What did you do for your Escape today.....

[tractors1]

With around 10K on my 21 I checked into having the axles greased. $299 per axle at Les Schwab. They don't do the EZ-lube method - only traditional take-everything-apart. So I figured it was time to learn. Watched several YouTubes, read all the forums, and dove in. Pretty simple other than keeping the tire spinning while manually pumping the gun. Color change let me know when I had flushed out the old grease - took almost 3 tubes to do the 4 tires.



If you have the alloy wheels, be careful not to lose the rubber seal (you have to pry out to get to the zerk) inside the chrome hub cover. Took me half an hour to fish that sucker out of there with all the Lucas Red & Tacky grease.........

[Iowa Dave]

Ya but Now you’re an expert and you have most of the $600 still in your pocket. And what else is there to do? I’ve not used the easy lube feature, just the old fashioned way but I can relate to spinning the wheel. My number one problem is lifting the tire and wheel in place, getting the nuts started and run down and then stepping back to admire my work and discovering I forgot to put the decorative “chrome” hub center through the wheel center before installing. It’s only a one expletive mistake though. And usually only one out of 4 wheels.
Iowa Dave

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

I forgot to put the decorative “chrome” hub center through the wheel center before installing. It’s only a one expletive mistake though. And usually only one out of 4 wheels.
Iowa Dave

I adjusted my brakes and rotated the tires today. I made the same mistake, I missed putting the hub center on before mounting the tire and like you it only happened on tire #1. But I'll bet I'll make that same mistake again next year, slow learner that I am.

[Iowa Dave]

And the real killer is that I always think I can lift the tire and hit studs square on the first try but with new grease, you just look at that drum and it moves just enough that you can’t spear the tire. And so you have to try again. And then when you figure out you forgot the decorative center hub, well that’s what expletives are for. Especially when nobody is around that might be offended. Oh well, I always get it sooner or a little later.
Iowa Dave

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

And the real killer is that I always think I can lift the tire and hit studs square on the first try but with new grease, you just look at that drum and it moves just enough that you can’t spear the tire. And so you have to try again. And then when you figure out you forgot the decorative center hub, well that’s what expletives are for. Especially when nobody is around that might be offended. Oh well, I always get it sooner or a little later.
Iowa Dave

I can relate to the drums spinning freely, been there ..

I would guess that you adjust the brakes after you repack. Can't you just tighten the linings up to the drum to avoid the spinning. I didn't repack when I rotated and on one out of the four I was dead on the stud the first try. The other ones took enough extra maneuvering to be frustrating.

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Ron
I suppose you could lock the brake up pulling the emergency cable too but this would be integrating two maintenance functions at one time and I’m just not swift enough to keep everything straight. So I give my aging body a workout and then hit the Advil.
Iowa Dave

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Hi Ron
I suppose you could lock the brake up pulling the emergency cable too but this would be integrating two maintenance functions at one time and I’m just not swift enough to keep everything straight. So I give my aging body a workout and then hit the Advil.
Iowa Dave

Are you referring to having learned a lesson like "that guy" who did a brake job on his Mustang and decided to see how they worked by stepping on the brake pedal before he put the brake drum on?

I've had numerous such lessons taught to me. They say that we learn by our mistakes. If so I should have gotten a tremendous education, but I am a slow learner.

[Jordan]

Ronn (or others) - any tips or references on adjusting the breaks. I have a brand new E19 with only a few hundred kms on it. THe Dexter manual says to adjust the breaks after the break-in period and I am trying to figure out how.

THanks!

[cpaharley2008]

I have never adjusted my brakes on any of my Escapes, certainly not within the first year.
Jim aka "that guy"

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Jordan

Ronn (or others) - any tips or references on adjusting the breaks. I have a brand new E19 with only a few hundred kms on it. THe Dexter manual says to adjust the breaks after the break-in period and I am trying to figure out how.

THanks!

Page 13 in the braking systems section of the Dexter Light Duty Axle service manual:
https://www.dexteraxle.com/docs/defa...rsn=12dee048_0

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by Jordan

any tips or references on adjusting the breaks. I have a brand new E19 with only a few hundred kms on it. THe Dexter manual says to adjust the breaks after the break-in period and I am trying to figure out how.

Hi Jordan, I picked up my trailer a year ago and this was my first brake adjustment. I plan to do it once a year, although there didn't seem to be much adjusting needed. We did put on a lot of miles, almost 10,000 last year. I think Jim (cpaharley2008) might have the right idea, they likely don't need to be done every year.

I had previous drum brake experience from when I was a kid and I think that is an advantage. Do some other investigating, but this short video does a decent job of visualizing it. If you familiarize yourself the schematic at the end you'll see the "Adjuster Assembly". What that does is when you turn that wheel it moves the the shoes closer or farther from the drum.

Just note that the brakes on our trailers do not have the dust plug he shows. I don't know if having a plug would help, but I found the initial tightening movement very hard to turn the star wheel on the adjuster assembly. I do have the brake adjusting tool but found a longer screwdriver gave me more leverage.

Here is part of a post by Iowa Dave that I found quite helpful.
"the shoes are adjusted out to a “close contact position” by adjusting out to “full” mechanical contact and then backed off with the adjuster , when the drum is spun by hand the low spot on the drum and the high spot on the shoes make momentary contact. A light ringing noise is created. Ching, Ching, Ching as rotation is repeated. I’ve always taken that as proper adjustment tolerance

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Jim aka "that guy"

Jim, it's kinda that once is enough experience. You tried it once, you likely didn't like it.

If Escape offered the option of axles with the "self adjusting version" I would consider them. A lot of us are getting to the age we don't want to be doing that kind of work anymore. Although it does feel good to have a go at it, and as a bonus I can say I had my "work out" today.

[cpaharley2008]

I was planning on having my bearings/seals checked next year and have them do brake adjust then at the shop. We have to have our vehicles inspected every year, including trailers. That reminds me, something else to do this year.

[Valerie]

Having a new Escape 19 and being stuck at home, we're doing little projects. Today we cut and "installed" 4 interlocking Comfort Tiles on the bathroom floor. We used them in our Casita and were happy (a little rough on bare feet but not bad). The company Big Floors sells them individually for about $3 a piece so it's an easy cheap fix if you want to step in the bathroom and be elevated above the wet floor. Tomorrow we're hanging the Umbra hook/cubbies -- trying to stretch out these little mods until I've figured out what to do with the under-bed storage!

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I was planning on having my bearings/seals checked next year and have them do brake adjust then at the shop. We have to have our vehicles inspected every year, including trailers. That reminds me, something else to do this year.

I'm with Jim.

My rule of thumb is not to do anything that renders the trailer unusable if I can't complete the job. Brakes and bearings are in that category. But I need tires so will have all three done at the same time. Just don't want to do tires until I'm pretty sure the trailer will be moving again soon since otherwise it is sitting in one place on them and I might as well have that be the old tires.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by Valerie

Tomorrow we're hanging the Umbra hook/cubbies -- trying to stretch out these little mods until I've figured out what to do with the under-bed storage!

Could do some custom drawers. Particularly under the bench at the entry door if you got the optional door there.

[Iowa Dave]

The 2010 19 we had came with dust covers over the adjusting slots. When I put new brakes on it the kit came with covers. So I saved the old ones. Then friend with a 21 told me his 21 came without dust plugs. So I gave him the originals off the 19. Then we bought the 2013 21. It did not have dust plugs. But being a hoarder, I had some in a drawer of brake parts so I put them in. On each drum , only one slot lines up with the star wheel that must be turned to adjust. When you figure which slot it is mark it with a paint pen. Then to remember which way to turn make a little arrow with the point up and a T for tighten and an arrow down with the letter L for loose. On the new set of four kits I just bought, new plugs were provided as well as the mounting nuts. The butt connectors for the wiring are not provided. So when I install the new kits I will probably use the brand new dust plugs and back into the small parts cabinet go the old plugs. I use a brake tool but I’ve also used a Flat blade screwdriver with good results.

The Kwik- Way company in my home town of Cedar Rapids Iowa made standard of the industry brake drum lathes, valve resurfacing machines, and a machine that would surface new shoes so that they were a very accurate true arc. Getting the drums turned on a lathe to true round and then arcing the shoes to the drum gave maximum possible contact when you had to “lock the binders up” as they use to say when I was a lot younger.

Worthless information I’m sure, but I can still see George Skalsky in a cloud of asbestos coming off of a brake shoe his face blackened and his gold front tooth shining as he looked up and saw me and my dad standing there quietly and flashed a great smile. George was a tanker in WWII just like my Dad. He was a good guy.
Iowa Dave

[cpaharley2008]

I remember as a teenager working in a gas station during the summers pumping gas, fixing flats, and cleaning brakes. With all drum brakes we would remove the drums and I'd take an air hose and clean all the asbestos off. I think they charged $1 fo clean the squeaky brakes. No mask and like George, blackened by the end of the day. How I managed to live to be 74 without any side effects is beyond me and lucky I guess, because asbestos eats away your lungs once it settles. I hope George lived a full life also.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Valerie

Having a new Escape 19 and being stuck at home, we're doing little projects. Today we cut and "installed" 4 interlocking Comfort Tiles on the bathroom floor. We used them in our Casita and were happy (a little rough on bare feet but not bad). The company Big Floors sells them individually for about $3 a piece so it's an easy cheap fix if you want to step in the bathroom and be elevated above the wet floor. Tomorrow we're hanging the Umbra hook/cubbies -- trying to stretch out these little mods until I've figured out what to do with the under-bed storage!

We have similar from Marine West in blue . We like them now in our 19 for 6 1/2 years . Best part not afraid to use the toilet with shoes on . They still look good . Pat

[EscapeBoulder]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Ya but Now you’re an expert and you have most of the $600 still in your pocket. And what else is there to do? I’ve not used the easy lube feature, just the old fashioned way but I can relate to spinning the wheel. My number one problem is lifting the tire and wheel in place, getting the nuts started and run down and then stepping back to admire my work and discovering I forgot to put the decorative “chrome” hub center through the wheel center before installing. It’s only a one expletive mistake though. And usually only one out of 4 wheels.
Iowa Dave

I decided those hub covers on the alloy wheels, which require removing the wheel to remove aren't worth the trouble. So I replaced them with these easily removable covers.