springs, I figured replacing the entire assembly would be the way to go, so I ordered a set. They have been waiting in the basement for this very day. I was able to find a Dexter distributer in Ottawa, and quickly purchased a new set of drums. Now we are good to start the work.
The first step is to get the trailer jacked up and the tire off. I use a bottle jack, placed at the end of the axle box, followed with a jack stand for an extra measure of safety. Next came removal of the drum and bearings, the only parts now being kept were the spindle nut, washer and retaining clip. No messy cleanup to be done this year. The next step was the removal of the brake assembly, all of which is mounted to the backing plate. This is held in place by four nuts, conveniently placed so as to not allow any sort of arm leverage to be applied. Figuring that many years of accumulated road grime would make the nuts tough to remove, I gave them all a good spray of Liquid Wrench. I used a hammer to lightly tap the end of the socket wench, slowly moving the nuts off the studs. The plate comes off, the electric brake wires are snipped, and you are done...that part.
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| the bare spindle...with no signs of wear |
Before mounting the new brakes, I gave all the pressure points for the shoes a little inspection and a touch of extra anti-seize. I also did any of the movement points for the acutator arm. This will keep things moving smoothly. Reconnected the electric brake wires, an even easier task when there is no polarity concerns, then mounted the backing plate with four new nuts. Snagged a good idea from fellow Alto owner Ralph, and covered the crimped connectors with heat shrink tubing. Torquing to spec proved difficult in the confined area, so I did the best I could with my wrench and hammer. They are not going anywhere.
The new drums came with the races already installed, so it was just a matter of packing the bearings, applying additional grease to the races and spindle, placing the rear bearing in and installing a new seal. On went the drum, outer bearing and the parts to hold it all together. All of these components were installed following the Dexter Service Manuals. Dexter provides extensive information on their web site, and reading these service manuals and tech sheets is a valuable activity before starting any of this work!
The brakes were adjusted, and once they seat after a couple of short trips, I will jack the wheels and give them a quick re-adjustment.
So now we have new parts all around, including a new set of Carlisle Radial Trail HD, load range D. The originals were a bit overdue to be replaced, and these tires looked good. I like having the extra load capacity of these ones, even if we will only make use of this from a safety margin perspective. Our driving and loading routines will not change.
Definitely a big job, but one that offers big satisfaction for the effort expended. It is little wonder why having this work done at a shop can be expensive...there is a fair amount of expertise and labour involved...and my joints could make a good argument for just taking it into the shop the next time! At some point I will be, but I'm not there quite yet.
I think the big takeaway for me is how much sense it makes to change everything when needed. All the pieces work together, and ulitimately, wear together. No point changing brake shoes, if the drum is also worn. Same with new bearings in an old drum. From a cost perspective, with a little planning ahead you might be able to get in on some sales, but regardless of that, the piece of mind far outweighs a little extra outlay of cash. I know we are towing safe, and that makes means a lot.
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