Correct overide brake adjustment.

[Deleted]

Hi All

We have thrashed the couplings, towballs, hitches, towbars thread lately so i thought i would bring this question up as a seperate thread so it will be easier to look up later if someone is chasing answers.

Can anyone tell me the correct ajustment for mechanical overide brakes.
I suppose it is dependant on the weight being towed . The general concensus at work is about 1/2" between coupling ram and lever plate. with this adjustment i can pull the brake lever on about midway up (3 notches) the serated notches on the coupling before locking the brakes.

Too much gap and the brakes wont do their job at all. Not enough gap and they will be working everytime you get off the loud pedal.( accelerator) and thereby overheating the brakes uneccessarily .

A bit of Trial and error might be the order here. It will also depend on how far you nip up the brakes in the drums. Methinks it would be better to adjust / service them first then move on up to the overide adjustment

Over to you folks.
Reddo

[earlee]

Reddo,

What you have said all sounds pretty good.

If anyone is buying a new override coupling then be aware that there are different capacity internal springs available. Heavier 2000kg springs are for heavy vans and the lighter 1000kg springs are for lighter vans for obvious reasons.

Don't forget to disable the brakes when reversing. This is done by moving the latch on the coupling to stop compression of the spring.

earlee.

[cobber]

G’Day Reddo,

To determine if the spring you have is too strong, or too light, for the van I wrap masking tape around the piston just behind the ball coupling.
Go for a drive and apply the brakes. You can see how far the piston has traveled by seeing how much the masking tape has been compressed, then by operating the hand lever the same distance you can get an idea if the travel is sufficient to operate the brakes, know what I mean
Cobber..

[Deleted]

Hi Cobber.
Thanks for the tip.

Here is my plan. Gunna get out in the street . stoke the FJ up to around 90 MPH down the side street and then jam the brakes on as hard as my number 9's will allow.
Gunna get the neighbours to watch 'n see if i get smoke off the van wheels and leaving black ribbons down the road.

After that i will get in the van and put everything back on the shelves in the cupboards.
If the towball snaps they will be pickin' "Matilda" outta my B#M
Waddya reckon Cob .... am i on another winner or wot
No Worries.
If that fails i will get some masking tape and wrap it around the piston just behind...........

Reddo - stunt driver.

[trodler]

Hi Reddo.
The first time I took my van for a pink slip the inspecting guy said that he used a complicated instrument to measure the distance from the back of the overining coupling to where it pushes against the hand brake lever.
When the hand brake is pulled up to a firm position there should only be a index finger gap.
I had to adjust mine before he would pass it.

Cheers
Trodler.

[Deleted]

Hi trodler.

I will adjust mine up to "finger thickness gap" today. At the mo its a "finger thickness when fully released. gunna do nothing in that position no matter how hard i hit the brakes.

Just measured the mechanics fingers at work ... all have 1/2" thick index fingers . so they musta wrote the book that ya mate at the inspection station was readin'.

Reddo