Greasing the DD3 Brake Actuators

[qayqayt]

Occasionally, I was having trouble releasing the air brakes on our PD-4108.  With DD3's you have to do a full brake application after you release the parking brake, but the brakes were not releasing.  So I checked with a mechanic friend and he said that often the brake actuators are missed when the coach is lubed.  You have to use a lithium based grease because of the proximity to rubber in the brake actuator.  I checked the manual and it called for a lubriplate grease and yes it had very different properties than the regular grease.

So because it wasn't happening every time, I put it off for a few days.  We were dumping our tanks at a busy rest stop sani-dump and I had to fan the brakes down 3 times before I could get the parking brake to release.  Okay.. I learned my lesson.  This only happens when you have 8 motorhomes in the lineup behind you.

We got to our destination and I bought a cheap grease gun and the proper lubricant, blocked the bus and crawled under and found the one grease fitting on each brake actuator.  The brakes release just fine now.  According to the manual, you can use this grease on the brake pedal hinge but it's not called for anywhere else.  So the tube of grease will probably last me for several years.

Just a "find" I thought I should share.

Bryan

[fe2_o3]

Thanks Bryan, I usually get a sick feeling when someone talks about greasing their brakes.(Ask me about it when we get to Cheney and I'll explain) Glad you cleared that up for me. See you then...Cable

[eddiepotts]

Be careful thinking the grease will last you for years. Normally your old grease gun is nasty is because the oil will wick out of it and you will not want to use it anymore.