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Timeking
Florida USA
Full Member
Joined: 06/26/2010
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Ever since I had all 4 drums removed and turned, I get smooth non-chattering stops. I suppose because the TT sat in the driveway during the pandemic, that upon jacking up and spinning the tires, I found one that was making a weird metal on metal sound. So I took it apart.
It wasn't moving freely like it should, so I lubed the contact points, which fixed it. However, I could not get the drum back on over the brake shoes. Lifting the little ratchet arm and turning the rear of the starwheel down, only made the matter worse and worse. Huh?
IT TURNS OUT THAT THE LEFT SIDE STARWHEEL ROTATION IS OPPOSITE THAT OF THE RIGHT SIDE!!
Took me an hour to figure that out in the boiling stroke-inducing Florida sun.
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Gdetrailer
PA
Senior Member
Joined: 01/05/2007
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Correct, Left side star wheel should have a "L" marked on it and Right side star wheel should have a "R" marked on it. Generic parts used in trailer brake backing plates however may or may not be marked, so disassemble one side at a time and one backing plate at a time.. Use the non disassembled backing plate on the same side as a reference on how to reassemble.
Mix them up and things can get ugly fast.
Been that way since the dawn of more modern time of autos as the drum brakes on trailer axles are basically the same design as automobile drum brakes with only a change with how it is activated..
Very few mechanics now days even know what a drum brake is..
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ford truck guy
Pennsylvania
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Joined: 03/22/2008
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Quote -" Very few mechanics now days even know what a drum brake is.. "
let alone what a star wheel is
Old school stuff in this day and age of MOST places, but not ALL.....
Me-Her-the kids
2020 Ford F350 SD 6.7
2020 Redwood 3991RD Garnet
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Gdetrailer
PA
Senior Member
Joined: 01/05/2007
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I should also mention, someone could have also mixed up which side the backing plates went to..
Backing plates should not be interchanged between left side and right side..
One is marked Left and one is marked Right.
When you buy them you have to specify left or right if buying one, but always best to change as a pair (left and right) on the same axle to make sure the brakes work evenly between left and right..
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