What makes the brakes auto-adjust?

[JackLikesTrucks]

I know there are star adjusters in the rears, but what truck motion makes them activate?

We used to, on other cars, make a series of quick heavy footed stops in reverse to get them to adjust.

What to the Rangers need? And do we brake with the foot brake or the parking brake to get the adjsuters to activate?

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

reverse at a good speed...slam on brakes. A couple passes. adjusts it for you. I just did mine last week.

 

[JackLikesTrucks]

Thanks wannabe. Appreciate it.

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

I'll also add that when you do it this way, it won't push the pads out too far like you potentially could using a screw driver on the adjuster.....too much pressure on the drum. It'll put it at just the right amount of pre-load on the pads into the drum.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

My neighbors probably think im some kinda windowlicker because once or twice a week ill back up for a good distance and then hit the brakes to adjust them. oh well, its a ranger thing....they wouldnt understand.

 

[srteach]

If they are properly working (most aren't), the self adjust system of drum brakes is operated by the reverse stopping motion you describe. The star wheel is operated by a lever / cable mechanism that is tightened by torque of the shoes on the drum in reverse. motion.
If you hit the brakes when reversing, the torque on the shoes / drum interface stretches the cable, pulling the lever, catching and turning the star wheel to expand the setpoint of the brake shoe pivot.