Fitting out Drifter 22
'Appuski Too'
Trailer brake backplates
If
the backplates of your AL-KO brakes look like the
picture from Appuski Too's four wheel
trailer at left below then you have a problem. No, not the surface rust on the
trailing arm (since cleaned up and treated). The problem is the brake
adjustment cams. On AL-KO brakes like these they are on the opposite side to to where you see the cable entering. For this reason the backplates are always installed with the cable entry either
at the top or the bottom so that the adjustment cams are accessible. If they
are installed as in this picture, with the cable entry at the rear - yes, you
guessed it, the adjustment cams are behind the trailing arms and thus
impossible to access!
Removing
and re-orienting the backplates requires heavy
commercial vehicle tools - even more so than the regular drum removal process
on AL-KO brakes. That socket bolt in the centre has a 350 nm torque setting! It
is very fortunate indeed that I know just the man.
Those
who have followed my earlier story about AL-KO brake linings becoming detached
from their shoes will not be surprised to learn that when we got the brakes off
we discovered that the linings on the nearside rear and offside front wheel
sets were floating free. How this affected the brake adjustment process I dread
to think.